News

• New York multifamily firm pays $44 million to expand Orlando-area portfolio

  Affiliates of New York-based White Eagle Property Group paid $44 million this week for the 300-unit City West apartments on Kirkman Road near Universal Studios. The acquisition adds to White Eagle's already-substantial portfolio in greater Orlando. The firm, which targets Class A and B assets with...

• Hotel project kicks off Phase 1 of long-awaited Apopka City Center

  The long-anticipated Apopka City Center springs to life Thanksgiving week with groundbreaking on the Hilton Garden Inn hotel, the cornerstone of the 35-acre mixed-use development spanning the north and south sides of the interchange of State Road 436 and U.S. Highway 441. Taurus Southern Investments...

• Apartments on Casselberry’s Lake Howell to meet city’s need for ‘more rooftops’

  Casselberry leaders are hailing a proposed luxury apartment complex as a first step toward boosting the local tax base and attracting residents with more disposable income to the small Seminole County city. The complex, Azul at Lake Howell, will consist of 384 units on 29.6 acres south of Red Bug...

• City staff, board wowed by new design for Zoi House skyscraper in downtown Orlando

  Exciting. Gracious. Magnetic.  Those were just a few of the words members of Orlando's Appearance Review Board (ARB) and staff used to describe the latest design for the 41-story Zoi House, proposed to be the city's tallest skyscraper. Miami-based MEC Development Associates  and their team from ...

• National hotelier acquires Hilton flag near Sea World

  MCR, the nation's sixth-largest hotel operator, made its Orlando market entry this week with the purchase of the Hilton Garden Inn Orlando at SeaWorld. The 224-room hotel at is located at 6850 Westwood Boulevard, within walking distance to the theme park. The hotel offers free shuttle service to...

• Charlotte firm enters Orlando market via $26M I-Drive purchase

  A Charlotte-based CRE firm with commercial properties throughout Florida entered the Orlando market with the purchase of the International Drive Value Center. Collett paid $26 million for the shopping center, which abuts the Fun Spot amusement park on one side and Artegon Mall on the other. The...

• New SunTrust Bank to anchor U.S. 17-92 project in near Casselberry’s Lake Concord

  A new SunTrust Bank is coming to Casselberry’s Lake Concord Park and two restaurants may be part of the package later, according to documents submitted to the city. The bank, with a drive-through teller, will be built on a vacant 2.8-acre parcel on the southeast corner of U.S. 17-92 and Triplet...

• New York investment firm pays $28M for SouthPark Center office portfolio

  Pacer Partners, a boutique real estate firm with offices in New York and Boston, paid $28 million this week for a pair of Class A office buildings in Orlando's SouthPark Center. Located at 700 and 800 SouthPark Center and totaling 151,479 square feet, the properties are fully leased to a diverse...

• Orlando seeking bids to redevelop Clear Lake multifamily site

  The City of Orlando is offering nearly 5 acres for sale just south of Camping World Stadium to the right developer who will build mixed-income housing in downtown's Clear Lake neighborhood. "I think the market is pretty ripe for moving development forward on this site," Orlando's Director of Economic...

• South Florida custom builder and broker team up for trio of estate communities

  A developer and a broker with deep roots in South Florida are making a move into Central Florida. RCR Homes and Howard Chase Real Estate are teaming up to build and sell up to 34 ultra-luxury homes about an hour northwest of Orlando. “These are like big monster mansions,” said Howard Chase, broker...

More GrowthSpotter News

• Osceola seeks development team, project manager for new tax collector office

  Osceola County is seeking a development team for a new $4 million tax collector's office that will be the first phase of a planned government annex in south Kissimmee, a mile from the Poinciana SunRail Station. The county's procurement office this week issued two Requests for Proposals: one for...

• Horizon West founder files plans for 700 more homes

  Horizon West founder Jim Karr has filed a rezoning application for a new Planned Development that would add a combined 700 homes and apartments plus retail uses to the community's Village I. The Karr Planned Development comprises 134 acres north of Hartzog Road and east of Avalon Road. It's currently...

• Orlando CRA to build single family homes in Parramore's Carver Park

  An effort to provide affordable home ownership opportunities in the downtown Parramore neighborhood is back on track, with Orlando’s Community Redevelopment Agency stepping in to provide what could be an $8 million investment in 41 new homes. A memorandum of understanding between the redevelopment...

• Orlando staff recommends hybrid design with living wall for X Orlando tower

  Orlando's Appearance Review Board (ARB) staff wants yet another design change for the proposed X Orlando as the developer seeks approval for the next two phases of the largest residential building ever proposed for downtown Orlando. The city's ARB and Municipal Planning Board have already approved...

• McCraney leases 207,000+ SF in Polk County industrial park to UPS

  UPS has contracted to become the sole tenant at 27 Logistics Park, a McCraney Property Co. building on U.S. 27 near I-4 in eastern Polk County. A global leader in logistics and transporting packages and freight, UPS will lease the 207,676-square-foot, spec Class A warehouse on 12.67 acres fronting...

• City may order shutdown of car museum at Artegon for zoning violations

  The South Florida billionaire who dreamed of converting the former Artegon Marketplace into an entertainment venue and museum showcasing his vast car collection could be shut down by the City of Orlando because of zoning and code violations.  Miami-based Dezer Development paid $23.75 million in...

• Ripley Entertainment parent to build new 240,000-SF Orlando offices

  The parent company of Ripley Entertainment Inc. is building a 240,000-square-foot office complex on land the company bought three years ago on S. John Young Parkway. Jim Pattison Group is currently in for building permits for the first of two 120,000-square-foot office buildings. Ripley's Spokeswoman...

• Mount Dora approves design standards for new home construction

  In a move to make future development in Mount Dora align with the historic city’s architecture and live up to its “Someplace Special” moniker, the City Council preliminarily approved design standards Tuesday for development in the Wolf Branch district on the east side of US 441, a likely location...

• D.R. Horton prepping for Phase 3 of Kindred in Osceola

  D.R. Horton is prepping for the next phase of Kindred, its massive master-planned community near Osceola County's NeoCity tech district. The homebuilder has filed a Preliminary Subdivision plan for Phase 3, which comprises 356.6 acres, and is seeking approvals for 702 single family home lots and...

• Goal for Ovation in Horizon West: Establish continuity for builders

  With a vision for continuity and the land to make it happen, Columnar Investments is bringing more than 4,000 homes and approximately 300,000 square feet of commercial in the Ovation community in Horizon West’s Village I to market with a master-planned feel. “At Ovation, we wanted it to seem a...

• Flournoy Partners secures financing for new Universal Boulevard apartments

  With the financing in place for a new luxury apartment complex on Universal Drive, Flournoy Partners has begun sitework and expects to deliver the first units in late 2019. "We intend for this to be a best-in-class asset with an outstanding resort pool and amenities," President Jake Flournoy told...

• Bids for demo make way for redevelopment in Winter Park’s Orange Ave. corridor

  The City of Winter Park is still determining the future of the Orange Avenue corridor which, “will be the template for development regulations and design standards that can be used on other corridors, such as West Fairbanks,” according to Planning Manager Jeffrey Briggs. Of particular interest...

• Flurry of retail-center sales at three separate Central Florida sites

  Retail commercial properties at three busy locations in Central Florida have sold of late, led by a pair of purchases at the corner of Narcoossee Road and Goldenrod Road in southeast Orlando totaling $23,600,000 for several buildings. An affiliate of South Florida-based Saglo Development Corp....

• Tampa pharmacist pays $3.15M for historic downtown Kissimmee ALF

  A historic landmark building in downtown Kissimmee sold last week to a Tampa pharmacist and investor for $3.15 million. Kona Properties LLC purchased the Greenleaf Assisted Living Facility at 509 W. Verona Street, about a block from Courthouse Square. Built in 1919, the two-story building originally...

• Wolf Branch district changes recommended as Mount Dora, county weigh plan

  In the first four months since Lake County and the city of Mount Dora knuckled down on their intent to bring high-paying tech jobs and new housing to the region with the 1,300-acre Wolf Branch Innovation District some tweaks have been made to the plan's mixed-use employment center. “We are still...

• British-Norwegian fishing operation plans refrigerated warehouse/distribution facility in Orange

  Bermuda- and Delaware-based affiliates of a British-Norwegian sustainable fishing operation have plans to build a 25,742-square-foot refrigerated warehouse and distribution facility on South Orange Avenue just north of State Road 417. Land owner Wewatta LLC of Wilmington, Del., purchased the 2.73-acre,...

• SunRail captures nearly a third of potential commuters, study says

  Nearly a third of commuters who live or work within walking distance of a SunRail station are using the train for their daily commutes, according to a new study by MetroPlan Orlando and Florida State University. Even though the study didn't take into account some of the new Transit Oriented Developments...

• Contravest to build new Addison-branded complex near airport

  Altamonte Springs-based ContraVest has signed on as a JV partner with the owner of 64 acres north of Orlando International Airport and plans to build up to three new apartment complexes there. Hollywood-based shopping center developer JBL Asset Management bought the "Orlando Gateway" property,...

• Plans emerge for next phase of Hamlin apartments by Boyd affiliate

  An affiliate of Boyd Development has filed plans with South Florida Water Management District to build 250 multifamily units off New Independence Parkway in the Hamlin area of Horizon West, on land that it bought in July 2017.  The Lodge at Hamlin would stand along the shores of Lake Hartley north...

• Elevation Development makes foray into Polk County with mixed-use on U.S. 27

  Orlando-based Elevation Development is submitting plans for a 42.42-acre, mixed-used development about a mile south of Posner Park mall on busy U.S. 27. Elevation principal Owais Khanani told GrowthSpotter the development, dubbed Shoppes at Citrus Ridge, will have 75,000 square feet of retail along...

• Retail center in Clermont pursues theme of healthy-lifestyle tenants

  A new 56,000-square-foot shopping plaza anchored by a new Planet Fitness and a health-conscious theme will soon break ground in Clermont. The Shoppes at Anderson Hill, located across the street from Walmart at the northwest corner of U.S. 27 and Anderson Hill Road, will be unlike any other commercial...

• Developer refines design for planned downtown apartment tower

  Tennessee-based Mid America Apartment Communities (MAA) has added a 10th floor and tweaked the design for a proposed 327-unit apartment tower just south of the Bank of America tower in downtown Orlando. The initial Master Plan (MP) filed in August was for nine stories. Adding a 10th floor means...

• UPDATED: Blighted Groveland motels to be converted to apartments

  A South Florida developer is planning to convert two blighted motels in Groveland into an apartment complex called "Milestone Hills." Groveland Property Investment, affiliate of Miami developer Martin F. Ugarte and CRE broker Santiago Silva, paid $3.5 million last week for the the former Clermont...

• Architect, contractor bring familiar skills to Ocoee City Hall design-build

  Experience in collaboration and municipal facilities have already proven key for Wharton-Smith and HuntonBrady Architects as they begin the design-build process that will eventually bring the new Ocoee City Hall to life. The two companies have worked together on about half a dozen projects. Each...

• South Florida investors plan commercial buildings on Landstar Blvd.

  A South Florida investor plans three retail and professional buildings totaling 33,762 square feet of space on Landstar Boulevard just south of Arbor Meadows Boulevard near State Road 417, according to plans filed with Orange County. A 10,000-square-foot-space would accommodate an anchor with other...

• Counties vow to coordinate planning across lines at Four Corners Summit

  County officials pledged to work together in the next year to develop an overlay district to regulate land use and development throughout the Four Corners area Wednesday during the 2018 Four Corners Area Council One Vision Summit. The Kissimmee Area Chamber of Commerce engaged Thomas Kohler, a...

• Updated: Rare vacation-condo project in Orange to see 160 new units start rising next year

  A short-term-rental condominium project along Universal Boulevard is progressing through the entitlements process in Orange County, with the Ormond Beach-based Taiwanese investors who own the land looking to perform a lot split in order to proceed with construction of Reserve at Vista Cay early...

• English couple sell $1.1 M house in Reunion to Michigan doctor and wife

  The parents of a famous English television personality recently sold their vacation home in the Reunion Resort for $1.1 million, according to a deed recorded in Osceola County on Monday. Located on a 0.3-acre lot on Wynstone Way, the custom home features seven bedrooms and six bathrooms across...

• People to know: John Riddle, Greater Orlando Builders Association

  As his presidency begins, John Riddle has in his crosshairs a story. Many, many stories, in fact –tales of the members of the Greater Orlando Builders Association [GOBA] – a force that numbers some 25,000 in Central Florida. “What I’ve felt for many years is that we often work silently in the background,...

• Plans for another 1,000-plus Horizon West homes emerge

  Dallas-based landowners are seeking entitlements to add more than 1,000 homes in the active Village I area of Horizon West in western Orange County, according to plans posted Monday by the county. In the Withers PD east of Avalon Road, which stretches north from Hartzog Road on approximately 320...

• Infrastructure plans filed for 541.5 acres off Universal Blvd., could outline theme park

  Affiliates of Universal Orlando have filed infrastructure plans with Orange County for 541.5 acres off Universal Boulevard and Destination Parkway – perhaps giving a rough outline of things to come. Applicant Universal City Development Partners, Ltd. on behalf of owner SLRC Holdings LLC filed the...

• Unicorp's Whittall talks retail plans, apartment community at O-Town West

  Unicorp National Developments has filed the first of what will be several new conceptual plans for the massive O-Town West mixed-use development. Unicorp CEO Chuck Whittall told GrowthSpotter he's planning a variety of high-end apartment types that would be constructed over multiple phases. The...

• Trammell Crow prepping second apartment complex on church-owned land

  With construction well underway at its Alexan North End apartments, Trammell Crow Residential is prepping for the next phase of the community to be built on the Calvary Assembly of God property just north of Downtown Orlando. The Atlanta-based developer filed a Specific Parcel Master Plan (SPMP)...

• Boyd affiliate, in joint venture, plans adult living for Hamlin

  Boyd Development Corp. is part of a joint venture planning to develop an 85,789-square-foot adult-living facility along Hamlin Groves Trail in Horizon West, according to plans filed with Orange County. The Blake at Hamlin would be built on 3.26 acres adjacent to Horizon West Sportsplex land northeast...

• Proposed changes to Howey-in-the-Hills residential developments denied

  Town leaders in Howey-in-the-Hills have directed two developers to stick with their original subdivision plans, denying requested changes to the Venezia North and Whispering Pines projects, set to add a significant amount of homes in the Lake County town. “We do want new residential areas and some...

• South Florida hotelier investing millions for IHG conversions in tourism corridor

  After spending more than $33 million last year to buy two Disney-area hotels, Hollywood-based AD1 Global is now converting them from Choice brands to IHG flags. CFO Alex Fridzon told GrowthSpotter the company is spending a combined $13 million on renovations to comply with IHG brand standards. ...

• Serendipity Labs building out coworking space in CNL tower

  Serendipity Labs’ search for its first Orlando coworking location has led it to downtown’s CNL Center Building, where it will lease the third floor with new builds for private and open workspaces, team rooms, and meeting and event areas. Originally seeking 15,000 square feet, developer 3H Group...

• Bacardi heiress buys $6.89M home in Four Seasons enclave at Disney

  An heiress to the Bacardi estate has purchased a 9,027-square-foot mansion set on four-tenths of an acre in the gated Four Seasons Private Residences subdivision at Golden Oak on the Walt Disney World resort property for a recorded $6,899,000. Custom builder Stonebridge Homes was the seller, having...

• Tavistock eyes new hotel site at key Lake Nona interchange

  Tavistock Development Company is eyeing property at a key interchange of the S.R. 417 toll road in Lake Nona for a new hotel with up to 250 rooms. The Lake Nona master developer sent one of its top entitlements specialists to a meeting earlier this month with Orlando planning officials and owner/developer...

• Developer of future Topgolf site works to minimize eminent domain down road

  In an attempt to avoid an eminent domain claim, the developer of a planned Topgolf location has reached an agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation for the design of a new Interstate 4 slip ramp at the Lake Mary Boulevard interchange. The ramp, designed to provide direct access to...

• Publix outparcel in Clermont sold at auction for over $2 million

  Winter Park-based Battaglia Group used the auction route to sell a vacant outparcel at a Publix-anchored shopping center in the Four Corners area of Lake County. The transaction hasn't closed yet, but Saunders Auctions President John Haney told GrowthSpotter the sale is pending for just over $2...

• BioFit Performance Center sets new location after split with former developer-partner

  BioFit Performance is still bringing its professional-level fitness center to the Oviedo area, but in a new location after a falling out with a previous development partner. The company, which offers the same-type fitness programs and therapy that professional athletes enjoy, plans to build a 12,000-square-foot...

• Park view helps land off-market sale of Celebration estate home

  An estate home in Aquila Reserve that feels like it sits on many acres just sold in Celebration for $1.32 million. “This is a very unique sale. There are some special lots in Celebration. In front of the park [on Aquila Loop] there are two estate homes and they look out over this nice preserve...

• Train car, shipping containers to become downtown Sanford restaurant, shopping complex

  A developer plans to move a 95-year-old train car and 16 shipping containers into downtown Sanford for a new dining and shopping complex. DeLand builder Mitch Menaker said he has purchased the 1923 train car and has a deal for a lease on a 9,000-square-foot parking lot. Construction could start...

• Developer revises Vineland Pointe site plan for new Target store

  With construction on Phase 1 of Vineland Pointe nearly complete, O'Connor Capital Partners has filed revised plans with Orange County for the final two phases of the 70-acre shopping plaza at the future Daryl Carter Parkway interchange. "Pretty much all of the buildings in Phase 1 are built and...

• People to Know: Patrick Panza

  Patrick Panza, AICP Assistant Planning Manager GAI Consultants   Urban planning, says Patrick Panza, is all about balance. And in many ways, so, too, is he. Panza’s lifelong love of the natural world informs the ways he looks at his work as the Assistant Planning Manager of the Urban Planning Design...

• Developer Stan Thomas apparently loses title to property near Universal expansion

  Developer Stan Thomas, who has been fighting the foreclosure of prime real estate near the Orange County Convention Center, appears to have lost title to the property to a Boston investment firm for $68 million. An affiliate of UC Funds acquired the property on Universal Boulevard and International...

• Encore adding townhomes to Nicklaus-themed Bear's Den in Reunion

  The Jack Nicklaus-branded neighborhood on the famed golfer's namesake course in Reunion Resort, where home prices start at $1.2 million, is about to get townhomes. Encore Homes has filed a Preliminary Subdivision plan (PS) with Osceola County for Phase 3 of its gated Bear's Den at Reunion seeking...

• Deltona enlists economic development firm to help lure manufacturers

  Deltona, Volusia County’s largest city with 90,000 people, has long been known as a bedroom community whose workers get up mornings and travel to jobs in Orange, Seminole and other Central Florida counties. But city leaders say they’re on the verge of changing the city’s DNA from worker exporter...

• K. Hovnanian crafting new "cottage-like" single-family homes for Apopka assemblage

  Home builder K. Hovnanian is crafting new product to build 112 “cottage-like” homes off Rock Springs Road in Apopka, having purchased approximately 25 acres for a recorded $3,949,700. The land previously had been zoned for townhomes despite the Apopka market being known for larger lots and single-family...

• Unicorp plans concurrent construction, leasing of nearby but separate O-Town projects

  With land under contract for a second project about a mile west of his O-Town West mixed-use development, which is planned along Interstate 4 south of Sand Lake Road, Unicorp National Developments CEO Chuck Whittall says one thing that isn’t on the table is a business he would launch himself as...

• New local franchisee seeks additional Orlando locations for Workout Fitness

  A new Orlando-area franchisee with fitness-industry experience is planning to open three Workout Anytime locations here in 2019, while he sees growth in the industry’s customer base. Steve Ayers says the Atlanta-based brand, which staffs its clubs half the day while leaving them accessible to members...

• City approves rezoning for 457-home subdivision on Davenport Blvd.

  The City of Davenport is rezoning 119.5 acres of citrus groves right on U.S. 17-92 for a new 457-lot subdivision. The acreage consists of 11 parcels on the south side of Davenport Boulevard and west of the CSX train tracks. City Planner Raymond Perez told GrowthSpotter the boulevard between U.S....

• ContraVest sells fast-leasing Addison on Millenia apartments for $62M-plus

  Altamonte Springs-based ContraVest has sold the 292-unit The Addison on Millenia apartments it developed in 2016 to a South Florida investor for a recorded $62,617,000 as it plans two other multifamily projects in the area. The timeframe fits the expectations ContraVest had when it planned the...

• Apartments near Semoran, Curry Ford sell for $47.95M to Boston-based investor

  The 296-unit Canopy Apartment Villas multifamily complex has sold for a recorded $47.95 million to an affiliate of Boston-based Taurus Investment Holdings. Located at 5762 Folkstone Lane east of Semoran Boulevard and south of Curry Ford Road, the property features 56 one- and two-story buildings...

• Luxury builders planning marina subdivision on East Lake Toho fish camp

  Nearly 100 acres of lakefront property with a private marina on Boggy Creek Road was just way too tempting to sit on the market forever.  Representatives from Ashton Woods and Toll Brothers met Wednesday with Osceola County's planning staff to discuss plans for converting the Boggy Creek Resort...

• Central Florida developer plans twin ready-to-work office buildings for Lake Mary

  After a successful debut in Daytona Beach, former Seminole County resident Chris Butera is bringing his SMART office concept to Lake Mary with two planned buildings on South Country Club Road.  The buildings, at the northeast corner of Country Club and South Third Street, will feature some of the...

• Warehouse near Winter Park sells to Boston-based investor

  The 63,380-square-foot Metric Industrial Center east of Winter Park has sold for a recorded $5.2 million to an affiliate of Boston-based High Street Realty Co. The industrial warehouse at 4515 Metric Drive, north of University Boulevard, is 100 percent leased to two tenants, including original...

• Park Square Homes secures $4M investment for Kissimmee resort community

  Park Square Homes has sold the final phase of its BellaVida Resort community for just less than $4 million to a local Chinese American brokerage that will take over sales and target international buyers. Park Square is wrapping up construction on the resort community's second phase and is in permitting...

• Plan seeks 800-plus homes, more at Gem Groves site in Horizon West

  A joint-venture applicant has filed plans for 485 single-family homes and 370 multifamily units as well as commercial sites on approximately 258 acres near Avalon Road and Flemings Road at the Gem Groves property in west Orange County. A planned-development and land-use plan filed with the county...

• 150-plus townhomes planned near commercial, industrial areas of Sanford

  M/I Homes has started site development on a new 155-townhome development on South White Cedar Road in Sanford.  The development, called White Cedar, is located on 19.26 acres just north of State Road 46 (West First Street). M/I Homes purchased the three parcels that make up the site in May for $2.9...

• Disney-intern housing proposal totals $615M, 75-year land lease on table

  A proposal for new student housing and education space for Disney’s College Program and other intern programs on two parcels at Flamingo Crossings Town Center details more than $615 million worth of development by Texas-based real estate investment trust American Campus Communities. The land south...

• Integra closes on 15 acres in DeBary as The Junction takes shape

  An affiliate of Integra Land Co. has closed on approximately 15 acres where it has planned 289 multifamily units near the SunRail station in DeBary, as an Integra executive told GrowthSpotter on Friday that construction is expected to begin in about 30 days and long-term financing is in place. ...

• Encore files plans for potential hospital site, vacation homes at Reunion Village

  Encore Capital Management is seeking entitlements for a 240-bed hospital and 96,000 square feet of office space as part of its mixed-use Reunion Village development at the I-4/ChampionsGate interchange. "Orlando Health is continuing to plan for the expansion of healthcare services in Osceola County,...

• Unicorp's Whittall finds west coast inspiration for Fashion Square Mall redux

  Orlando developer Chuck Whittall said he's looking to Southern California for the inspiration and model to rebuild the struggling Orlando Fashion Square mall from the ground up. "There's really two that come to mind," he told GrowthSpotter. "The first is Fashion Island at Newport Beach. The other...

• Land under eminent domain notice along I-4, Palm Parkway, closes sale

  An affiliate of an Orlando physician has purchased approximately 5.6 acres on Palm Parkway for a recorded sale price of $4,730,300, Orange County records show. The land is part of a 38.8-acre parcel that is owned by an affiliate of Colorado-based Excelsior Capital Partners – and is subject to a...

• Lake Maitland canal access, renovations yield $1.17M sales price for home

  A client looking to upgrade to a waterfront home in a prominent part of town found one in a recently updated house that was on the market for less than a day. Earlier this month, the home on a canal with access to Lake Maitland, one of the seven lakes in the Winter Park Chain of Lakes, drew a price...

• Clearwater developer planning new Four Corners subdivision

  Clearwater-based CG Land Development Company is planning to add another 188 homesites to Polk County's booming U.S. 27 corridor in the Four Corners submarket. The land developer has filed a residential site plan for the 73-acre site, which is southwest of the intersection of U.S. 27 and Four Corners...

• City of Orlando looking to hire architectural and engineering firms

  The City of Orlando wants to hire two or more architecture and engineering firms to help design a variety of capital projects and infrastructure in 2019 and beyond, according to Requests for Qualifications (RFQ) issued this week. The city currently has three engineering firms on continuing services...

• Growing mixed-use plans for key Seminole parcel move along to state

  Palmeira Holdings’ plans for a large-scale development at the 110-acre site in Seminole County known as Reagan Center – and now referred to as Parkside Place – have grown, and have passed an initial vote from county commissioners. “The density we have requested got approved ... without that density,...

• I-4 office-property owners hope zero-tenancy approach pays off

  By taking a trio of office buildings along Interstate 4 down to zero tenancy, the longtime owners of 7.2 acres of office property just across from Winter Park’s western reaches hope to capitalize on market conditions that favor redevelopment. Combined, the three existing buildings total approximately...

• Pilot withdraws request for fly-in community after Osceola staff rejects plan

  An airline pilot's dream of building Osceola County's first luxury fly-in community appears to have stalled on the runway after failing to secure approvals from the county's planning and engineering staff. Brian Hickok, a captain for JetBlue, purchased 50 acres in Harmony right across from the...

• D.R. Horton begins planning commercial, multifamily parcels at Waterleigh

  D.R. Horton has filed plans with Orange County for a mix of 383 multifamily residential units along with commercial and office buildings on a 38-acre parcel at the southwest corner where Flamingo Crossing Blvd. and Avalon Road intersect in Horizon West. Commercial space could total 125,000 square...

• Park Square redesigns, renames Kissimmee apartment complex near NeoCity

  Park Square Homes has redesigned and renamed its proposed apartment complex next to the Valencia College Osceola Campus in Kissimmee.  Senior Project Manager Robert Mick and his development team met Tuesday with the city's Development Review Committee to review the new site plan, which adds density...

• Brazilian fast-casual açaí shop Oakberry tabs Orlando for second U.S. location, scouts for more

  Brazil-based purveyor of healthy fast food Oakberry Açaí Bowls has cut the ribbon on its second U.S. location, taking a space inside Florida Mall with plans to open three more Orlando shops by summer, says company CEO and co-founder Georgios Frangulis. It’s not a particularly fast track for Oakberry...

• Local developer targeting Osceola for new apartment communities

  Orlando-based Elevation Development is eyeing a pair of sites in the Kissimmee submarket for new apartment communities, but they may have to tweak their plans before submitting any formal applications, county planners said. Elevation Principal Shaman Foradi met last week with Osceola's Development...

• Ustler unveils design concepts for Creative Village Central Park

  New conceptual drawings for the Creative Village Central Park show an urban park that can host large events while also providing plenty of shady areas meant for intimate gatherings. Ustler Development submitted a design package to City of Orlando in late September seeking feedback on the initial...

• South Orlando shopping center sells to Atlanta-based group for $16.6M

  A group of family investors affiliated with Atlanta-based Olympic Property Management has purchased a south Orlando shopping center at 8205 John Young Parkway with 154,000 square feet of conditioned space in two buildings for a recorded $16.6 million. The buyers, under entity BZA FH Sand Lake LLC,...

• Dr. Phillips expanding Packing District, revising development plan

  Dr. Phillips Charities has filed plans with the City of Orlando to formally change the name of its ambitious mixed-use district west of College Park to "The Packing District" and has identified more than a dozen industrial buildings that could be converted for other uses. Dr. Phillips President...

• Construction date set for Lake Nona Assisted Living Facility

  Three years after announcing plans for Lake Nona's first assisted-living facility (ALF), the developer has a construction start date of early 2019. Stonegate Development Company secured a $2.1 million bridge loan this week from LV Lending, which allowed the project to move forward, according to...