New wellness center advances LIFT Orlando vision for West Lakes neighborhood (updated)

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to remove inaccurate information provided to GrowthSpotter about a project donor.

With the groundbreaking for its new $8.5 million Boys & Girls Club just days away, LIFT Orlando took a major step this week toward its redevelopment vision for the West Lakes neighborhood near Camping World Stadium.

The nonprofit organization filed an administrative master plan with City of Orlando for a new 34,000-square-foot Health & Wellness Center on the site of the former Planned Parenthood building at 726 S. Tampa Ave. LIFT purchased the 1.6-acre site in 2017 for $1 million and cleared the site last year.

Baker Barrios designed the two-story building that would house a mix of medical offices, a fitness center, community classrooms, a credit union and a café and demonstration kitchen.

The project is a crucial element in LIFT Orlando’s strategic mission to end chronic poverty in the West Orlando neighborhood by improving access to quality housing, education and healthcare. In a 2018 annual report, LIFT said it was partnering with Orlando Health, Florida Blue and AdventHealth to determine specifics and overall design of the building. The organization has not confirmed the involvement of any of the companies to GrowthSpotter.

AdventHealth is a key stakeholder on the new 18,000-square-foot early learning center in development near Orange Center Elementary School.

The wellness center’s mission will be to provide affordable, consistent healthcare and access to healthier eating and exercise options. The West Lakes service area is bounded by Colonial Drive, S. Orange Blossom Trail and John Young Parkway. LIFT Orlando has already completed the Pendana at West Lakes mixed-income housing development, and the organization will begin leasing the adjacent 120 affordable senior residences in the spring.

The Boys & Girls Club will include a gymnasium, technology center, music lab, art and dance studios, and separate floors for teens and younger children. It will rise on 1.2 acres adjacent to Orange Center Elementary School, 621 S. Texas Ave., and Lizzie Rogers Park.

Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at lkinsler@GrowthSpotter.com or (407) 420-6261, or tweet me at @LKinslerOGrowth. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.