Mount Dora Business and Real Estate - MOUNT DORA BUZZ

MOUNT DORA'S HOLIDAY WINDOWS LURE VISITORS

12/4/2018

Mount Dora's main attraction during the holidays is either the two-million-plus twinkling lights set in a historic downtown or the marina’s sprawling light display on the shore of Lake Dora. However, downtown’s unique stores have also been attracting onlookers during the season with their impressive holiday window displays.

This year, more shops than ever have elevated their decorating game, to include everything from frolicking elves, recycled doors, upside-down trees, Snoopy, a Christmas palm and more.

Every year all downtown store windows are automatically entered into Mount Dora’s annual Holiday WIndow Competition and a panel of impartial judges stroll the quaint streets to select their favorites. The winners in the three categories are:

MOST CREATIVE WINDOW:

LOVE HOME HARMONY
Can you say “three-peat?” This is the third year in a row this home decor store has taken top honors in the window competition. Its new larger location provided even more space for their impressive decorating and its White Christmas display turns heads from across the street. Love Home Harmony is located at 438 N. Donnelly Street.

BEST TRADITIONAL WINDOW:

PAPILIO
This gift store has a knack for creating stellar window displays and once more, they didn’t disappoint this year. The large window features a Christmas tree made from a recycled vintage door and beautiful traditional accents of the season. Papilio is located at 120 W. 5th Avenue.

MOST WHIMSICAL:

JULIANNE’S COASTAL COTTAGE
As expected, this fun gift shop’s window is anything but typical. The festive Christmas palm tree and whimsical ornaments guarantee smiles from those that behold it. Julianne's Coastal Cottage is located at 135 E. 4th Avenue.

This isn’t the first time these three businesses have won the competition and their annual efforts are appreciated by those that visit downtown Mount Dora for its holiday spirit. The number of honorable mentions in this contest are many, so visitors are encouraged to stroll past the many shops to gawk at the winners and discover their own favorites. Find more holiday events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here.

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HUGE ANTIQUE EXTRAVAGANZA LURES COLLECTORS TO MOUNT DORA THIS WEEKEND

11/12/2018

Vintage lovers and treasure hunters are getting giddy.

Once again, Mount Dora will play host to Central Florida's massive and eclectic shopping experience November 16, 17 and 18.

Three times a year Renningers Antique Center organizes the Antique Extravaganza, the motherlode of vintage and antique shopping, set in the rambling hills under majestic oaks. Read more

CELEBRITY CHEF SPLITS FROM MOUNT DORA'S 1921

11/8/2018

The celebrity chef that placed Mount Dora on Florida’s culinary map has moved on.

Chef Norman Van Aken, a James Beard award-winner and author of several cookbooks, is no longer affiliated with the Central Florida city’s restaurant “1921 by Norman Van Aken.”

The celebrated chef partnered with Mount Dora resident Ken Mazik, principal of Main Street Leasing, to open the downtown restaurant in a renovated historic home built in 1921. The location had previously housed the iconic Garden Gate Tea Room.

1921, a 150-seat restaurant, opened just over two years ago in August, 2016. Prior to its opening, Van Aken stated he envisioned Mount Dora like an early version of Napa Valley, yet the realities of the demographics were vastly different.

Recent rumors of the parting made the announcement not completely unexpected. Now the restaurant's name will just be 1921. Meanwhile, Van Aken will continue his culinary mission at the acclaimed Norman’s restaurant in nearby Orlando.

Mazik’s company owns several historic buildings in downtown Mount Dora and he was the founder of the area's Carlton Palms educational facility and the Modernism Museum.

For updates on restaurant openings in Mount Dora, Tavares and Eustis, click here. Subscribe to the free monthly issue of Mount Dora Buzz for the area's local news and events.

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MOUNT DORA APPROVES DOWNTOWN OPEN CONTAINER POLICY

11/6/2018

(Photo by Mount Dora Buzz)

It’s been discussed by residents, visitors and city council members for years. Last night, Mount Dora City Council followed what Eustis and Tavares did years ago.

After a 4-3 city council vote, the quaint Central Florida city became the newest Lake County municipality to allow patrons to carry alcoholic beverages in plastic cups on the street in its designated ‘Entertainment District. This allows downtown visitors and residents the ability to patronize a restaurant or bar and then walk with their beverage to see the sunset at the docks or enjoy one of the city’s festivals with a drink in a plastic cup.

The ordinance has significant rules to prevent public safety issues and abuses including:

Drinks must be sold by a licensed and registered bar or restaurant located inside the Entertainment District.
Drinks must be in plastic cups that hold 16 ounces or less.
Plastic cups must have a marking that identifies the registered establishment where they were purchased.
Establishments can only dispense one open alcoholic beverage to any one person at a time.
Patrons can only possess one open alcoholic beverage at any one time.
Customers cannot purchase and consume the open alcoholic beverage between 2:00 am and 7:00 a.m.
It will remain unlawful to walk in the district with an open alcoholic beverage in a can, bottle or glass.
All state laws still apply.

The policy will be monitored over the next year to determine its success or any issues that may arise. The city council approved the measure knowing there were no extra costs to the city and that they can terminate the policy at any time. An effective date has yet to be announced.

Mayor Nick Girone and council members John Tucker, Cathy Hoechst and Marc Crail voted in favor of the ordinance, while council members Laurie Tillett, Cal Rolfson and Harmon Massey opposed it.

(Click to enlarge map of district)

The free registration process for licensed establishments in the Entertainment District requires a Mount Dora occupational license, a State of Florida liquor license, a certificate of liability insurance, as well as their identifying mark on their plastic cups.

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FLORIDA HOSPITAL WATERMAN ANNOUNCES NEW PLAZA IN MOUNT DORA

10/23/2018

Above: Northwest view

The plan was announced today to build a 22,260-square-foot medical plaza on U.S. 441 near the intersection of Wolf Branch Road in Mount Dora. The two-story $13 million medical plaza, located at 19735 U.S. Hwy 441, will be the first of its kind in Lake County. It will house eight primary care physicians and will provide convenient walk-in primary care and extended office hours.

The medical plaza will be the first of its kind in North Lake County and is well-positioned to care for the growing Sorrento and Mt. Plymouth areas. The contemporary and efficient design on the large property can accommodate expansion and add additional services, as the second floor will be shelled for future use.

“We considered many locations in the Golden Triangle area and noticed a true need here. We are confident this new medical plaza will give the surrounding residents increased access to excellent healthcare services,” said Abel Biri, Florida Hospital Waterman Chief Executive Officer. The Tavares hospital is also currently expanding its emergency department to keep up with the growing demand.

ABOVE: Northeast view

The architect is Gresham Smith and the main contractor is Robins & Morton. Construction will begin in January 2019 and is expected to be completed by September 2019.

In December, Florida Hospital Waterman will host a groundbreaking to celebrate with the community this new access point for quality health care.

“This new investment will afford us another opportunity to care for our community at every stage of life, in every stage of health, and builds on our continued commitment to serving the growing needs of our community,” Biri said.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. To get the area's top stories in your inbox once a month, sign up for the free monthly issue of Mount Dora Buzz.

PARKING GARAGE PITCHED TO MOUNT DORA

10/1/2018

A seed was recently planted in Mount Dora. One that could significantly grow the number of downtown parking spaces.

At a September 27 workshop, representatives of G3 Development presented the City Council with a preliminary public-private partnership (PPP) proposal to build a parking garage with 488 spaces. The site combines contiguous lots currently being acquired by G3 with the city’s existing parking lot adjacent to the railroad tracks between Tremain and Baker Streets. The small part of Baker Street that dead ends and sits between the parking lot and the soon-to-be G3 lots would be the only other property included. Read more

MOUNT DORA TEEN ENCOURAGES STORES TO SWAP PLASTIC FOR PAPER

9/1/2018

ABOVE: Zoe Mueller

The little things can make a big difference. Zoe Mueller, a 13-year-old Mount Dora Girl Scout, noticed how many plastic bags her family brought home from the grocery. The curious eighth-grader began to research the use of these bags and became disturbed about the problems they pose to marine life and the environment.

“I was struck by how plastic bags are so hard to get rid of, so as time passes the problem gets bigger,” said Mueller.

Mueller jumped into action and created a proactive approach to reduce the number of plastic bags and increase awareness of the environmental problem. The bright-eyed teen went to work to design a website, logo and decal to place in windows of local retailers who adopt a policy not to use plastic bags. Many downtown Mount Dora merchants already only provide paper bags and they, too, will be given the decal.

The eighth-grader plans to kick off the program the first week in September by approaching downtown Mount Dora businesses and handing out decals. The impressive teen is hoping her local effort will be used as a pilot program for other communities.

ABOVE: Logo designed by Mueller to appear on window cling.

Mueller, who has been in the Girl Scouts for six years, earned a Silver Award, one of the highest awards the organization bestows, for creating this program. The award requires scouts to identify a problem in their community and create a sustainable solution.

Waste Management immediately signed on to sponsor Mueller’s effort by printing the decals and offering her assistance.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. To get the area's top stories in your inbox once a month, sign up for the free monthly issue of Mount Dora Buzz here .

NEW MOUNT DORA RESTAURANT BRINGS THE CARIBBEAN TO DOWNTOWN

9/1/2018

Owner Joan Reidenbaugh in front of Jamaica Gardens as renovations are in progress.

(UPDATE: Jamaica Gardens opened on October 26.)
Tropical cuisine, fruity cocktails adorned with umbrellas and the relaxing beat of reggae music are headed to Mount Dora. Jamaica Gardens, a new downtown eatery, is expected to have its soft opening in October.

Like a lot of visitors to the quaint Central Florida town, Joan Reidenbaugh fell in love with Mount Dora when she married her husband, Mark, twelve years ago at the historic Lakeside Inn.

“I saw a need for a great Caribbean-style location in the beautiful city and have been dreaming about this since,” said Reidenbaugh.

Fast forward and she is now busy transforming the large space at 322 Alexander Street into Jamaica Gardens, a restaurant offering authentic Caribbean cuisine. After painters finish turning the drab exterior into a vibrant sky blue, Reidenbaugh will add new awnings and a “beach area” to the outside to help bring an authentic island vibe to the location.

The cuisine will be mostly Jamaican with a touch of other Caribbean flavors. There will be plenty of the traditional jerk dishes, along with curried goat, Jamaican-style oxtails and Escovitch fish and conch fritters, plus coconut shrimp, fried chicken, salads and soups.

Reidenbaugh, a certified chef who majored in hotel and restaurant management, will be the primary chef until she trains a replacement. The Jamaican native of Christiana, Reidenbaugh said her authentic Caribbean recipes draw from her island roots just like her other restaurant in Longwood.

The interior of the restaurant, formerly The Pineapple Place, is also changing to provide an atmosphere that diners would find in Jamaica. The bar will feature specialty cocktails and a happy hour on Monday through Thursday. Jamaica Gardens will feature a live reggae band and steel drums Wednesdays through Saturdays.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. To get the area's top stories in your inbox once a month, sign up for the free monthly issue of Mount Dora Buzz here .

WATERMAN HOSPITAL CELEBRATES CONSTRUCTION MILESTONE

8/23/2018

The $70 million Florida Hospital Waterman Emergency Department Expansion and New Patient Tower which broke ground in July 2017 marked a major milestone last week. The highest structural element was put in place and the hospital hosted a "topping out" celebration, a traditional construction ceremony. Guests were invited to sign the structure’s highest beam before it was lifted by a crane into place. As part of the tradition, an evergreen tree was lifted with the beam and placed on the top of the project.

The project will more than double the hospital’s emergency department capacity by adding more than 111,000 square feet of patient care space to the hospital. This includes an expansion of the emergency department to 58 beds and a 24-bed women and pediatrics unit. Floors three and four of the new patient tower will be shelled for future growth, and the structure will support an additional expansion up to six floors. Construction is scheduled to be completed by April 2019.

“This is a big day for Florida Hospital Waterman,” said Abel Biri, the hospital’s CEO. “As our community continues to grow, and more Lake County residents choose us for their care, we have expanded to meet that demand.

“We are committed to delivering the most advanced and efficient care possible in our community, and we are blessed to have the opportunity to build on our historic commitment for the future,” continued Biri.

Abel Biri, the hospital’s CEO, and guests signed the project's top beam.

Florida Hospital Waterman will soon be AdventHealth Waterman. The 269-bed hospital was founded in 1938 in Eustis by Frank Waterman, president of the Waterman Fountain Pen Company, as an 18-bed facility in a defunct hotel. The hospital joined the Adventist Health System in 1992 and moved to its current Tavares location in 2003. With more than 1,700 employees and nearly 280 physicians on its medical staff, the hospital cares for more than 15,000 inpatients a year.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. To get the area's top stories in your inbox once a month, sign up for the free monthly issue of Mount Dora Buzz here.

WAWA FANS IN MOUNT DORA IN FOR A LONG WAIT

8/22/2018

Updated: 8/24/2018

In the spring of last year, it was announced that Wawa, a national convenience store and gas station chain, was slated to replace the small Shell station on the corner of U.S. 441 and Morningside Drive near Lake Gertrude.   The chain of large gas stations has gained popularity for its variety of take-out food options.

Although the Wawa project has been approved for several months by the City of Mount Dora, Wawa is adding approximately 90 new stores in Florida and construction isn’t expected to begin in Mount Dora until next summer, according to a city official. However, the company couldn't confirm that specific timing.

Wawa plans to kick off its North Central Florida launch on September 12 when it breaks ground on three stores in Ocala. At that time the company plans to announce its timing for specific sites in the region, including Mount Dora. "The timing of our site openings are carefully planned and take into consideration many factors in our overall expansion efforts," said a Wawa spokesperson.

Last year, the city of Mount Dora acted promptly to annex the approximately 1.25 acre property and re-zoned it as necessary for Wawa.

Wawa opened its first store in Florida in 2012 and had over 100 locations in the Sunshine State as of 2017. Of the over 730 locations in the eastern part of the U.S., approximately 500 also provide gasoline.

Find more new local businesses opening in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis by signing up for the free monthly issue of 'The Buzz' here and following Mount Dora Buzz on Facebook.

3 NEW BUSINESSES TO OPEN NEXT TO PANERA BREAD IN EUSTIS

8/6/2018

The sight of construction on U.S. 441 near Panera Bread was enough to get tongues wagging and spark rumors about what new businesses are setting up shop.

The fact is, there are three new national chains moving into the spot across from Mount Dora's Target. Kay’s Jewelers, Marco’s Pizza, and Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa will all have locations at the site under construction in the strip center in Eustis. No completion or opening date has been determined.

Currently, the closest Kay’s Jewelers is inside the Leesburg Mall, while the nearest Marco’s Pizza is in Apopka. Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa is a national franchise concept with nearby spas in Lake Mary and Longwood. All of their franchises are open seven days a week with extended hours.
Stay tuned to Mount Dora Buzz for updates and openings. Find more new local stores and restaurants opening in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis by signing up for the free monthly issue of 'The Buzz' here and follow Mount Dora Buzz on Facebook.

NEW BIKE-SHARE BUSINESS TO OPEN IN MOUNT DORA

8/1/2018

There always seem to be new businesses popping up in downtown Mount Dora, but rarely is one so long overdue.

A new bike share and rental company, Mount Dora Bikes, plans for its fleet of new bicycles to hit the road by mid-August or early September. The business will launch with twelve custom aluminium bikes, six of them available for hourly rentals, while the others will be for daily rentals.

The hourly bike rentals will be accessible from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week at a self-service rack that serves as a docking station. The rack will be located at 334 N. Donnelly Street in downtown Mount Dora near Every Nook & Cranny artists collective. Customers will download the Bloom Bike Share mobile app and follow the simple process to pay for and unlock the bikes. The hourly rate is $15 per hour and the process will be similar to what riders experience at bike-shares in larger cities. Geo-fence technology will keep track of each bike.

The company and its cheerful branding are the brainchild of Maria Slaby, a local publisher and 22-year Mount Dora resident, with a lifelong passion for bikes. The company’s slogan is “You can’t buy happiness, but you can rent a bike.”

A few years ago Slaby jumped on her first bike-share experience in New York City with her daughter, Annika. It was love at first ride. The current trend in bike-shares is for private businesses to launch them, rather than the municipal programs seen previously. Slaby’s process began late last year with the logistics and technology requiring the most patience.

Daily rental bikes are also available with one-, two-, and three-day packages available that include picnic baskets, sightseeing maps and local discount coupons for dining and merchandise. Helmets and safety vests are available to borrow at no charge. Daily rates start at $50 per day and decrease for multiple days.

Reservations for daily rentals can be made online with free pick-up and delivery from 10 a.m. until noon within Mount Dora’s core. Outside Mount Dora, pick-up can be arranged as needed.

“For our family, biking in Mount Dora has been a huge part of our lives. As a home-schooling family with four kids, we often took our bikes and backpacks on excursions throughout the city, settling at one park or another for a break to do some homework,” said Slaby. “It’s a joy to be able to share this passion for biking with others in a town we adore.”

In the past, Slaby had been renting bikes to service local hotels and bed-and-breakfasts. She’s thrilled to be expanding the fleet and offerings directly to customers with Mount Dora Bikes.

Excursions, tours and events are planned for the future. “First we want to get our foundation solid in the Mount Dora area. Our priority is to get our systems running smoothly and efficiently,” said Slaby. “Hopefully that will go quickly, paving the way for us to not only expand our fleet, but our offerings as well.”

Find more new local stores and restaurants opening in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis by getting a free subscription to the monthly issue of 'The Buzz' here and follow Mount Dora Buzz on Facebook.

POP-UP CAFE TO OPEN AT MOUNT DORA'S LIBRARY

7/2/2018

It makes perfect sense. After all, coffee and reading go together about as well as coffee and donuts.

Mount Dora’s W.T. Bland Library has teamed up with New Vision for Independence, Lake County’s blind services agency, to open the library’s first cafe. Café Louis, named for Louis Braille who invented braille code at age 15, will be staffed by visually impaired individuals during its two trial openings that will last for four days each.

During the two trial runs, visitors can purchase coffee, tea, juices and pre-packaged snacks in the lobby of the library. The pop-up cafe will be open the weeks of July 9-12 and July 23-26, running from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. during both weeks.
Visitors to the library are also being encouraged to enjoy new, comfortable chairs, ice-cold A/C, free Wi-Fi and over 78,000 items to browse during the hot summer months.
W.T. Bland Public Library is located at 1995 North Donnelly Street, Mount Dora.

NEW ANTIQUE MALL OFFERS VINTAGE FINDS IN EUSTIS

6/25/2018

This isn’t their first rodeo. Wildwood Antique Mall, a fixture in the city for which it’s named, just opened its eighth Florida location in Eustis.

The large open venue spans more than 28,000 square-feet of air-conditioned shopping space. The mall, the largest of its kind in Eustis, is currently about 25 percent full, so there is still space available for more vintage vendors to peddle their antique and vintage furniture, china, jewelry, home decor, rare coins, memorabilia and other collectibles. There is room for approximately 150 vendors in total, according to store management.

Wildwood Antique Mall in Eustis is open seven days a week and located at 349 Plaza Drive, next to Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
On weekends, antique lovers can make a day of treasure hunting by also visiting Renningers Antique Center and the Village Antique Mall in Mount Dora.

Find more new local stores and restaurants opening in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis by getting a free subscription to the monthly issue of 'The Buzz' here and follow Mount Dora Buzz on Facebook.

CITY LURES COMPANY TO RELOCATE TO MOUNT DORA

6/1/2018

Economic development has long been a spoken priority in Mount Dora. Now that spoken word has turned into action.

Almost a year’s worth of effort by City Manager Robin Hayes and Mount Dora’s economic development consultant Dr. Richard Levey paid off in May when Steamroller Studios announced it would relocate its headquarters to downtown Mount Dora. Read more