ORLANDO, Fla. — Plans are moving forward for a $1 billion project in Orlando’s Rosemont community.
Orlando city commissioners approved RoseArts last fall, and now the site developer says they’re designing phase one of the project.
The project will reshape the shores of Lake Orlando and the grounds of the abandoned Lake Orlando Golf Course. Plans include the building of 5,600 new apartments and up to 350,000 square feet of retail and commercial space.
Chris Miles has designed projects in Central Florida, like Universal’s City Walk, and projects all over the world, but it’s a project right in his backyard he’s worried about, because he doesn't think the plans fit within the Rosemont community.
“They are impacting the flood plain hugely, they are impacting sight lines, they are impacting vision through to the lake, they are impacting the landscape, and it is not acceptable,” he said.
Miles says Lake Orlando Parkway is already too busy.
“There’s quite a lot of traffic on this road now from the few houses, plus anybody that’s trying to come through from Pine Hills,” he said.
He says the existing roads can’t handle more traffic from thousands of new apartments.
“It would be gridlock,” said Miles.
But traffic just one of Rosemont residents’ concerns.
Resident and former Orlando City Commissioner Vicki Vargo says the lift station behind her home can barely handle the community’s sewage now.
“We call Mr. Dixon and we tell him, 'Leo, we can smell it out here,'” she said. “So, the odor control is shot — everything is going on this lift station. They know they have to rebuild it but nobody knows when.”
Like Miles, Vargo says she is also worried about flooding.
“Every time we have a hurricane this whole area – 110 acres – floods, significantly,” she said.
Vargo worries if the 128-acre development is built on the area’s flood-prone land, it could be her home that’s flooded in the next storm. And she says her backyard view — with many 100-year-old cypress trees — would be replaced with a view of concrete retention ponds.
“You can see the sunset going down, and it is a classic Central Florida sunset every single night,” she said.
Miles said he worries all of the issues would also decrease the value of his home, if RoseArts is built.
“Not that we’re completely against new projects — we’re not, but we want to see a new project, or developers bringing projects, that enhance the value of both the housing and the landscape,” he said.
Orlando city leaders say they still have to approve a final site plan for the project, and they’ll have to agree with the developer on a plan to include affordable apartment units.
Spectrum News 13 reached out to representatives for the developer, Westside Capital, who said they continue to hear from old and new residents of Rosemont who are excited for more housing and retail in their neighborhood.