SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Neighbors in Fern Park are opposing developers who want to transform the old jai alai building and the surrounding property into a large town center near the 17-92 and 436 flyover by Fernwood Boulevard and Oxford Road.

But that development would include a 2,000 square foot poker room. 

The jai alai building used to be a sports betting facility and neighbors in Fern Park worked hard to get rid of the gambling and the strip clubs that used to surround it. 

Now the owner RD Management and the Cordish Companies want to put a sports and gaming venue here along with luxury apartments, restaurants and shops. But the Cordish Companies say their involvement is contingent on securing approval for the poker room.  

Since this would be an expansion of the types of gambling allowed on the property, they would need to get a measure to allow the poker room on the general election ballot in November and it would have to approved by Seminole County voters. 

Normally in order to do that, the companies would need to get 25,000 resident signatures on a petition, but they asked the Seminole County Board of Commissioners to skip that process and put it on the ballot. 

But after many neighbors got up to speak out against the development, the commission rejected their request. Commissioner Lee Constantine echoed resident concerns and said the petition process would help the community learn more about the project. 

“The concern, and Mr. Sowsinki of No Casinos brought this up, is that this could be an avenue to add more gaming. Now I’m not suggesting that’s what they have in mind, I’m suggesting that would happen. We just don’t know,” Constantine said. 

Now the developers have stressed that this venue is not a casino and they have no plans to expand gambling past that poker room. 

The current tenant of the old sports betting building is the type that Fern Park neighbors would prefer to stay here, part of a group that help create a sense of community.  

Journey Church moved into the building a little less than a year ago. Since then, they've fixed up and renovated the space to make it hospitable for their worshippers.  

Pastor J.J. Vasquez leads the congregation. While he’s passionate on stage during the service, he’s just as passionate about mentoring and guiding his congregation in the lobby right after the service. 

J.J. and his team started Journey Church five years ago, but he’ll be the first to tell you that in those five years, it hasn’t been easy to find a permanent home. 

“We started at Winter Park H.S., then during the pandemic we transitioned to online, then we began meeting at Trinity Prep, then finally this building made itself available,” he said. 

He says this location has enabled them to do a lot of good in the surrounding community, like volunteering at and donating money to the local elementary school as well as helping the homeless who’d been living at the property when it was blighted. 

One of those people, Hendricks Reyes, used to sleep in the parking lot. 

“I was able to go back to school, graduate college, all with the help of members in this church,” Reyes said. 

Residents welcome this kind of impact after working for years to get rid of the gambling that the building was known for. 

“We actually had someone come in a couple weeks ago and try to place a bet because they thought it was the old betting area. So it’s really to be able to bring a reputation to the space of positively impacting the community,” Vasquez said. 

The proposed Oxford Town Center development, including their gambling venue, is threatening to force the church to move again. 

“We would be homeless for a little bit,” Vasquez said. 

The owners have the option come March 1 to buy the church out of the remaining two years of their lease, which according to these development plans, seems likely. 

If that happens, the church would have 6 months to relocate, but J.J. says they’d love to stay and continue to grow. 

“We have a whole third floor we haven’t even renovated yet, that we would love to turn into an after school space for teenagers,” he said. 

He says he knows it’s unlikely they’ll get to stay, despite the work they’ve done here in the community in just a year. 

“Being here helps us make that impact, but if we’re no longer allowed to be here, then we’re ready to go wherever that is next,” Vasquez said. 

The current developers can't go ahead with the plans unless they decide to either ditch the poker room or get the 25,000 signatures from Seminole County residents needed to put it on the ballot.