Orlando planning board OKs 1st phase of RoseArts District development

$1B project would change landscape around Rosemont community

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Municipal Planning Board on Tuesday approved plans for a billion-dollar development proposed for the Rosemont community, with changes.

The RoseArts District has faced backlash from residents who have raised concerns about how the plan could change the landscape around the Rosemont area.

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Tuesday’s discussion centered around phase one of the development, which would include up to 1,600 units in four apartment buildings, some green space, and about 150,000 square feet of retail shops.

The plan being recommended to the city council includes a some modifications, a city spokesperson said. They include updates to stormwater landscaping and wastewater policies, and connecting pedestrian and bike paths with a transit superstation.

“We are pleased with the decision of the (Municipal Planning Board) today. Since the approval of RoseArts last year, we have continued to work towards breaking ground on the project. This hearing today is one of many steps in that process. We remain committed to bringing much-needed housing and retail to the community,” Dana Loncar, a spokesperson for the RoseArts District, said in a statement.

A spokesperson for the developer previously released a statement to News 6 saying:

“We look forward to completing the process with the City and delivering this exciting mixed-use development, which includes much-needed housing for Central Florida.”

After Tuesday’s review of the plan, there will be an appeals process and then the plan will go before the city council for final approval.

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About the Author:

Mark Lehman became a News 6 reporter in July 2014, but he's been a Central Florida journalist and part of the News 6 team for much longer. While most people are fast asleep in their bed, Mark starts his day overnight by searching for news on the streets of Central Florida.

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