MOUNT DORA BUZZ
  • Home
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Business & Real Estate
    • Outdoor Life
    • Real Estate Buzz
    • Government & Education
    • Kindness Matters
    • Profiles
    • Newsworthy
    • What's Hot...
    • Development Buzz
    • Who Knew?
    • Buzz Polls
  • Calendar
  • Festivals & Events
    • Annual Festivals
    • Monthly Events
    • Local Holiday Events Guide
    • Fall Festivals & Halloween Events
    • Best Local Pumpkin Patches
  • Best of Mount Dora
  • Dining
  • Things to Do
  • Live Music
  • Parking
  • Photos
    • City Scenes
    • Colorful Cottages of Mount Dora
    • Gilbert Park
    • Holiday Lights
    • Doors of Mount Dora
    • Views from Above
    • Palm Island Boardwalk
    • July 4th Americana
    • Vintage Photos
    • Donnelly House
    • Sydonie Mansion
    • The Howey Mansion
  • History
  • Mobile App
  • Contact
    • News Desk
    • Advertising Inquiries
    • Writing Services & Content Marketing
    • Design Services
    • Social Media Services
    • Suggest a Restaurant Visit
    • Submit Pic of the Day
  • Subscribe

Outdoor Life

Update on the Wekiva Rail-to-Trail extension

1/1/2025

 
Picture
In what has been a long and winding start to a much anticipated project, CSX Railroad is now willing to sell the railroad property for a trail extension. The previous time it committed to sell the property it reneged, so hopefully this time is different.

Lake County, the City of Mount Dora, and the City of Tavares have again agreed to partner and proceed with negotiations to acquire the land. The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a California-based nonprofit organization which has significant experience with similar endeavors, has committed its support for this rails-to-trails project.  If it comes to fruition, the trail would connect the two cities to each other, as well as other areas in Lake County.


The proposed Wekiva Rail-Trail Extension (Tav-Dora Trail) was planned to connect Mount Dora and Tavares along the railway corridor that currently connects the downtowns of the two cities.  If the project’s outcome was anything like the success of West Orange Trail’s effect on Winter Garden, residents could see improvement in both quality of life and property values, as well as a boon to the local economy.

In the spring of 2020, the two cities, Lake County, Florida Central Railroad Company and CSX Transportation (CSX) were all supportive of the trail concept.  Florida Central Railroad owned the actual railroad tracks and CSX owns the property the tracks are on.  In April 2020, both companies expressed their support of the project in letters to Lake County and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

CSX had not attempted to set forth all of the essential terms of a potential sale and purchase of the corridor, but the minimum price at that time would have been $15,000,000. The correspondence also stipulated that the letter of support wasn’t binding, but rather a basis for the parties to negotiate a definitive agreement in the future. 

With all stakeholders on the same page, Lake County, Mount Dora, and Tavares spent considerable time and money to advance the project and seek a Federal BUILD grant to help fund the acquisition of the property from CSX.  

Fast forward to November, 2022, and CSX abruptly announced it was no longer going to sell the rail corridor.  “CSX is committed to serving our customers and positioning the company for future growth.  As such, we are working to preserve our regulated corridors to support the company’s long-term business needs,” said the company’s spokesperson.  

Now that CSX is back on board, negotiations can begin again in earnest once TPL does the due diligence, including surveys, an appraisal and an assessment. 


​For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app.  ​​Be sure to follow  Mount Dora Buzz on Instagram for more local info.
Sign up for Mount Dora Buzz
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Comments are closed.

    outdoor life

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    January 2025
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    July 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    January 2023
    July 2022
    June 2022
    March 2022
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    October 2019
    August 2019
    April 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Terms of Use
Copyright Mount Dora Buzz 2025
​All rights reserved.



  • Home
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Business & Real Estate
    • Outdoor Life
    • Real Estate Buzz
    • Government & Education
    • Kindness Matters
    • Profiles
    • Newsworthy
    • What's Hot...
    • Development Buzz
    • Who Knew?
    • Buzz Polls
  • Calendar
  • Festivals & Events
    • Annual Festivals
    • Monthly Events
    • Local Holiday Events Guide
    • Fall Festivals & Halloween Events
    • Best Local Pumpkin Patches
  • Best of Mount Dora
  • Dining
  • Things to Do
  • Live Music
  • Parking
  • Photos
    • City Scenes
    • Colorful Cottages of Mount Dora
    • Gilbert Park
    • Holiday Lights
    • Doors of Mount Dora
    • Views from Above
    • Palm Island Boardwalk
    • July 4th Americana
    • Vintage Photos
    • Donnelly House
    • Sydonie Mansion
    • The Howey Mansion
  • History
  • Mobile App
  • Contact
    • News Desk
    • Advertising Inquiries
    • Writing Services & Content Marketing
    • Design Services
    • Social Media Services
    • Suggest a Restaurant Visit
    • Submit Pic of the Day
  • Subscribe