From Staff Reports
In Summary:
An October 1 report outlines progress across the Apopka Community Redevelopment Agency’s parks, housing assistance, and redevelopment initiatives. Downtown Park improvements are nearing completion, 27 homes have received exterior renovations, and staff is conducting due diligence for a proposed homeless resource center at 205 E. Eighth St. Meanwhile, pedestrian upgrades at two Fifth Street intersections have been removed from the FY2027 budget, and larger planning and trail projects await additional action.
*****
The Apopka Community Redevelopment Agency is moving forward with several downtown projects, including improvements to Downtown Park and planning for a future homeless resource center, while two long-planned pedestrian improvement projects have been removed from the FY2027 budget because of inactivity.
Related: Could a civic campus become downtown Apopka’s missing centerpiece?
Economic Development Director Antranette Forbes emailed CRA board members and city staff an October 1 project update outlining progress on downtown trails and parks, housing assistance, lighting, historic markers, and redevelopment planning.
Among the most significant changes is the removal of pedestrian and signal improvements planned for the intersections of Fifth Street at Park Avenue and Fifth Street at Central Avenue.
Both projects called for enhanced crosswalk treatments, ADA curb ramps, and pedestrian signal upgrades. Plans were completed in December 2024, and city staff worked with Metric Engineering on the improvements. However, the September 21 project update says both were removed from the FY2027 budget “due to inactivity.”
The report does not indicate whether the projects have been canceled permanently or could return in a future budget.
Downtown Park improvements nearing completion
Work at Downtown Park, near Gingi’s Bakery, appears to be approaching completion.
The $50,000 project includes a sidewalk connecting the driveway to the bakery’s rear entrance, stamped concrete, a walkway, picnic equipment, planters serving as bollards, and removal of a palm tree. The CRA also considered a mural and removal of a utility pole as additional options.
Concrete has been installed, and furnishings and equipment have been ordered. A bicycle repair station arrived in August, while furniture, fixtures, and equipment were scheduled to ship September 23 and arrive the following week.
Similar improvements are being made at the skate park and pump track. The CRA budgeted $24,617 for additional amenities, including picnic tables, a drinking fountain, a bicycle repair station, ADA parking, and sidewalks. Picnic tables have been installed, and the bicycle repair station arrived by late August; staff is determining where to install it.
Homeless resource center moves forward
The CRA also continues preliminary work toward establishing a homeless resource center at 205 E. Eighth St.
The agency has budgeted $150,000 to acquire the property. In August, the CRA Board authorized its chair to execute a purchase agreement and directed staff to conduct due diligence, including exploring potential partnerships for construction, operation, and maintenance.
The latest update says the CRA issued a purchase order to CPH Corp. to conduct an environmental assessment, survey, and title review. Staff is also interviewing resource providers to determine how a future center could be constructed, operated and maintained. A report is scheduled to return to the CRA Board on November 12.
Housing program reaches 27 completed homes
The CRA’s Residential Renovation Assistance Program continues to represent one of the agency’s largest active investments.
The $960,000 program provides up to $30,000 per home for exterior improvements. All available funding had been allocated to 35 homes by April. Eleven homes had been completed at that point, increasing to 18 in June and 27 by August 24.
The agency is also revising its broader assistance programs. The CRA Board previously adopted revised façade renovation, building code assistance, and demolition programs while directing staff to incorporate design standards into future grant programs.
A proposed down payment assistance program remains under development after the board requested additional revisions in August. Staff expects to return with an updated proposal at the November CRA meeting.
Master plan update remains under review
The CRA’s $75,000 master plan update also remains pending.
The existing plan was last updated in 2017, and the CRA describes the new process as an effort to ensure redevelopment strategies reflect current market conditions and community priorities.
During a February 2025 community workshop, participants called for mixed-use development, more first-floor commercial space with apartments above, increased police presence and additional security technology. The update was subsequently placed on hold before the city notified Orange County in March that it intended to restart the process.
A bid solicitation was anticipated for August, but the latest status in the report says procurement remains under internal review.
Trail Phase II awaits decisions
A second phase of the Downtown Apopka Trail remains unresolved.
The CRA has identified approximately $1.33 million to extend the trail from Michael Gladden Boulevard to Hawthorne Avenue and South Park Avenue. Before the city can put the project out for construction bids, however, it still needs to address land acquisition, budget, crosswalk coordination, and stormwater and drainage issues.
Meanwhile, the report lists Downtown Apopka Trail Phase I as a completed CRA project. The project included a 10-foot-wide multiuse asphalt trail, and an update says security lighting has been installed and the project is complete.
Other completed projects listed in the report include the skate park and pump track, resurfacing of the Alonzo Williams Park basketball courts, a new pavilion at the park, and utility improvements that added electrical outlets and water connections for vendors.
Several projects remain less certain. Demolition of structures at Eighth Street and Highland Avenue is pending adoption of a new procurement policy, according to the report. A proposed pocket park at the same intersection remains on hold after the City Commission declined to purchase playground equipment in November 2025.
The CRA is also pursuing a $15,000 historic marker program. Staff worked with the Apopka Historical Museum to identify a location for the first marker, but the report says CRA staff had not received a response after requesting documentation and an update on the state’s approval process in August.
Taken together, the four-page report shows a CRA portfolio with several recently completed projects and others approaching completion, while some larger initiatives — particularly pedestrian improvements, the master plan update and the second phase of the downtown trail — remain delayed or dependent on additional city action.
Key Points:
- Pedestrian upgrades removed: Improvements at Fifth Street’s intersections with Park Avenue and Central Avenue were removed from the FY2027 budget “due to inactivity,” with their future unresolved.
- Downtown amenities advance: Downtown Park improvements are nearing completion, while additional amenities are being installed at the skate park and pump track.
- Resource center enters due diligence: Environmental assessment, survey and title review work is underway for the proposed Eighth Street property, with a report scheduled for Nov. 12.
- Housing renovations reach 27 homes: The $960,000 Residential Renovation Assistance Program has allocated funding to 35 homes and completed exterior improvements at 27.
- Major initiatives remain pending: The CRA master plan update remains under internal review, while Downtown Apopka Trail Phase II awaits decisions involving land, funding, crosswalks and drainage.
