This past Saturday, my wife and I were driving through town to go to KeKe's for breakfast when we passed by the proposed Apopka City Center, and, to my surprise, we didn't see anything different than we'd always seen. The only thing different was the sign of coming soon businesses were gone and the barrier.
I was completely shocked because I thought the last thing I saw regarding the city center was Miller's Ale House had a sign, and prior to that was the State of the City address that they would be breaking ground soon.
So, of course, when I sat down at the restaurant, I googled the Apopka City Center and came across an article by The Apopka Voice in May, addressing what I was becoming even more frustrated about.
This December will mark our 10th anniversary as Apopkans by way of Newark, Delaware. We love the town, the people, and how it's within reach of every major area via I-4 or the 429. When we decided on Apopka, coming from Delaware and living within a 5-mile radius of a mall and multiple retail and restaurants, we first noticed the lack of what we were accustomed to.
We didn't expect a mall, but when we searched the surrounding area, we noticed Winter Gardens Plant Street; we noticed Mount Dora, Winter Park, Orlando, and Oviedo had similar walkable areas with retail and restaurants in one location. But we saw hope on the City of Apopka's website about the new town center under former Mayor John Land.
'Great, I said; 'they don't have one now, but one is coming soon,' according to the website.
Mayor Land lost the election to the new Mayor, Joe Kilsheimer, and the plan of what was on the website was put on hold. 'How long does this take?' I asked someone who had lived here way longer than me, and I was told things in Apopka move at a snail's pace, and the snail may be faster than Apopka.
So under new mayor Kilsheimer, we had the town halls to get the people's input. I didn't think that was necessary based on the comments you saw on the original Apopka Rants & Raves pages managed by Annie Cunningham. We already knew what the people wanted. Little did I know this had been something the people of Apopka already had been waiting for. The town halls were done, and the consensus was what I expected and what we already knew. The people wanted a walkable downtown, unlike Orlando, Mount Dora, Plant Street, or Winter Park but one that reflected Apopka.
At this point, I thought, finally, here we go. Let's break ground. But nothing happened. The city sold the land to Taurus, who had ten years to build something.
Are you kidding me?
At this point, my wife and I had started doing date night every Friday, and we discovered Plant Street, Mount Dora, Winter Park, Downtown Orlando, and even Clermont. It wasn't just about a place to eat because we have the Backroom Steakhouse, which, in my opinion, makes the best steaks in Central Florida. It's not just about eating, leaving, getting in the car, and going home. At those other places with walkable downtown areas, we ate, enjoyed the ambiance, and got up and walked around; if they had musical entertainment, we listened, and if there was an ice crèam or sweets spot, we had dessert, and we sat some more and enjoyed each other's company and met new people in the process.
This is what I want in Apopka!
Finally, the next news about the city center was we were building a hotel. I didn't understand or agree with the rationale behind it. In my opinion, I felt a movie theater would be better, and you surround it with restaurants and retail to where you will always have some type of foot traffic to that area as they do in Altamonte Springs.
Mayor Joe loses the next election and enters the new Mayor, Bryan Nelson. There was talk about the new City Center, Station Street, the Floridian Town Center by the Apopka Airport, and Kelly Park Crossing. Surely, one out of four has a chance to start and deliver.
I want to hope; I want to believe. I was optimistic about each possible project finally delivering for Apopka. But alas, it has not panned out. Is it possible to bat a negative in baseball?
Sound familiar?
What's so frustrating as a 10-year citizen of Apopka is we keep cutting off our noses to spite our faces, and we keep waking up, and it's still groundhog day. I go back to the day when Apopka could have made a statement to commercial businesses everywhere that Apopka was ready for growth and ready to turn the page on the past by slowing down the fast food restaurants over saturating our city. Because of politics, it failed, and like everything else it was forgotten.
See Station Street, South Apopka, and the Welcome to Apopka sign.
As you can tell, I am frustrated, and I noticed nothing happening at the City Center after all these years, promises, and expectations that have me in a state of 'enough is enough'.
I may lose friends or have people angry with me, but in any decision concerning Apopka, we and those in city hall should put any personal animosity aside and put the city's needs first.
If I were the Mayor of Apopka, I would bother, hound, and bug Taurus every day until construction equipment is moving dirt. If I were mayor, left-hand turns and balconies would be the least of my worries. If I were mayor, my concern would be cleaning up the corridor from Domino's Pizza to Burger King and reaching out to those businesses to see how we can partner with them to make the area look better and stand firm when it comes to code enforcement when they are not.
If I were mayor, I would talk to Ed Conlan about moving the Backroom Steakhouse to the City Center to be one of the anchor spots. If I were mayor, I would make sure there is a stage where I could have local or outside bands play for anyone who wants to walk around and enjoy the ambiance of Apopka.
As you can tell, I spend money in Apopka, but I spend a lot more outside of Apopka because I am looking for more to do in one location, and I would rather spend more in Apopka first than anywhere else.
Within the ten years, my wife and I have had date nights over in Maitland, Clermont, and Ocoee and have completed or are redoing their downtown areas to attract new businesses to their city. The walkable downtown formula works, and the proof of it surrounds Apopka as evidence.
If we don't put the desires of the people and the town first, it will be another ten years of the proposed city center, and for some people, it has already been another ten years and for some longer than that.
Yes, I am frustrated, but it shouldn't have taken me to write a letter to express that or show up at city hall to express that. It's not a secret like the next Disney ride or land. All you have to do is drive up and down OBT to find out what we are doing for an upgrade.
We bought our home ten years ago and have repainted the entire exterior once, a few times for maintenance for the original color. We repainted the interior three times and have made multiple repairs and maintenance upkeep. This is a requirement if you want to maintain or increase the value of your home. This should also apply to the city of Apopka. We, the people, are still waiting for something that was promised well over ten years ago because of the lack of maintenance and neglect.
I think I'm done ranting, and it's out of my system for now until I see some update and date of completion.
Steve Coleman is a 10-year resident of Apopka and has worked at Walt Disney for nine and half years as a Telecom Mobility associate. Steve has been married to Yvette Coleman for 27 years, where they share four children. Steven, ElyJah, Elysha and Sarai. Steven also has an online ministry FaithWorks Church which ministers the gospel of Jesus Christ online and feeds the homeless in Apopka and the Orlando area. Steven is also known as Sunset Steve or the Sunset King for his love of shooting sunsets at Magnolia Park, Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, and various locations around Central Florida. His work can be seen on IG and Facebook at Sunsetsbystevenj.
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MamaMia
Nice letter you wrote Steve. I have read some of your postings from time to time. I will only say one thing, and that is you post about the train never pulled into Station Street because of politics.....if you mean that literally, then yes, blame old Republican US Congressman, John Mica, who came here to Apopka, and put the brakes down on a train service for fun coming through here and heading to Orlando squashing peoples' hopes and plans.........
Thursday, June 22, 2023 Report this
Richard
The mayor has failed. He will not hire an Economic Development Director who has proven success in other cities with such projects. He wants to wear all the hats, from Fire Chief to Recreation Director. He does not know how to let people do their jobs. We have incompetence with many staff members. From the Community Development Department to a blindsided fire rescue chief. After last nights city council meeting, and the mayor caught lying again, I’ve lost faith in our city government. But as they say, the majority of the voters wanted this guy. So live with it.
Thursday, June 22, 2023 Report this
MelissaW
Mr. Coleman hit the nail on the head. It is downright pathetic that we keep building homes, but not the infrastructure, and certainly not the shopping/playing/living/working centers we were pitched!
Thursday, June 22, 2023 Report this
MelissaW
Mr. Coleman hit the nail on the head. It is downright pathetic that we keep building homes, but not the infrastructure, and certainly not the shopping/playing/living/working centers we were pitched!
Thursday, June 22, 2023 Report this
MattD2023
My family and I are 10 year residents as well and feel the same about the lack of progress. It’s always a lot of talk with little to show for it.
The problem as I see it is that this goes for residents as well. Lots of people complain about the lack of progress but when it came to the mayoral election less than half of the residents showed up to vote. If people want change why not take the time to show up and vote out the guy who hasn’t made progress? I can’t imagine that the number of people who are just dieing to keep the “small town feel” of 50 dollar stores, 20 auto parts stores, and a handful of scattered options for dining and entertainment out number the rest of us. The next time someone complains about our only hope for something similar to what Winter Garden has being empty promises, piles of dirt, and a Winn Dixie, ask them if they bother to vote.
Thursday, June 22, 2023 Report this
MamaMia
MattD2023, 50 dollar stores, 20 auto part stores??? Make me a list of those that are in the city, that you write about on here, please. The people that are the biggest complainers are the ones who do vote, is what I have noticed. The rest just go on with their merry lives, and could care less about the politics of who's who running the city. They are the happy- go- lucky folks, leave 'em alone. I know misery loves company, but leave those blissfully happy non-voters alone. LOL
Thursday, June 22, 2023 Report this
whackamole
No one wants to be the mayor and deal with this council, apopka mole, apopka critic, betterapopka, nesta they are all bullies. Thank god becker is not running again. If he is gonna run for mayor …good luck they will all turn on you.
Thursday, June 22, 2023 Report this
maylinna
You can’t no matter how hard you try WHACKAMOLE! Ha ha ha ha
Thursday, June 22, 2023 Report this