The Miami-based developer, selected to redevelop the Griffin Park Housing Project in Paramore, approached the city of Orlando with a transformational, mixed-income community plan that built around four apartment towers adjacent to I-4, with about four apartment towers.
The concept plan for the real estate market group on approximately nine acres of 520 Callahan Dr. calls 1,000 apartments, of which 725 are affordable and incorporates grocery stores into the development. The tallest building in the eastern part of the land is the 18-storey tower with 275 market rate apartments for families. According to the site plan, the other three towers are each 10 stories tall, with a total of 565 affordable units and 160 affordable units for families.
The devised project will create milestones for the Orlando and Paramore districts, trading the stigma of aging public housing with the seduction of brand new market apartments that primarily serve struggling families in the area.
PMG Principal Dan Coakley has been chosen by the Orlando Housing Authority to redevelop the site, but said his company is working on the effort, although plans are still preliminary and could be changed.
“It is rare to have an opportunity to have affordable housing near employment centres. Usually you are looking at long drives in many ways, or the surrounding sites.
The tower may contain a mix of one, two-bedroom, and four-bedroom apartments. Each building has its own amenities, including a clubhouse, gym, lounge space and pool, but details of those have not yet been completed.
A 2023 report from apartment listings found that Florida has the highest percentage of tenants associated with costs in any state in the country. Approximately 60% of tenants in the Florida and Orlando areas were responsible for costs compared to the national average of 52%, due to the relatively modest average income of tenants in the state. In particular, the Orlando market had a higher percentage of renters struck by costs than markets such as San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.
The developers suggest that a 15,000-square-foot grocery store will be included on the first floor of the building. It also features 15,000 square feet of retail space and a pair of city-preserved original buildings with a 15,000 square feet of community center.
“These existing buildings are kept as historical markers for previous communities. Part of what we do at the community center is also the celebration of Griffin Park’s history as a public housing project and the surrounding Paramore community that truly focuses on the strong African-American history of this community,” explained Cokeley.
In 2023, the Orlando Housing Bureau selected the Real Estate Market Group to redevelop the elderly Griffin Park community that was demolished last September and has not been vacant since 2022. Before the community was demolished, OHA Director Vivienne Bryant called it “structurally outdated.”
Coakley said that once the new community takes its first affordable stage, former Griffin Park residents will be given “first right to return.” Developers are also taking steps to limit noise from I-4 and 408.
“I think we were planning this site off the highway, taking into account community feedback and trying to provide as much space as possible,” Cokeley said. “We certainly program sites with vegetation and other measures to reduce noise even further and make sure it’s a great community.”
John Crossman, a local real estate expert at CrossMarc Services, who also serves the OHA Commissioner Committee, said he was excited to see Parramore grow and develop. Another project, the $500 million Westcourt Sports and Entertainment District, is across from the KIA Center and is also contributing to the growth of the neighborhood.
“In my life, I have seen a lot of great things happening at Paramore, thanks to so many outstanding leadership,” he said, celebrating the redevelopment of Griffin Park. “The community needs more affordable housing, which is a great place.”
Any tips on developing Central Florida? Please contact us at (407)607-8160 or tywilliams@growthspotter.com. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.
