By Ken StoreyThe Orlando Business Journal is reporting that Whole Foods will be opening a new location in Winter Park, but the location is still up in the air.
There are two competing proposals to bring a Whole Foods to the area near 17/92 and Lee Road. UP Development Inc, who owns Fashion Square Mall, where another Whole Foods is rumored to be going, sent the city a proposal for a Whole Foods on the east side of 17/92.
Dan Bellows, the developer of Ravaudage, has his own proposal for one directly on the opposite side of 17/92. (For the purpose of full disclosure I should note that the developer is my landlord. I live in one of his buildings.) Bellows is currently working with the City of Winter Park on zoning issues and infrastructure for Ravaudage. The large development is currently in unincorporated Orange County, but once most infrastructure is built, the project will be brought into the city limits of Winter Park with a small section being zoned into the City of Maitland.
On May 22, the Ravaudage developers held a work session with the city of Winter Park. From those documents, we can see a small 40,140 sq ft organic grocery store proposed to go on 17/92. But in an interview with the Orlando Business Journal, Bellows, admitted that he has yet to sign Whole Foods. He is just interested in them being a part of the development.
Those plans show the organic grocery store to the north of Miller's Ale House, while the renderings shared with Orlando Business Journal show a Whole Foods directly to the east of Ale House. Their renderings also show an Applebee's to the north of Ale House.
Those May 22 documents that show an organic grocery store also show a proposed 30,000 sq ft entertainment/bowling/club above a 30,000 sq ft fitness center. In the renderings, it's an Applebee's.
This proposal also shows a SunRail stop. That stop was denied because of a concern that the station was too close to a curve in the train tracks.
The original proposal also called for a much larger development, including an abstract iconic building where the Miller's Ale House now sits. The development as a whole has shrunken from its larger original proposal to one that is similar to the developers other major project area along New England Ave in Hannibal Square.
One rumor that does seem to be sticking around is a six story hotel with bottom floor retail. Another rumor is that the development will include a SuperTarget, most likely to go in between Bennet Ave and the newly made Morgan Lane all the way to Lewis Drive. This would make the Super Target visible from Lee Road, with access to a parking structure for the store on both Bennet and Lewis.
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| Rendering via City of Winter Park May 22 Work Session Agenda Packet |
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| This is the lot to the east of 17/92 where UP Development has proposed their Trader Joes |
