Plans filed with Orange County would see a 350-unit apartment community rise on a tract of land that’s part of an expansive master-planned community southwest of Avalon Park.
Dave Schmitt Engineering of Orlando submitted development plans on May 1 to Orange County on behalf of the landowner, Alafaya TH Tract 9 LLC, an entity tied to Morgran Holdings LLC. Morgran, listed as the developer located in Winter Park, could not be reached for comment.
The 18.56-acre parcel, referred to as Tract 9, is part of the 513-acre Reserve at Alafaya Planned Development, previously known as Morgran PD. The currently approved development program for the PD includes entitlements for 400 single-family homes, 100 townhomes, 1,750 multifamily units, 300,000 square feet of commercial space, 50,000 square feet of office, a 20-acre park and a bike trail.
The approved master plan split the PD into 11 tracts, four of which are already developed. A 123-lot subdivision was proposed for Tract 1 in May 2024 but withdrawn about a year later.
The latest project calls for construction of eight four-story (54-foot-tall) buildings along Innovation Way southwest of Avalon Park. The community wraps around part of a pond near the center of the property, with a smaller pond at the southwest corner. Adjacent to that pond is Building 1 with 42 units — all the others have 44. The unit breakdown is 153 with one bedroom/one bath, 168 with two bedrooms/two baths and 29 with three bedrooms/two baths.
The plans show 624 regular surface parking spaces and 17 one-car garages across three buildings around the property.
A clubhouse/recreation building (almost 11,000 square feet) is next to a pool area on the northwest side of the property, with 2.71 acres provided for active recreation. The plans don’t provide details about what amenities will be provided to residents.
The plans show 8.59 acres of open space, including 3.26 acres from ponds and the rest from landscaping and buffers. Codes require 4.64 acres or 25% of gross.
The project seeks waivers for setback reductions in the front (32 feet vs. 50 feet required) and perimeter (15 feet vs. 25 feet required) along with building height (four stories vs. three stories maximum).
Other firms involved with the project are American Surveying and Mapping of Orlando, environmental consultants Breedlove, Dennis and Associates of Winter Park, Dix.Hite of Longwood for landscaping and Forum Architecture & Interior Design of Altamonte Springs.
Developed land within the PD includes single-family homes and multifamily properties.
The 264-unit The Reserves at Alafaya Apartments, built on Tract 6 on the northern side of S Alafaya Trail, was the first development project within the PD, opening in 2014. In 2015, Boston-based Berkshire Residential Investments purchased the apartment community for $42.7 million.
Tract 8, toward the southern side of the PD, includes the 275-unit Hudson at East, which opened in 2019, and 264-unit East at Innovation (formerly Eight at East), which wrapped construction in 2018.
Toronto-based Starlight Investments purchased Hudson at East in 2022 for $62.5 million and Eight at East in 2021 for $91.75 million, for a combined $154.25 million. In August 2025, it sold the properties for a combined $107.77 million to CF Orlando Multifamily DST, now part of an investment offering managed by New York-based Cantor Fitzgerald. Since the sale, Hudson at East has been integrated into its neighboring property.
Tract 5 contains the 100-lot Rosedale at East subdivision finished in 2022 by homebuilder Jones Homes USA.
Brian Bell can be reached at bbell@orlandosentinel.com. Have a tip about Central Florida development? Email Newsroom@GrowthSpotter.com. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.
