New Synagogue, Daycare, Townhomes to go before Planning & Zoning Board
Chabad of Greater Orlando is looking for a ‘forever home’ but some nearby residents worry about traffic associated with a new daycare
Aug. 3, 2026
By Beth Kassab
On Tuesday evening the Planning & Zoning Board will hear a proposal to replace apartment buildings that date back 100 years just off Park Avenue with a synagogue, including a daycare, and five townhomes.
The new synagogue would provide a “forever home” for Chabad of Greater Orlando, said Rabbi Dovid Dubov, and would be the only synagogue currently operating in Winter Park.
The 40-year-old organization lost its Maitland building to a fire in 2024 and has been operating out of a temporary space on the far end of North Park Avenue.
“We look at it like it’s overdue,” Dubov told the Voice. “It’s something that many, many Jewish residents of our city have been desiring for a long time … we’re excited.”
A number of residents expressed concerns about the development — not because of a new house of worship — but because they said the original architectural renderings seemed “out of place” and worry about future traffic caused by the daycare.
About 50 people signed a petition that calls on the Planning & Zoning Board to reject the daycare component of the proposal at 210 Morse Boulevard.
“The addition of a daycare center or preschool would generate substantial vehicle traffic during peak morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up periods, increasing congestion, creating safety concerns for pedestrians and motorists, and adversely affecting neighboring residents and businesses,” the petition reads.
Allan Keen, a well-known Rollins college trustee and developer whose credits include Winter Park’s Windsong neighborhood and work assembling land for Universal Orlando, wrote a letter to city officials last month that said the area is already too congested.
“Our residents, and all of the other residents of Winter Park, are already burdened with several daycare and/or church-run schools in the immediate area (Methodist, Congregational and Catholic), that at times, completely block the traffic on Morse, and Interlachen,” wrote Keen, who lives across Knowles Avenue from the proposed synagogue and townhomes in a condo building known as The Landmark, which he also developed.
A traffic analysis cited by city planners concluded that the project is “not anticipated to impact the operations of the surrounding roadway network.”
Keen also wrote that the elevation of the synagogue on Knowles “is over-done and looks greatly out of place.”
New elevations submitted to the city show a more modern-looking design with more windows and without large columns.
The proposal, which is about .6 acres in total, calls for El Cortez, three buildings that date to the 1920s with 38 units to be demolished and replaced by five new townhomes as well as an 80-seat synagogue and a daycare capped at 60 children.
The property is within the Interlachen Avenue Historic District and the Historic Preservation Board approved the demolition last year and required a historic marker be added to the site and that the demolition not occur until a building permit is issued for the new development.
The buildings were originally constructed as upscale apartments amid growing demand for more housing in downtown Winter Park and near Rollins College. Over the years, a number of notable people lived there, according to National Register of Historic Places documents, such as “physician Benjamin Hart; Christopher Honaas, director of the Rollins College Conservatory of Music; Flora Magoun, secretary to the Conservatory; Margaret Windau, district director of the Florida Welfare Board; Helen Drinker, proprietress of a women’s fashion shop on Park Avenue North; and William Stein, a Romance Languages professor at Rollins College of Jewish descent who had recently immigrated from Austria to avoid Nazi persecution.”
City staff is also recommending seven more conditions be placed on the new development including that a rooftop deck for the synagogue not include outdoor speakers or amplified music; all noise and lights from the rooftop must end by 10 p.m.; any expansion of the synagogue or daycare must go back to the city for approval; and car lines related to daycare drop-off or pick-up can not spill onto the public streets. Planning & Zoning will hear the proposal at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
The townhomes, which are being developed separately from the synagogue, will include underground parking garages. The synagogue will also include underground parking with 22 spaces and 13 more surface parking spaces on the site.
Dubov said his organization is small and the synagogue and the daycare will not operate during the same hours, which will lessen traffic and mean that the planned parking will be sufficient. In addition, he said many people will walk instead of drive to the building for services because many observe traditional Jewish laws that prohibit labor, including driving, on Shabbat.
He said the location at Morse Boulevard and Knowles Avenue will provide a central meeting spot that people can reach on foot from across Winter Park, which is known for its walkability.
“We felt like this was the most convenient location for everyone … a middle ground for everyone to give people the convenience to walk from any point,” Dubov said.
He said he doesn’t anticipate frequent events on the rooftop terrace and sees it like a backyard for the organization because Jewish tradition calls for some events or meals to take place outside.
He also said the organization doesn’t carry a traditional label that accompanies many synagogues such as orthodox, reform or conservative. The group’s website notes it is dedicated to “strengthening Jewish life through meaningful educational opportunities, inspiring programs, volunteer initiatives, pastoral care, and community services.”
“We accept everyone from all backgrounds,” Dubov said. “There’s no specific type of Jew we welcome or don’t welcome.”
WinterParkVoiceEditor@gmail.com
As a lifelong resident of Winter Park, a business owner in the area of Winter Park in question and a member of the Jewish community in Central Florida. I agree that the parking concerns and traffic concerns brought on by a project like this. I also agree that the proposed rendering is not in keeping with the architectural style of Winter Park and the Park Avenue area in general.
Looks good and fits into the community perfectly. Look around at the other buildings and you will see it will complement nicely. Traffic won’t even be noticed. Looking forward to another wonderful addition to our community.
I’m curious wether the synagogue runs a daycare at the current, temporary sight. If so, is it creating a traffic or parking issue?
My concerns are the daycare and the rooftop venue. When city staff recommends a condition that no carpool traffic will be allowed offsite – how will that be enforced! Will cars in line waiting to drop off children be ticketed, towed? Not realistic. And the rooftop venue- no speakers and lights out at 10pm- again seems unenforceable – define speaker: microphone, blue tooth- what’s the capacity for rooftop? R4 is residential zoning, albeit in an urban area- delete the day care and rooftop event space.
Valid question about how conditional uses are enforced once approved. I will double-check with the city, but I believe these would be similar to a code violation. So, if for example, traffic or noise conditions weren’t being followed, the city could take action. The individual people or cars would not be “ticketed” or fined. But the user of the site and the conditions (usually the owner) would be responsible for resolving the issue. This kind of violation, if one ever occurred, would likely be similar to the case we have covered here at the Voice where a homeowner planted palm trees in his lakefront backyard that the city said were against the conditions placed on the construction of the home. Complaints came in about the trees obstructing a neighbor’s lake view. The city ordered the trees removed. The neighbor refused. And the case is now in court and waiting on ruling on appeal. So to say the city won’t enforce conditional uses is not accurate. The city has spent at least $30k on that single case last time we checked/wrote about it.
I live near the “current” facility, and it has NEVER been a problem with traffic or vehicles. The current Chabad has always been a great neighbor, and NO, I am not a member nor am I Jewish.
As a WP resident for 72 years, this is long overdue. It removes a dilapidated eyesore that is not in keeping with the architectural style of Winter Park and replaces it with new functional activities that serve our community. The variety of architectural styles in Winter Park make our city interesting. Look at the library, Knowles Chapel, cube- homes, Mediterranean homes, Busch building, etc. this synagogue is a nice addition. Parking problems are transient for daycare, and the city is increasing parking in other locations.
The location is already overcrowded and a daily bottleneck, even with a police presence. Adding a daycare and more will make a congestion nightmare.
I thank the “Voice” for printing the article. Greater detail is included in the presentation for the Planning and Zoning commission. As it stands, the maximum number of preschool children is well under 75. More traffic is generated by a dog park than this small daycare facility. As to the first rendering of the synagogue, the proposed building was elegant, well within the height requirements and certainly no more imposing than several of the other religious buildings in the surrounding area. The project will certainly add to the value of the neighborhood, encourage intellectual and spiritual diversity and be a wonderful addition to Winter Park.
I think the design is very pleasing and balanced. Seeing a building that doesn’t look like an over-sized big box is refreshing and it appears they followed city guidelines.
The religious service added to the community will be a benefit.
Looking back, I recall when the Landmark was under consideration and residents were appalled at the size and loss of blue sky in the historic Greeneda court – designed by James Gamble Rogers. Possibly the most iconic courtyard in Central Florida, even JGR’s son, also an architect, took the time from his busy schedule at the community’s request to explain the permanent damage by loss of open space the Landmark would cause.
The masses were dismissed and a large box shaped building with a courtyard not open to the public was constructed to everyone’s dismay.
The large blank wall (instead of blue sky) is hard to unsee when enjoying the quaint and historic architecture of Greeneda Court..
How ironic that Mr. Keen who was a principal Landmark investor and who successfully lobbied for all sorts of unusual variances that were granted is now against a synagogue located on the other side of his Landmark that seems to fit in scale to Winter Park’s downtown.
SMM quietly moved drop off and pickup lines from Knowles Avenue to New York and Swoope, making it impossible to drive New York Avenue at those times. I am afraid if the Chabad request is denied, there will be the stink of discrimination.
The school drop offs and pick ups at both the Catholic and Methodist churches in this immediate area already block traffic at inconvenient times during weekdays. More of this is not desirable.
A more compatible use of the 210 E Morse property is greatly preferred to what is proposed here.
I live near the “current” facility, and it has NEVER been a problem with traffic or vehicles. The current Chabad has always been a great neighbor, and NO, I am not a member nor am I Jewish.
There was a wonderful turnout at the P&Z meeting last night. All the traffic, congestion and design issues were addressed in a positive and professional presentation by P&Z and the applicants. Congratulations to Winter Park and its residents for welcoming its first synagogue with welcome arms.
The vote was unanimous!
Traffic concerns from a centrally located daycare? Honestly some of y’all need to get a life. 60 children is nothing
I lived at El Cortez in the late 1970’’s. Rent was affordable; I had a small gas oven and a wall AC unit. My electric bill was $8. Those days are long gone.