From Staff Reports
In Summary:
The Apopka City Commission unanimously approved a notice of default against Standard Investments and Holdings, LLC, the developer selected to build the Station Street redevelopment project. City officials said the developer failed to submit required designs for a public plaza and trail extension by a July 2024 deadline and has made little progress despite environmental issues on the property being resolved. The developer now has 30 days to cure the default before commissioners consider whether to terminate the agreement and potentially seek new redevelopment proposals.
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The Apopka City Commission unanimously approved a notice of default Wednesday for the long-delayed Station Street redevelopment project, signaling growing frustration with a development agreement that city officials say has produced little progress nearly two years after key deadlines passed.
Related: Station Street default notice could become latest chapter in Apopka’s long-running downtown redevelopment saga.
The action gives developer Tony Benge and his Standard Investments and Holdings, LLC, 30 days to cure the default or face possible termination of its development agreement with the City of Apopka and the Apopka Community Redevelopment Agency.
The Station Street project has long been viewed as a cornerstone of downtown revitalization efforts. Under a development agreement approved in March 2024, Standard Investments was authorized to build up to 60 affordable multifamily housing units on the property in exchange for designing and constructing a city-owned public plaza and a portion of the Downtown Apopka Trail extension.
According to city staff, the agreement required the developer to submit completed design specifications for the public plaza and trail improvements by July 15, 2024. Those plans were never delivered.
"To date, nearly two years later, the city has received no submittals from the developer," City Administrator Radley Williams told commissioners.
Williams said staff had worked with the developer throughout the process and acknowledged that environmental concerns associated with the property's Brownfield status created delays. Additional testing and environmental studies were required before development could proceed.
Those studies have since been completed, city officials said.
"The last meeting, it was indicated they would reach out to staff to begin talking about the specifics of the public plaza," Williams said. "The time passed, and they didn't reach out. More time passed, and we're kind of here where we are now."
Commissioner Yesenia Baron, who made the motion to approve the notice of default, questioned whether the City had provided any funding to the developer and whether any explanation had been offered for the lack of progress.
Williams confirmed that no city funds had been provided under the agreement and that the arrangement primarily involved City-owned property and development obligations.
Vice Mayor Diane Velázquez said the project's delays have become a significant obstacle to broader downtown redevelopment efforts.
"I have been following up with this project for probably about two years," Velazquez said. "They have not in good faith started this project, and they've been the biggest delay of why our city center, our downtown center, has not come to any fruition."
Commissioner Nadia Anderson noted that commissioners had received correspondence from the developer requesting a postponement due to medical issues, but the commission ultimately chose to proceed with the default process.
Commissioner Sam Ruth said the city has an obligation to hold developers to the same standards expected of residents and businesses.
"If we're asking the residents of the City of Apopka to comply with our wishes, we extend that to our businesses," Ruth said. "If we have any chance of changing the direction that the city is going to go in the future, we need to demand it from our developers."
Several residents echoed that sentiment during public comment, arguing that downtown redevelopment has moved too slowly and that the city should seek new partners if existing commitments are not being fulfilled.
Brownfield Advisory Committee member Leroy Bell said the environmental concerns had been addressed and urged commissioners to move on if the project was no longer advancing.
"This is a part of two or three spots here around the town center, to the vice mayor's point, to get things built out," Bell said. "I think it needs to be cleaned up. The thing about it is the residue. You need to get rid of it... that from the past it needs to go because if they were
in good faith... I know the developer (Benge). He came in good faith and just about cursed out one of our commissioners, so I feel it is a slap in the face. Get rid of it and let's move on."
Resident Sylvester Hall framed the discussion as part of a broader concern about the pace of redevelopment in Apopka's downtown core.
"When you look at Apopka, you look at downtown 10 years ago... looked the same, 20 years ago... looked the same, 30 years ago... looked the same," Hall said. "At some point, you have to get rid of the cancer and move on."
The default notice does not immediately terminate the agreement.
Under the terms of the contract, the developer now has 30 days to submit a proposed cure. Any response would return to the City Commission for consideration. If commissioners determine the cure is insufficient, they could move to terminate the agreement.
Should the agreement ultimately be terminated, commissioners indicated they may revisit how the property should be developed, including whether to issue a new request for proposals or pursue portions of the project themselves.
Velazquez raised concerns that the original request for proposals may have been too restrictive, noting that Standard Investments was the only respondent during the selection process. Staff agreed to provide commissioners with the original solicitation documents for review.
Mayor Nick Nesta said the City's goal remains unchanged: creating a vibrant downtown destination.
"If they can bring us and follow through with what they committed to, awesome," Nesta said. "But at the same time, if they're not going to or just no longer interested in it, that's okay as well. We need to follow the provisions that are in the agreement."
For now, the future of one of downtown Apopka's most visible redevelopment sites rests on whether Benge and Standard Investments and Holdings, LLC can convince commissioners that the long-stalled project can still move forward.
Key Points:
- Apopka approved a notice of default for the Station Street redevelopment agreement with Standard Investments and Holdings, LLC.
- The developer was required to submit designs for the public plaza and trail extension by July 15, 2024, but city staff says no submissions have been received.
- The project includes up to 60 affordable multifamily housing units and a city-owned public plaza in downtown Apopka.
- Commissioners and residents expressed frustration that the stalled project has slowed broader downtown revitalization efforts.
- The developer has 30 days to propose a cure before the city considers terminating the agreement and exploring new options for the property.
