Florida Construction News staff writer
Work is getting underway on the $2.6-billion RoseArts District, a large-scale mixed-use redevelopment on the site of the former Lake Orlando Golf Course in Orlando’s Rosemont neighbourhood.
The 128-acre project, led by Miami-based The first phase covers about 38.5 acres and will include about 1,600 residential units, including 160 designated as affordable housing. The phase will also include up to 150,000 sq. ft. of commercial and other non-residential space, along with a charter school.
The broader development will be built across 12 parcels and is planned to include as much as 65 acres of parks and other open space. The master plan also includes pedestrian and cycling routes, transit connections, electric vehicle charging stations and scooter facilities.
Charlan Brock Architects is serving as architect, with GAI Consultants providing planning, civil engineering and landscape architecture services.
The former golf course closed in 2014. The property was acquired by Lake Orlando Land Owner LLC, an affiliate of Westside Capital Group, in 2019. Orlando City Council approved the planned development in 2021.
The project has been subject to opposition from some area residents, particularly over its scale and potential effects on traffic. The development plan includes new road infrastructure intended to accommodate traffic generated by the project, as well as a planned shuttle connection to the nearby LYNX SuperStop.
At full buildout, the development is expected to create more than 11,000 temporary construction jobs, according to the developer.
The project is located along Lake Orlando Parkway, west of North Orange Blossom Trail.
