MINNEOLA, Fla. — Brand new renderings show what a proposed Walmart and Sam’s Club could look like in Minneola — featuring an upscale design with more green space and walkable areas. But for residents living right across the street from the proposed development, the new look doesn’t change their disappointment.
This is a follow-up to our reporting back in September. At that time, residents were told to expect a walkable town center with small, local businesses. Instead, the 74-acre Minneola Marketplace project was redesigned to include a Walmart Supercenter and Sam’s Club after developers said the original plan wasn’t financially viable.
Madeline Dodier moved to the neighborhood five years ago, hoping to see the area grow in a way that brought the community together.
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“It’s a problem to me, because it’s just not what we signed up for... now that that’s kind of blown up in our face, we’re just a little disappointed,” Dodier told Channel 9.
Nearly 3,000 people have signed a petition opposing big box stores, citing concerns about traffic, the loss of small-business opportunities, and what they describe as a “bait and switch” in the project’s planning.
In a statement provided exclusively to WFTV, Walmart says:
*“We care deeply about being a good neighbor in Minneola and value the feedback we’ve received from residents. We’ve taken that feedback seriously and are continuing to work with city staff and community members to ensure the proposed plans reflect the input and priorities shared throughout this process.“*
City officials say they are working to reflect community input as the plans move forward. However, they note it could still be months before a final vote is taken on the revised proposal.
The proposed development would be located at 1681 North Hancock Road, just off Turnpike 91.
This is a developing story. We will let you know what happens next.
Link to petition
https://www.change.org/p/minneola-says-no-to-big-box-stores
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