ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – After years of debate, the Orange County School Board on Tuesday is set to give the final signoff on the sale of the historic Hungerford property.
The 117-acre former school site sits on prime real estate near I-4.
In September, the Orange County School Board entered into an agreement to sell the historic Hungerford site to Dr. Phillips Charities, with some provisions.
John Palmerini, general counsel for Orange County Public Schools, explained it during a workshop earlier this month.
“It is a $14 million (deal), and you will see that there are certain amounts being forgiven for certain projects that are being contemplated in this agreement,” he said.
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Dr. Phillips Charities would have to put $1 million up front and would be contractually obligated to create a community green space and pavilion, an early learning center, a community hub and health care facility and a history museum.
According to Palmerini, following completion, the greenspace and the pavilion will be donated to the Town of Eatonville. The investments can be recouped over time.
“Let’s say Dr. Phillips purchases the land and does absolutely nothing, and they do absolutely nothing for the 10-year compliance period; they would then owe us $13 million for the remainder of the purchase contract,” Palmerini added.
The agreement, though, has drawn criticism from the Eatonville town council.
The agreement was approved after the Eatonville town council voted 4-1 to recommend that Orange County Public Schools reject it. Council members argued that they, not the charity, should decide the land’s future.
The council says it felt blindsided and wanted to delay the vote by 90 days, so it can come up with its own plan on how to use the land.
Dr. Phillips Charities explained that it plans to make the redevelopment a transparent process by creating an advisory committee dedicated to it.