OVIEDO, Fla.,None — Oviedo may finally get its crown jewel. The Oviedo on the Park project has been in the works on Mitchell Hammock Road for years, but the death of its developer stopped it.
Now, a new group of developers plan to come in and start building. The area is slated to be commercial, with restaurants.
The vision for Oviedo on the Park is grand, and for the first time in years a coalition of national developers is saying just what the city wants to hear.
"How serious are you guys about moving forward here?" WFTV reporter George Spencer asked a developer.
"Oh we're very serious. We've been working on this project for close to two years," said Brian Ball, Sansone Group.
The $225 million project stagnated after the previous owner, developer Steve Walsh committed suicide.
"They are more organized. They are ready to move," said Brian Cobb, City of Oveido.
Oviedo's development director has spoken with many would-be developers as the city installed $9 million worth of streets and other infrastructure. None seemed as serious as this group.
"I call it cautious optimism," Cobb said.
The 86-acre site is planned as a new downtown for the city, with the mix of housing, office space and retail that Oviedo leaders wanted.
In terms of look and feel, the developer is envisioning something similar to parts of downtown Baldwin Park, with its outdoorsy feel and housing right above shops.
A lake will remain the centerpiece and the development would be built in phases.
Despite an economy that has kept many developers away, the group says this spot's proximity to UCF and big business like Siemens, and easy highway access, makes it valuable.
"A project like this takes years, not just months. So we're confident by the time we're ready to deliver the first phase, the economy will be much better," Ball said.
The group of developers will not yet publicly identify themselves and so far, say they can't speak about a specific time frame for building.
M&I Bank owns the future Oviedo on the Park property.
WFTV
