Downtown Clermont condo project redesigned as townhomes

A Clermont developer has revised plans for a multifamily complex in his hometown’s city center, changing the proposed Victory Pointe from a 17-unit condominium to an 11-unit townhome project.

Mark Graff, president of Graff Development, which has offices on Oakley Seaver Drive, said the numbers just weren’t there for a condo complex.

“When I went and priced it, with the cost of construction today, it yielded a price point or sales point that just couldn’t be supported in the City of Clermont,” Graff told GrowthSpotter.

The city introduced an ordinance Dec. 10 amending a Planned Unit Development ordinance it passed in 2018 to allow for the townhomes. It is set for final passage on Jan. 14.

In a report recommending approval, the city’s planning and zoning staff said the townhome project “is compatible with the surrounding areas” and is “in accordance with the vision of the Downtown and Waterfront Master Plan and consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.”

Graff said the city has invested significant resources in planning the downtown and waterfront. “It is our feeling that for a downtown city center to be vibrant, you do need people that reside there, and the best way to do it in your city center is high-density housing,” he said.

And the city’s investment with the Victory Pointe Park and stormwater project, about a block and a half north, also plays into the Graff development. For connectivity to downtown, a pedestrian path to the park will be provided, and the project will be connected to the Victory Pointe Master Stormwater System to meet requirements of the city and the St. Johns River Water Management District.

“We overlook it,” Graff said of the park. “That is one of the big investments that the city made, and we will tie into that. The project overlooks Victory Pointe Park and has big views of Lake Minneola.”

The park, meanwhile, is tied to the West Orange Trail.

“There are a lot of benefits to residents of this project, because they’ve got views of the lake, access to the lake, access to the West Orange Trail, and there’s always a lot of events – running, hiking, rowing, kayaking,” Graff said.

The 11 townhomes will be in two parallel buildings, the north building with six units, the south with five. The homes have 917-square-foot footprints, but at three stories, will provide roughly 2,200 square feet of living space.

The physical address is 1000 W. Montrose St., just south of West Minneola Avenue. The property encompasses roughly 0.62 acres and is vacant. It is a block and a half west of Historic Downtown Clermont.

Graff said with “so many variables involved” he would decline to name a price target or a groundbreaking date.

Germana Engineering and Associates of Clermont is the engineer. Elite Universal of Orlando is the architect.

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