EATONVILLE, Fla. — Land near I-4 and Wymore Road and Kennedy Boulevard is still under scrutiny according to some Eatonville residents.
What You Need To Know
- Eatonville residents are concerned about the future of undeveloped land off of I-4
- The land has been in the hands of the Orange County School District since the 1950s
- Right now there are plans to build housing and add retail
- Residents believe many people won’t be able to afford to live there and will be pushed out
One hundred acres was transferred from a Black private school to the Orange County public school system back in the 1950s.
Since then, the property has been the center of many discussions on who owns the land and who should decide what to build on the land.
Presently, the developer Sovereign Land Company plans to build 350 units of apartments, townhouses and single-family homes.
There are also plans to add retail and restaurants to the area.
John Beacham knows a thing or two about this 100 acres in Eatonville.
Beacham and his mom both attended school there.
He believes this project is not what most Eatonville residents envision.
“What I’m hoping to accomplish is the land back. So, when the land gets back, we want to create our own vision for Eatonville. We think development is good, but we think we have the wrong developer,” he said.
Beacham said most Eatonville residents cannot afford the housing the developer is planning.
He believes it will push the Black community out of the area.
The property closing is March 31 of this year. Before the sale is final, the developer has to go through the town council once more. However, they have not set a date for that meeting yet.