PINE HILLS, Fla. — Orange County unveiled new renderings on Wednesday showing what Pine Hills could look like in the coming years. The images focus on the corridor at Pine Hills Road and Silver Star Road, an area officials call the heart of the community.
The renderings show wider sidewalks, new storefronts, and a more walkable, downtown feel. But officials stress nothing is final. They want to hear from residents and business owners before any plans move forward.
“This is our well-planned project,” said Tamara Johnson, Executive Director for the Pine Hills Neighborhood Improvement District. “It’s an opportunity to inspire the community residents, citizens, and business owners to come out and give their input to see the possibilities.”
Carmen Hamer, who recently opened the Mott Learning Center in Pine Hills, attended Wednesday’s event. She said seeing the vision for the area gives her hope as a new business owner.
“I think this is fantastic,” Hamer said. “It’s given me an opportunity as a new business in the community to learn more about what’s going on.”
Officials say the new Lynx depot, which opened last year near Pine Hills and Silver Star, is already bringing thousands of riders through the neighborhood. They hope that increased foot traffic will help local businesses thrive.
Johnson addressed concerns that new development could push out existing shops.
“We don’t want to do anything that takes over someone’s business,” she said. “We want to bring them to the table, because we don’t want anyone to feel like we’re pushing out businesses, because that’s never the case.”
Residents can still share their ideas. Orange County is hosting a second community session tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Pine Hills Community Center, Building B, located at 6408 Jennings Road in Orlando.
At the event, attendees can view the renderings, ask questions, and use index cards and color-coded push pins to share what they want to see in Pine Hills.
The Pine Hills Neighborhood Improvement District says its mission is to strengthen the community through partnerships, improve infrastructure, and support local business growth while preserving the area’s rich history as a family-oriented, multicultural neighborhood.
For more information on the Pine Hills visioning project, visit the Orange County website.
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