ORLANDO, Fla. — For years, the West Colonial Drive corridor has seen businesses leave the area, one after the other.

As a result, the city of Orlando’s planning department is stepping in to identify development opportunities that go hand in hand with what adjacent neighborhoods want to see through a study it recently launched.

City officials believe the area to be a “prime target for redevelopment in coming years” and want to ensure that it’s “compatible” with neighboring areas such as Rock Lake and College Park.

As part of the study, city leaders hosted three public meetings, inviting business owners and commercial property owners to chime in on the type of development they want to see.

Andre Combs is one of many business owners jumping at the opportunity to grow his business near the corridor, despite nearby vacancies. (Spectrum News/Sasha Teman)

One of those business owners, chef Andre Combs, will open Blu Magic Seafood & Oyster Bar on the corner of North Westmoreland and West Colonial Drive in just a few weeks.

“We target this area because of the redevelopment. A lot is going on in this area, the Parramore area and everything, so I feel very comfortable, especially when I found out it was a food desert,” said Combs.

Despite nearby vacant lots and buildings, he says the area has lots of great potential.

Sharing that sentiment is managing partner for the One Stop Housing organization, Mark Vengroff, who provides workforce housing to working-class families.

“It is ideal for workforce, the essential workforce that can not only support the downtown businesses, but ... help to grow that corridor,” said Vengroff. “It’s a prime spot for investment.”

Vengroff says he’s invested in two affordable housing properties on West Colonial that will accommodate up to 300 families.

But for anyone walking along the 1.4 mile corridor can agree that finding a place to grab a quick bite, or let alone sit and relax, is hard to find because of the vacancies and traffic on the busy street.

President of the Lake Dot Village Association and Housing Operations Manager for the Homeless Services Network, Anna Ashie, shared feedback on behalf of her neighbors.

She says some of her neighbors have had a number of break-ins, vandalism and trespassing that she blames on all the vacancies on West Colonial.

“There’s a real need for senior housing and we do feel that senior housing would actually stabilize the area and also help reduce crime,” suggested Ashie during the meeting.

Ashie also expressed an interest in finding out what the city has planned in terms of parking, given that it is sparse.

Other participants expressed concerns over the corridor’s land usage, stating that the land use would require more “flexibility from a commercial or residential perspective.”

Some also looked down on the idea of including more office spaces given that it doesn’t make it more appealing for the community, and instead “keeps the area quiet after 5 p.m.,” which some worry will only contribute to safety problems.

Public policy planner for the engineering consulting firm, Kimley-Horn, Katy Magruder told participants that they “won’t have an impact on what type of retail establishment will locate there,” besides just giving the green light for retail-type businesses in the area.

However, she recognized that there is what she referred to as a “push and pull of what type of retail the folks in College Park are looking for versus the type of retail that a lot of the communities that have been here a long time have been looking for.”

The challenge is figuring out how to bring back that desirable aspect to the neighborhood.

According to the city officials, the study of the West Colonial Drive area will be turned into a written document to guide future decision making and include potential updates to both the city’s Land Development Code and Growth Management Plan.