New church, private school planned for Horizon West

Orange County’s Planning Division hosted a community meeting Thursday, Nov. 16, to make residents aware of an applicant’s proposal to construct a two-story, 60,400-square-foot church/private school with associated infrastructure in Horizon West.

Applicant John M. Calvert, First Baptist Church Orlando Campus Inc., plans to construct the development on 12.77 acres located north of Schofield Road and west of State Road 429.

The property’s Land Use is Horizon West — Village, and the project is located in an area of the Silverleaf Planned Development that allows for churches, private schools and other commercial uses.

The building will include a multipurpose room that will serve the school as a gymnasium, as well as a sanctuary that can seat about 800 people. This phase of the school is designed for about 250 children. Other amenities planned include a soccer field and playground.

The project currently is in review by the Technical Review Group and will next head to the Development Review Committee at a date not yet determined.

“We have been a campus of First Baptist Orlando for just over five years, and for the last two plus years, we’ve had the chance to meet right here in Horizon West,” Chris Ogden, Horizon West campus pastor at First Baptist Orlando, said. “We found that when we came there wasn’t a ton of infrastructure yet, so it took us a little while to make our way in. But for just over two years we’ve met at Horizon High School. With a growing number of people in the community coming out — a lot of young families, but really good people across the spectrum — we pretty much from day one decided that we were going to be a church that was going to be for our community. … Not just that we’re a place (where) people can come on a Sunday to have a church service, but really an organization that meets the needs in the community. … We just want to be a place where people can find hope.”