“As grandmas, we knew grandmothers would do anything for their grandchildren and we were right. So many grew up with Lake Eola and still visit it today so there is a huge support for preserving the park which truly is the heart of our wonderful city.”
– EUGENIA SEFCIK
The Orlando Land Trust (Website), in partnership with the City of Orlando’s Community Redevelopment Agency, will host a press conference at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, March 23 to announce that it has successfully raised enough money to purchase property adjacent to Lake Eola Park, to be used as future park and open green space.
The Orlando Land Trust is a non-profit that was founded by two Orlando residents, Lynn Long and Eugenia Sefcik, powered by local philanthropist Ted Haddock, nearly two years ago to purchase property on the corner of Central Boulevard and Rosalind Avenue, to prevent it from further development.
The campaign has successfully raised $3.25 million to purchase the property and has donated it to the City of Orlando’s Community Redevelopment Agency, with the requirement that it be used solely as park and open green space, in perpetuity.
The buildings on the property currently house a locksmith, a barbershop, and a 7-Eleven. Their current leasing information was not available at the time of this post and a timeline on when the buildings will be demolished to construct the new park space is not public at this time.
The 7-11 purchase of 3,5 is the piece of property that takes away the ability for the Chicago developer to ever build a 40 story hi rise the Masonic building and the historic Lube home will be not be a value to ever build It will be a Gateway to Lake Eola when completed This is the 2nd time a developer has tried to develop hi rise mixed use back in 2015. THE MURRELL FAMILY 7-11 recognized the need to Preserve and Protect, we thank his family.
Sam’s old law office. he would be proud
Insane! 3.25 million for adding that small patch of land from which, with the big office bldg on one side and the woman’s club on the other side, you cannot even see the park? What am I missing here? That money could have been used for so much better, like a water splash fountain for kids to play in, better maintenance on the lake walls, better cleaning of walkways, better patrolling, more blooming plants, and 3.25 million other ideas.
Why does this 7-11 bother them so much? It seems like a nice fit for the neighborhood’s growing population, esp with the library right across the street. Oh well, at least the homeless will have more space to nap…