Winter Garden seeks CRE developer for downtown district land sale

The city of Winter Garden is seeking a real estate developer to buy and redevelop 0.19 acres in its downtown business district as multi-story commercial or mixed use, according to a Request for Proposals (RFP) issued on Tuesday.

Located at 270 W. Plant St. in the historic downtown area directly east of City Hall, the site lies north of the Winter Garden Pavilion that plays host to a Saturday morning farmer's market.

The city bought the property in 1997 for $160,000. It has a 5,528-square-foot building that the city has used for administrative staff and a film academy, but is currently vacant.

Minimum sale price of the property is negotiable, per the RFP. A similar building footprint of 5,200 to 5,500 square feet is expected to fit on the site.

The site will be offered "as is" by the city, without guarantee of environmental conditions. Developers can submit proposals that include development on adjacent lots, if they include documentation that shows ownership of those lots.

The property directly east of the site for sale is currently a parking lot, but future plans call for construction of a multi-story commercial building abutted by additional city park space, per the RFP.

A rendering of what the city indicates it would like to see at the W. Plant Street property up for sale. (City of Winter Garden)

The city wants the final development to have notable architectural design, utilize superior building materials and be compatible with the established architectural character of the historic downtown district.

The building should be able to support retail, office and/or residential uses with at least two stories, although three stories are encouraged. It should engage pedestrians at the street level, and take into consideration the proposed redevelopment to the east and west.

Developers are encouraged to utilize the Historic Downtown District Overlay design standards and guidelines.

Bid submittal packages are due Aug. 7 at 2 p.m. to Kelly Carson in the city's Planning & Zoning department. Questions can be directed to Carson up until Aug. 2.

Full documents for RFP no. 17-001 can be downloaded from the city's Bids & Contracts webpage.

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