Apopka extends Golden Gem project deadline again as costs rise and scrutiny intensifies

In Summary:

The Apopka City Commission unanimously approved a seventh amendment extending the Golden Gem Road reclaimed water project deadline to March 31, 2027. The discussion revealed growing concern over repeated delays, rising project costs, unresolved engineering questions following a 2024 pond failure, and pressure from the St. Johns River Water Management District to show measurable progress.

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More than 15 years after the land was first conveyed to the City of Apopka for a reclaimed water storage and aquifer recharge project, city leaders are once again extending the deadline — while acknowledging mounting costs, engineering concerns, and growing pressure to finally move the long-delayed project toward construction.

Related: City hit with three violations by FDEP for Golden Gem in 2025.

On Wednesday night, the Apopka City Commission unanimously approved a seventh amendment to the memorandum of agreement between the City of Apopka and the St. Johns River Water Management District for the Golden Gem Road property.

The amendment extends the latest project deadline from May 29, 2026, to March 31, 2027.

The agreement dates back to May 2009, when the water management district conveyed a 102.75-acre property known as the Golden Gem Road site to the city. In exchange, the city agreed to design, permit, and construct a reclaimed water storage and aquifer recharge enhancement project on the property within five years.

Instead, the project has now gone through seven amendments and multiple deadline extensions spanning more than a decade.

According to the city’s staff report, previous extensions pushed the completion date from 2014 to 2019, then to 2022, 2023, 2025, September 2025, May 2026, and now March 2027.

Public Works Director Vladimir Simonovski told commissioners the city has spent the past several months working through technical evaluations, permit modifications, and redesign efforts following a January 2024 failure event at the site.

“The city has encountered several challenges that have delayed the completion and operational implementation of the project,” Simonovski said during the meeting.

He said multiple studies and feasibility reports are nearing completion and are expected to guide the next phase of work. According to the city, conceptual design work for the west pond is scheduled for completion this week, with final construction plans anticipated by Aug. 28. Construction on a new pump station is expected to begin Sept. 1, while reconstruction of the west pond is projected to finish by February 2027.

The seventh amendment also establishes updated reporting requirements and milestone tracking between the city and the water management district. Those include monthly status meetings through March 2027, permit updates, water balance analyses, construction progress reports, and mandatory explanations for delays.

The agreement carries significant financial consequences if the project ultimately fails.

Under the amended terms, if the city does not complete the project, the district could either require the city to transfer ownership of the property back to the district or reimburse approximately $4.49 million plus 5% annual interest.

Commissioners repeatedly pressed staff on whether the latest timeline would finally hold.

Commissioner Nadia Anderson noted that the project has remained unresolved throughout her time on the commission.

“It’s almost like everything always starts with, ‘We’re going to do this,’ and then just no completion of really much of anything,” Anderson said.

Simonovski responded that many of the required reports and analyses are now “technically completed” or nearing final completion, including hydrologic evaluations, liner material analysis, and reclaimed water operating models.

“We feel strongly that this time we’re going to be on time,” he said.

Questions about cost also surfaced during the discussion.

Simonovski estimated the city has already spent close to $1 million on studies, redesign efforts, and ongoing evaluations. He said replacing the pond liners alone could cost between $2.5 million and $3 million, while construction of the new pump station is estimated at approximately $12.5 million.

Commissioner Yesenia Baron asked whether funding had already been incorporated into the city’s budget.

Simonovski said the city currently has $2 million budgeted for liner replacement work and another $12.5 million allocated through the capital improvement program and impact fees.

The meeting also included sharp criticism from residents and project observers who argued that underlying engineering and geotechnical concerns remain unresolved.

Resident Albert McKimmie blamed what he described as negligence and inadequate drainage design for the 2024 pond collapse. He argued the city should have installed interceptor drainage trenches long before the failure occurred and warned that saturated soils beneath the liner system may still pose risks.

“There’s no doubt in my mind, I’m 100% certain that it was negligence and incompetence that contributed to the collapse,” McKimmie said during public comment.

Despite the concerns, Mayor Nick Nesta defended moving the project forward, emphasizing its regional importance and the need to demonstrate measurable progress to the water management district.

“I know it’s been a little frustrating,” Nesta said. “This specific project is part of a much larger regional project. It doesn’t just impact residents of the City of Apopka. It impacts many other local municipalities as well.”

Nesta also pledged to publicly release the latest conceptual designs and project materials “in its raw form” once they are received.

“We’ve got to start seeing progress on this,” Nesta said. “Not just progress talking, but actually getting it done.”

The commission ultimately approved the seventh amendment unanimously.