Official Press Release from the City of Sanford.
SANFORD, FL – The Sanford Waterfront Partners provided a work-in-progress presentation of the preliminary Master Plan for the Downtown / Waterfront Catalyst Site before the City of Sanford City Commission and general public at the June 13th Regular Commission Meeting. The Commission Chamber was filled to capacity with interested and enthusiastic Sanford residents who came to hear and see the design concepts being proposed by the development team.
The presentation was led by Victor Dover, co-founding Principal of Dover, Kohl & Partners Town Planners and started with a magnificent aerial view of the catalyst site from Lake Monroe coupled with background history of the growth and changes to downtown Sanford from 1887 to present day. Historic photos of 1st Street, Park Avenue and Sanford Avenue was a nice stroll down memory lane.
The Sanford Waterfront Partners’ Master Plan for the Catalyst Site proposes a connected sequence of urban spaces progressing from the waterfront at Seminole Boulevard to First Street consisting of a mixed-use hub of commercial and residential buildings that range in height from 2ndstories to 5 stories and include rooftop terraces that take advantage of the lake view. The group’s presentation also included public spaces designed for informal gatherings, sidewalk and terrace dining and an interconnected series of outdoor plazas and paseos. They also demonstrated how they intend to deliver on the walkability features that residents have asked for by providing a pedestrian-friendly streetscape that makes walking downtown easy, safe and convenient, and brings vitality back to the city streets.
The project will contain approximately 234 studio, one, two and two bedroom + den apartments including loft-style apartments and townhomes. The design concepts presented demonstrates that this group really listened to the “big ideas” that the residents expressed at the April 9th community design workshop.
“It can’t just be one experience. Each component or blocks of the site should take on a different characteristic”, says Victor Dover. The proposed designs have incorporated mixed-used buildings with retail and dining on the ground floors and market-rate residential units on the upper floors. It was suggested that the glass storefront designs would provide lots of transparency and light for the retail blocks which makes it inviting to the public.
Some of the streets would be designed so that they can be closed on occasion for special community events similar to “Giralda Under the Stars” event in Coral Gables, FL, where a city block is closed to vehicular traffic and visitors are able to stroll down “Restaurant Row” filled with tables and chairs to enjoy live music, art, fine dining under the stars.
Richard Heisenbottle encouraged the audience and general public to meet with the group following the meeting to voice their comments and provide suggestions about what was presented. Sanford Waterfront Partners will continue to take public comments in writing over the next few days in an effort to ensure that everyone is heard.
About Sanford Waterfront Partners
www.facebook.com/SanfordWaterfrontPartners
About Torre Companies
https://www.facebook.com/Torrecompanies
https://twitter.com/torrecompanies
About R.J. Heisenbottle Architects
www.facebook.com/RJHeisenbottleArchitects
https://twitter.com/HeisenbottleArc
About Dover Kohl & Partners
https://www.facebook.com/DoverKohl
About City of Sanford
MEDIA CONTACTS:
For Sanford Waterfront Partners, Torre Companies and R.J. Heisenbottle Architects
Kathia Dash | 305-446-7799 Ext 22 | rjha@rjha.net
For the City of Sanford:
Lisa Holder, Communications Officer
407-688-5019 | Lisa.Holder@sanfordfl.gov.
I’m curious how will this affect the small businesses in the area? More specifically the Black business owners? And will these arrangements be affordable for everyone or just select people that will move in from out of town? Gentrification and fair play is what i’m concerned about? And will there be more plans to historic goldsboro after the police/firestation was built on 13th. What opportunities will be available for black people so that we can get the information to the public
I hope this project will not be like Orlandos Navy base,turned over to the city and they in turn gave it to the builders to build out of reach homes in the community. Very high end homes. And this property did belong to the tax payers.