Orlando’s Development Review Committee has approved an expansion of Lake Nona’s desirable Laureate Park community that will bring another 426 homesites south of Medical City.
This neighborhood, identified as N-8 in the Lake Nona master plan, will be located west of Luminary Boulevard and constructed in two phases. Phase 1 will consist of the construction of 249 single-family units, along with three retention ponds, a neighborhood park and related infrastructure. Phase 2 will include the remaining 177 single-family units and a neighborhood park. Further west, a 4-acre parcel is reserved for a future residential development, which will require separate reviews for approval.
The transportation network connecting to this neighborhood will include Medical City Drive and Simpson Road to the far west, as well as Centerline Drive and Narcoossee Road to the far east. The developer is proposing two full-access points and one roundabout access point. Two access points will be constructed in Phase 1, while the third will be constructed in Phase 2.
The neighborhood would consist of seven lot types, including both rear alley-accessed and front-loaded lots. The alley-accessed lots are designed at minimum lot widths of 30, 40, 45 and 50 feet. while the front-loaded lots are designed at minimum widths of 50, 55 and 60 feet. Tavistock declined to comment on the project or identify any potential homebuilders.
A third of the total lots will be the smallest size, 30×120 rear-loaded bungalows. There are just 10 of the 60×130 lots, all of which back up to conservation. These are the only lots that allow 3-car garages, but they will be subject to additional design standards and conditions, including that projecting garages must be entered from the side. Additionally, the builder must include living space over the garage.
The project is within a mile of the new elementary and middle school campus on Luminary Drive, as well as the new community park. It’s also just a half-mile from the Luminary Square town center, a large urban-style mixed-use development at the intersection of Luminary Boulevard and Centerline Drive. This project will have a 322-unit apartment community with structured parking, 6,560 square feet of ground-floor retail space and 19,502 square feet of dining.
Luminary Square is being co-developed by WeldenField, the same team that celebrated the grand opening last week for its new 342-unit Kelson Lake Nona apartment community. The project features 342 units, including a unique feature not seen in any other Lake Nona apartment community — two-story, loft-style apartments.
In other news, Lake Nona West opened its first stores (HomeSense, Barnes & Noble and Total Wine & More) in May of June of this year. The center’s anchor, a 150,000-square-foot Target Superstore, will open in July, along with Dick’s Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy. They will be followed in August with the opening of Nordstrom Rack.
Tavistock has applied for permits to subdivide a new flex industrial park on Performance Drive, which will include five speculative flex warehouse buildings. The buildings will have a combined total of 209,800 square feet, with each ranging from 35,000 to 50,000 square feet.
The City of Orlando has approved a contractor to build the 14.2-acre Poitras Park on Luminary Boulevard, but has not commenced construction. The $12 million recreational space will feature over a dozen pickleball and basketball courts, walking trails, a splash pad, and playground areas.
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