A major development in West Orange County, called Horizon West, is under construction. When completed, it will be a mixed-use project that will ultimately house thousands of residents and feature a downtown area with stores and restaurants.
Horizon West is the newest planned community in the region, just like Lake Nona and Winter Park.
"It's the second fastest growing place in terms of residential construction starts in the U.S., behind only The Villages," said Ken Kupp, a partner at Boyd Development Corporation.
Kupp said that more than 50 percent of the residential permits in Orange County are for this area. Over time, more than 100,000 people are expected to call this community home.
"A 950-acre, mixed-use town center designed to be pedestrian-friendly and is an event-oriented space that creates a community hub for the surrounding residents," said Kupp.
This central area is called Hamlin, just off exit 429, where people can live, work and play.
"You can walk to work, walk to the nearest restaurant or movie theater, spend time by the lake and really have an outdoor lifestyle in Florida," said Kupp.
More restaurants, retail and entertainment in the plans
The town center backs onto Lake Hancock, where there will be an outdoor entertainment district by the lake, and where the community can gather to enjoy an evening or attend a special event.
The center is also incorporating offices and apartments, surrounding subdivisions, building houses as far as the eye can see.
"Hamlin is just a small piece of a much bigger puzzle," said Kupp.
Brian Currier has just bought a house in this community. He's happy to hear about the plans for his new neighborhood.
"We're from Massachusetts," said Currier. "I hear a lot of things are coming up, so I'm looking forward to it."
But will this community be accessible? Kupp says it depends on how you look at it.
"You can get into a condominium for $250,000 at one end of the scale and you can go all the way up. If you prefer, you can stay on a lake for $900,000 to $1.2 million. [It sounds like a lot of money, but the truth is when you compare that to the nearest city ... If you want to be on the Lake Butler chain of canals, those numbers are much, much higher," Kupp said.
The developer plans to build around two dozen structures this year in the city center. He expects complete construction to take five to seven years.
Meanwhile, house builders are in full swing.
Region to receive a nature park
In addition to all the residential and commercial development underway in the area, it should also receive Horizon West Regional Park, a park with lots of nature, activities and sports for families. We [Pointon Realty] have already published about it on the projects page of our website. Check it out here.