Real Estate Buzz

Final public hearing for Mount Dora’s largest proposed development is February 21

2/20/2023

The legacy of Mount Dora is a hot topic and could be decided by Mount Dora City Council at a public meeting in City Hall on February 21. Only four members of the council need to vote in favor of AMCO Development’s rezoning application for its proposed 38-acre development in order for it to pass. Read more

0 Comments

11 things to know about Mount Dora's proposed high-rise development

2/1/2023

In recent weeks, there has been a lot of chatter on local social media regarding a towering development proposed for Mount Dora. Though it might feel like deja vu, it isn’t as familiar as it may seem. Read more

Mount Dora’s new Vista Hills development moves forward

1/1/2023

A new residential and commercial development, Vista Hills, was approved by Mount Dora City Council on December 20. The project sits on 33.38 acres located north of State Road 46 and on the west side of Norton Lane. The owner of the property is Route 46 Properties, LLC.

The Planned Unit Development (PUD), which required a zoning change, will be mixed use with 442 apartments and up to 55,000 square feet of commercial space for retail and office uses. Construction will occur in three phases: Phase one includes 256 apartments and roadway, Phase Two will build 186 apartments and 27,500 square-feet commercial, and Phase Three completes the project with up to 27,500 square-feet of commercial space.

The apartment complex will consist of 15 buildings with plans for a fitness center, pool, playground, tennis, trails, basketball court, and dog park for its residents. Vista Hills will also provide trails to the City’s overall planned trail network, as well as provide land for a planned east-west connector roadway.

The commercial portions of the development will be along the southern portion of the property adjacent to SR 46 with the apartments being on the northern section of the project. Directly west of the project is the planned Wekiva Ridge development.

There are .80 acres of wetlands on the property which will remain undeveloped. The development plans include a 50-foot upland buffer adjacent to those wetlands.

Mount Dora Planning and Zoning Commission previously approved the project with a 6-0 vote. City staff recommended approving the PUD, stating the project is consistent with the land use pattern in the emerging Wolf Branch Innovation District (WBID). The City Council approval came after two public hearings on the development. Find more upcoming local development projects here.

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.

New apartments proposed in Mount Dora

4/30/2022

On property that was recently set to become part of a new townhouse development, a different plan is now on the table. Preliminary plans were submitted by the developer proposing Parkview Apartments, 59 units in a three-story building located on the southeast corner of Grandview and Liberty, diagonally across from Gilbert Park. Previously, a townhouse project called The Bungalows was slated for the property by the same developer. Read more

CONSTRUCTION APPROACHES ON NEW ROUND LAKE ROAD DEVELOPMENT

9/1/2020

0 Comments

Change is coming. Residential growth in the rural eastern side of Mount Dora has long been expected. It’s now come to fruition with Timberwalk, the 376-home development on Round Lake Road, expected to begin construction soon and adding to the traffic congestion during neighboring Round Lake Charter School’s student drop-off and pick-up times.

The area’s newest neighborhood, approved last year, will be built next to the elementary school and will sprawl over 170 acres with single-family homes featuring a minimum of 1,300 square feet. Although the project didn’t require a zoning change, it will transform that area of Round Lake Road which currently is predominantly open pastures on low rolling hills. The net density of the development is 2.4 homes per acre.

RELATED: New Mount Dora 17-acre development on Donnelly Street approved

The style of the homes and white perimeter fencing will be similar to Sullivan Ranch, another residential development on Round Lake Road, according to developers at the time of the project’s approval.

Although only 46 acres of open space are required, the developer of TImberwalk set aside 70 acres of open space that includes 3.69 acres of wetlands. Among the amenities are a pool, walking trails, a multi-use ball field, as well as community RV and boat storage.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. For local things to do, click here and for the area's free mobile app, click here.

0 Comments

CONSTRUCTION STARTS ON NEW DOWNTOWN EUSTIS APARTMENT BUILDING

5/22/2020

2 Comments

Prime commercial land in downtown Eustis will begin transforming into a five-story apartment building. The 21,000 square foot Grove Park Tower, will feature twenty units that are all one-bedroom and one-and-one-half bath with in-suite laundry and covered parking. The building will be located at the northwest corner of Dewey Street and Magnolia Avenue across from the library in the heart of downtown.

The property, formerly owned by Lake Community Foundation/Lake Eustis Properties was purchased by North Central Place LLC whose principal is Daniel DiVenanzo, an experienced Eustis developer and landlord. DiVenanzo also owns the Renaissance Building in downtown Mount Dora.

The $1.9 million project is scheduled to be completed in early 2021 and is expected to generate new tax revenue for Eustis. According to the City of Eustis, the project is consistent with its Downtown Plan, Redevelopment Plan, and Land Development Guidelines for the City.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here.

2 Comments

NEW DEVELOPMENT ON DONNELLY HAS FINAL PUBLIC HEARING ON MAY 5

5/5/2020

0 Comments

Mount Dora’s newest proposed development, Donnelly Woods, is a combination of apartments and professional office space. The final public hearing is set for Tuesday, May 5 at the Mount Dora Community Building at 5:30 p.m. The entrance is on 6th Avenue.

The development would encompass two adjoining parcels on the east side of Donnelly Street and the north side of Limit Avenue. The parcels total just under 17 acres and 2.22 of those acres are wetlands, which would be left undisturbed.
Read more

0 Comments

PROPOSED BIKE TRAIL COULD BOOST REAL ESTATE IN LAKE COUNTY

2/1/2020

0 Comments

It’s always one of the hottest local topics in Mount Dora and Tavares -- the Tav-Dora trail, a bike trail that would connect the two communities to each other and to Florida’s Coast-to-Coast Trail. Recently, the railroad was sold, so it’s an opportune time for Mount Dora Buzz to provide an update with current information from the trail’s long-time advocate and spearhead, Tavares City Administrator, John Drury. Read more

Local Real Estate Guide

0 Comments

DOWNTOWN MOUNT DORA BUILDING IS SOLD AND SIGNS NEW TENANT

1/1/2020

7 Comments

ABOVE: The building is located near the middle of the block near Piglet's Pantry

Located on the most prime block of downtown Mount Dora, the old 1920 bank building housed the same tenant since 1996. That’s the year Cindy and Clay Oliver purchased the historic building located at 404 N. Donnelly Street and opened Oliver’s Twist Antiques, a two-level store filled with vintage treasures.

After two decades of rarities and oddities, the Olivers decided to scale back their business by closing the brick-and-mortar store to focus on the estate-sale side of their business, Oliver’s Twist Estate Sales. On December 2, they sold the approximately 3,500 square-foot building to Donnelly 404, LLC, for $1,300,000. The property will be managed by CFL Property Group (CFL) which manages several fully-leased commercial buildings downtown. Read more

Local Real Estate Guide

7 Comments

PROPOSED NEW MOUNT DORA RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT SET FOR DEC. 3 HEARING

12/2/2019

0 Comments

UPDATE 12/17/2019: The development passed at its final public hearing on December 17 with a 5-2 vote by Mount Dora City Council.
UPDATE 12/3/2019: Mount Dora City Council passed the rezoning application at the December 3 public hearing with the inclusion of the caveats added by the city's Planning and Zoning Board. A required second public meeting will be held at an upcoming city council meeting.

It’s the only tract of land of its kind within Mount Dora’s city limits. On Tuesday evening, December 3 (see updates above), Mount Dora City Council will hold a public hearing for rezoning of a proposed new development titled “Cottages on 11th," which would have a maximum of 27 luxury, single-family homes.

The hilltop 10.9-acre property with a view of Lake Dora is between 11th Avenue and Old U.S. Highway 441 near Helen Street, just west of downtown. The land can be identified by its old orange groves perched on the hill a short distance past the van Gogh House. Read more

Local Real Estate Guide