South Florida-based developer Kolter recently filed plans with Seminole County for a pair of apartment complexes near Interstate 4 with an attainable housing component provided through the Live Local Act.
Kolter intends to develop Alton Seminole just west of I-4, directly across the interstate from the Seminole Towne Center.
Spread across two phases, the proposed community is planned to contain a total of 510 garden-style apartments on 21.61 acres between Bayvista Lane and International Parkway. The first phase of Alton Seminole would rise on the southern half of the property and would have of 270 units with a mix of three-story and four-story buildings and surface parking. The second phase would have 240 units with the same mix of building types.
Each community would have an amenity package that includes a 6,600-square-foot clubhouse and leasing facility, a pool and courtyard areas, outdoor walking paths surrounding a pond with fountain feature, a dog park, and dog spa.
Kolter applied to develop the project through the Live Local Act, a law adopted in 2023 that loosened zoning regulations by requiring cities and counties to approve multifamily development projects in areas already zoned for commercial, industrial, or mixed-use if at least 40% of the units are affordable for households making up to 120% of the Area Median Income.
The property is currently owned by Nashville-based HCA Healthcare, which operates the HCA Florida Heathrow emergency clinic on a parcel directly to the south of the proposed Alton Seminole project at 4525 International Pkwy.
With a future land use designation of Higher Intensity Planned Development Target Industry, the project site is located within the International Parkway Medical Center Planned Development, or PD.
Entitlements within the PD permit a 24-hour hospital, emergency room, office, medical office and supportive commercial uses. Based on the definition of ‘commercial’ in the Florida State Statutes, the site would qualify for the Live Local Act based on permitted uses.
Earlier this month, on the last day of the Florida Legislature’s regular session, both houses overwhelmingly passed HB 1389 to codify changes in the Live Local Act that were left out of the bill in previous years.
Along with passing legislation that adds the same Live Local flexibility to church-owned land, the latest update also changes the eligibility for cities and counties to opt out of a 75% property tax exemption for providers of “Missing Middle” housing — a provision that was added during the 2024 session at the urging of municipalities.
Beginning in 2027, the opt-out would only be available if the county has had a surplus of available rental units for three previous years to block the exemption, rather than just for the most recent year.
The site of the proposed Alton Seminole project was previously considered for a mixed-use community from Charlotte, NC-based developer Crescent Communities.
A development team for Crescent Communities held a pre-application meeting for the project, which was planned for 336 apartments, 40,000 square feet of medical office space, and a 2.8-acre outparcel for additional retail or medical space, but the project ultimately fell through.
Building a strong Central Florida presence in recent years, Kolter completed its Alton Serenoa luxury apartment complex in 2024 and recently began selling within its active adult Hammock Oaks development Lady Lake.
Alton Serenoa is located within the larger Serenoa master-planned community in Clermont, and Hammock Oaks is a massive mixed-use community that encompasses more than 800 acres just east of the Lake-Sumter county line.
Across I-4, The Ardent Companies is seeking to redevelop 40.24 acres of Seminole Towne Center for a new Costco location, purchasing 75 acres of Seminole Towne Center last year for $17.5 million.
The Atlanta-based asset management firm plans to redevelop the property into a mixed-use destination with multifamily, retail, and hotel uses.
Last month, members of the Sanford City Commission unanimously approved ordinances for the Costco, which will rise on the site of the former Macy’s department store.
The master plan proposes a 153,820-square-foot wholesale retail center, a 2,219-square-foot liquor store, tire-only vehicle service and gasoline fuel pumps.
Demolition of the Macy’s — and subsequent construction of the Costco — are set to begin later this year, with developers planning to open the wholesale retail center in 2027.
Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at jwilkins@orlandosentinel.com or 407-754-4980. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.
