EATONVILLE, Fla. — The town of Eatonville is known nationwide for its past. Founded in 1887, it was was the first town in the nation to be incorporated and governed by African Americans.

But just up the street from all its history is its future.

  • HostDime building 95,000 square foot headquarters in Eatonville
  • Company poised to attract more job opportunities in Eatonville
  • Town planner also wants company to inspire Eatonville's youth
  • Get more Orange County coverage

CEO of data hosting company HostDime Manny Vivar walked Spectrum News 13 through the company's data center near downtown Eatonville.

The company hosts data for thousands of clients — everything from top secret information, to major mobile phone networks.

“You send an email out, it goes to the antenna goes through the fiber, gets converted here, and gets transported over the Internet to wherever it needs to go,” Vivar said.

Vivar wants to take the future and move it to the past’s backyard. HostDime is planning to build its brand new 95,000 square foot headquarters and data center on the vacant land that houses the old Hungerford High School complex.

“It’s not something you would necessarily expect in a small town like this,” said Eatonville town planner James Benderson.

Benderson says a large development will most likely attract companies with jobs to fill to the area. Vivar says that’s exactly why HostDime chose Eatonville over another part of town, like Creative Village or Altamonte Springs.

“It has tremendous potential, and it’s waiting for a development of this size to spark it,” Vivar said.

Not only is the future building in Eatonville, but Benderson hopes the building will inspire the futures of Eatonville’s youth.

“It’s definitely going to be inspiring for the children that’s in the community, to see this every day and know it’s in their backyard. And that’ll create that interest where, (like) ‘Oh I might want to do that,’” Benderson said.

He said the company has committed to do outreach programs at an elementary school in Eatonville to get kids interested in technology.

HostDime expected to start construction at the end of this month. Vivar says it should be done in 18 months.