Last night at the Lake Nona High School Performing Arts Center, Tavistock Development Company President James “Jim” Zboril provided the community with an overview and update on the development activities at Lake Nona, highlighting new residential development and infrastructure plans as well as the arrival of new businesses, restaurants and shops.
Jim was joined by City of Orlando District 1 Commissioner Jim Gray, who also provided an update and answered questions as it relates to the region’s transportation and traffic plans and public services.
Headlining the presentation was an overview of the many ongoing and upcoming projects in Lake Nona, showcased in the slide below.
Residential
Residential demand in Lake Nona continues to position the community at the top of the best-seller’s list in Orlando and among the top ten in the country. Lake Nona adds about 1,000 new families each year! To keep up with the growing demand, new residential communities are on the horizon as well as the addition of new product types, offering something for everyone at every price point and style.
New multifamily developments in Lake Nona are adding more rental options to the marketplace. The recently opened urban-style Landon House will soon be joined by two additional apartment communities: the Modern Flats (formerly known as The Distillery) will start construction next year across the street from the Town Center. Just down the road, west of Boggy Creek, the new Ariel Apartments are already underway. The Gatherings, Lake Nona’s first 55+ community, is also on the horizon and breaking ground in 2017, located between Laureate Park and the VA Medical Center.
Traffic & Security
As the community continues to grow, two important points were raised by both speakers and attendees: traffic and security. Commissioner Grey reassured the crowd that traffic concerns and issues have been heard and solutions are continuously being implemented and planned to ensure the safety of residents. While increased patrols, new stop signs and speed monitoring devices have helped deter some nuisances, the Commissioner acknowledged that there is a need for more solutions and encouraged residents to continue to reach out through the District to share ideas and solutions with the City to help ensure the Lake Nona community remains the safest neighborhood in the region. Jim also reassured residents that security is a top priority, and in addition to working closely with the City, Tavistock also continues to expand its security team and recently purchased five new security vehicles providing 24-hour surveillance.
Community Programming
An emphasis on community programming will continue to escalate throughout Lake Nona, demonstrating a strong commitment to building community – creating more than just places and buildings. In 2016, Tavistock hosted more than 450 onsite events – the majority of which are free and open to the public. In 2017, plans will expand and new events and opportunities will continue to build out the community’s fun-filled calendar. For the latest events and schedules, visit: http://www.lakenona.com/live/community/events-venues/events/
Laureate Park
In Laureate Park, there was exciting news both on the residential, education and retail front. The Laureate Park Village Center will be adding new townhome models from Pulte Homes and Ashton Woods around the pond that sits behind Canvas Restaurant & Market in the new year.
The Village Center will welcome a few new retail buildings in 2017 that will include a new early childhood center, which will be announced at the end of this year. A new Orange County elementary school is also underway within the neighborhood, which opens in the fall for the 2017-18 school year. And if you haven’t stopped by WHIT – Lake Nona’s wellness home built on innovation and technology – the healthy home living lab is located just across the street from the Aquatic Center and showcases current and emerging home health solutions.
Lake Nona Central
The region known as Lake Nona Central, that runs along Lake Nona Boulevard between Narcoossee Road and SR417, also has quite a bit of activity ramping up with the January opening of the USTA’s new National Campus and the addition of a new golf experience by year’s end. The Lake Nona Sports & Performance District will continue to make headlines in the new year bringing both sport as well as training and performance facilities onsite. Pending the site selection decision from a well-known corporation, a corporate training center is also slated for potential development in this area next year.
Lake Nona Central is also the site for an expansion of our world-class Lake Nona Golf & Country Club. A land bridge will adjoin the current estates community to this developing area, and will feature a wide variety of residential offerings from single family home sites and condominiums. The community will be highlighted by Lake Nona’s crystal lagoon, which will also serve the adjacent resort and hotel that is currently in design. This new resort development will serve the many visiting players and spectators of the USTA campus and will be a defining hospitality experience for the region.
Parks
Drawing board sketches of future Lake Nona public parks were also outlined for the crowd. While both parks are still in planning and discussions among Tavistock, the City of Orlando and the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, Tavistock outlined contemplated plans for both a Laureate Park location with four soccer fields, trails, and a playground and a location along the East Airfield and Dowden Road with four softball fields, playground, covered family pavilion, jogging paths and bike trails.
Retail & Restaurants
Retail and restaurants are also on the rise in Lake Nona, and was a popular topic among last night’s attendees. Lake Nona Landing will debut this January, adding several shopping options to the region. And within the emerging Town Center and expanding shopping centers along Narcoossee Road, new shops and restaurants will continue to open, from Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine and Pig Floyd’s, to name a few new arrivals.
Given Lake Nona’s sheer size and scope, the community is adding new businesses and services to serve a variety of needs, from general stores to boutique options. And while many sought-after brands and businesses aren’t onsite yet, Jim reassured the crowd that active conversations are always underway and many of those same businesses are the ones we will continue to target… and speaking of Target, the most sought after retailer according to the recent resident survey, Jim had this to say about Tavistock’s long courtship of the popular retailer:
“Tavistock has been actively pursuing Target to open a location in Lake Nona – for more than a decade. We want them to be here as much as our residents, believe me. Just last week, I sent a letter to the CEO and included our survey results showing they are the most sought after store. Unfortunately, they seem to be having a series of major issues and their expansion plans have slowed. We have space ready for them in the Town Center, and we’ll continue to aggressively pursue them so when they are ready to open more stores, they hopefully come to us first.”
Tavistock Development is invested in the long-term success and growth of Lake Nona. We are committed to building a place that we can all be proud of – a place where life is better lived.