Development Update

September 24, 2015
 
Dear Residents:
 
There are some questions regarding the future development plans from people living in and around Lake Nona.  As President of the company, I wanted to personally update you.
 
First, I want you to know that we have shared interests. We care passionately about this place and we have an aligned long-term interest to protect everyone’s property values. Safety and security are paramount to great places. Infrastructure and traffic are a top priority and consideration and we have spent millions to ensure that infrastructure has been built in advance of demand. We know that you chose to live here because you wanted a high quality place that you would be proud to call home.
 
We have a wonderful responsibility and a long-term commitment to create a place that is sustainable and vibrant.
 
So, what does that mean?
 
Lake Nona is a growing community – one of the fastest in the country. We have many opportunities across our 8,000+ acres, or 11 square miles.  As we continue to grow, we plan to do so responsibly. That means thoughtfully developing various corridors to accommodate what’s most appropriate for the vast array of residents, employees, businesses, students and visitors in our community and the region.
 
One area of growth is along Narcoossee Road, which has become one of the fastest growing transportation corridors in Central Florida since we expanded it from two to six lanes a few years ago. Earlier this year, the Lake Nona Gateway office building opened its doors bringing a wide array of necessary medical services to the community. We’ve also seen the addition of several restaurants and shops, from Lake Nona Village to our soon-to-open Vickrey Place – home to Lake Nona’s first Starbucks, opening this fall. With many of these tenants, our relationship has spanned many years and we are fortunate that the time is now right for them to move forward.
 
We are also excited to announce plans around our next retail district, known as Lake Nona Landing. The 50-acre area along Narcoossee Road just south of the SR 417 will include a diverse range of dining and shopping establishments.  We anticipate food and fashion merchandisers, pharmacies, a home improvements store, sporting goods, a pet store and other categories as a part of this vibrant center.  The retailers within Lake Nona Landing will be built with the same high quality aesthetic standards, modern architectural design, upgraded landscaping and thoughtfully planned infrastructure that are unique to Lake Nona. We plan to announce our anchor tenants very soon.
 
About three miles from Lake Nona Landing and into our growing community of Laureate Park, we are working to advance the Laureate Park Village Center, which will be anchored by a new restaurant concept in partnership with Concentrics Restaurants, the same team that opened Prato and Luma in Winter Park. Lake Nona’s first lakefront restaurant expects to open in January, and will also include a market, café and new home for our Information Center. A fitness center and some event space will also be a part of this Village Center development phase, although the fitness center may open a bit earlier if we can work out a few logistics on access.
 
Just down the road and into Lake Nona Medical City, the initial phase of our Lake Nona Town Center is shaping up to open soon. Our company’s office will be located here, along with some of the administrative offices of Nemours Children’s Hospital. Just this week, we finalized an agreement with a well-known, international company named Regus to join us in the Town Center with their high quality executive office offerings, which will be a nice addition to the community for those looking for smaller, flexible workplaces. We also have a few pending restaurant contracts that we hope to announce by year end that will open sometime next year depending on when they start construction.
 
Lake Nona’s first two hotels will also open next month, offering a nearby location for visiting guests. I’m excited for you all to see how our team has designed this new Marriott Residence Inn and Marriott Courtyard in our “Lake Nona style”.  You may have noticed a few eye-catching structures in the Town Center, which we believe will gain significant attention for its artful design and noted designers – more details to come soon.
 
Last but not least, we anticipate another great Run Nona event this year on November 21st.  This year we will expand the course to offer a 15k and 20k challenge.  I hope you are all training and planning to participate as this event continues to expand and be more exciting – even if you are not running, it will be a festive, family-oriented atmosphere. 

The Lake Nona that we love and share is an exciting place.  These are just a few of the development highlights taking place today. There are several more in the works. We will continue to work tirelessly and respectfully to bring a wide range of options to Lake Nona, both well-known national and local brands – many of which you have asked us for through your participation in our annual resident survey or through comments shared across our social media pages.
 
We appreciate your shared concern for our collective community. As pioneers of Lake Nona with many of you, we know you will continue to grow with us.
 
Please feel free to reach out with ideas and opportunities. We read every email at [email protected], and every comment and post across our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.
 
Sincerely yours,

Jim

James L. Zboril
President | Tavistock Development