Winter Park Commons, Ravaudage incentives and Seven Oaks construction

This week’s City Commission meeting will bring potential resolutions and updates on several major projects

Dec. 9, 2023

By Beth Kassab

This week’s City Commission meeting, the final one of the year, is likely to bring some answers to questions about several major projects including a proposed townhome complex on the west side, a large mixed-use development and the construction of Seven Oaks Park.

Here’s an overview of what to expect at Wednesday’s meeting:

• Winter Park Commons. Commissioners tabled in November a decision on a 53-unit multi-family housing project near Winter Park Village over concerns from residents that the multi-story townhomes were incompatible with neighboring smaller, single-family homes. The developer’s revised plans will go before the commission this week. The project remains 53 units, but now includes more single-family homes in place of some of the townhome units. Plans now also include five on-street parking spaces and a revised driveway on Webster Avenue.
• Ravaudage incentives. The city originally agreed to reimburse the developer of of Ravaudage, a mixed-use project, a maximum of $1.2 million for road improvements. The developer is now seeking an additional $300,000 for improvements that weren’t included in the first agreement because the land was not yet annexed into Winter Park. The commission tabled a decision on the new reimbursement in November, questioning the justification. According to city documents, two new businesses along the stretch in question — Bank OZK and Lifetime Fitness — would pay enough in mobility fees to cover the cost of the city’s reimbursement to the developer.
• Seven Oaks Park. The cost of the city’s newest park increased by about $800,000 to $5 million since the city first estimated the price a few years ago. With construction now slated to start on Dec. 18, city staff is recommending the City Commission postpone wifi upgrades to reallocate $220,000 use another $320,000 that had been set aside for planning studies.  Staff also recommends another $250,000 come from the city’s contingency fund to make up the deficit. If approved, construction would begin this month and the park would be finished in the Fall of 2024, according to the staff memorandum.

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