Luxury apartments in Ocoee slated for occupancy in October

OCOEE — An apartment complex consisting of 242 units ranging from one to three bedrooms is on track to open for tenants Oct. 1, at the northeast corner of the intersection between Maguire Road and Tomyn Boulevard.

Marc Skorman, president of Skorman Construction, the general contractor for the site, said leasing would begin in July, with a clubhouse area and a decorated model ready by Sept. 1.

“We’ll have a building occupied every 30 days thereafter and have them all occupied by March or April,” Skorman said.

This development, Park Place at Maguire, was originally scheduled for first occupancy by Aug. 1, with completion expected by 2016. Skorman said that had changed when building permits and other approvals had taken longer than he had expected.

When complete, the site will feature a resort-style pool and two-and-one-half acres of commercial development in addition to its clubhouse and luxury units, which will range from $1,050 to $1,500 per month, Skorman said.

“We’re going to have resort-like amenities at our clubhouse and pool, very nice,” he said. “We’ll have the swimming pool area and hammock area and a play area. We’ll have a doggy park, and we’ll have a cookout building with a pavilion for entertaining.”

As for the commercial space, Skorman and his partners are still looking but have a lot of interest, he said.

“We’re trying to bring the right tenants to the property,” he said. “We’re taking our time. We haven’t signed anybody yet. We figured we’d get the apartments done first and then concentrate on the commercial. We have five or six tenants we’ve been talking with, but we can’t give out their names (yet).”

Skorman does advertise the location, though, with Florida’s Turnpike by the property to the north and east, Maguire Road to the west, Tomyn Boulevard to the south and Westbrooke Elementary about a quarter-mile east at the end of Tomyn Boulevard.

“We feel all that’s an asset because we’re in an upscale area,” Skorman said. “The housing developments are high quality. Having the school is an asset, and the turnpike, as well, getting people downtown, to the airport or wherever very quickly. We’ll have a 12-foot concrete wall to act as a noise buffer to the turnpike.”

But Ocoee resident Dave Fishpool saw it differently, citing noise, increased school traffic and crowding issues, potential declines in nearby home values and threats of more crime among reasons in a change.org petition urging the Ocoee City Commission not to approve this plan. Fishpool’s petition ultimately garnered 220 signatures, and commissioners initially denied the developer’s request in October 2012 because of public opposition.

Plans for this location included an office park in early 2012 until the lender repossessed it around that time. In April 2013, project officials helped to convince the commission it was the best use for the land and received a rezoning approval from commercial to planned-unit development, Skorman said.

Costs have risen since initial estimates for this project years ago, but those still should settle between $35 million and $40 million, Skorman said. The project began with a vacant lot, with buildings and paved roadway installed gradually, he said.

“Basically, you prepare the site, you clear the land and bring in the underground utilities and then bring in the first course of driveway material,” Skorman said. “We start our buildings and put in our first lift of asphalt, complete our buildings and put in the last lift of asphalt.”

The material is all upscale, and 50% of the units will overlook the pool area, he said.

The project planner and engineer is Miller Legg, Synovus Bank offered construction capital, and the designer is Fugleberg Koch Architects Inc.

Contact Zak Kerr at [email protected].