A long, arduous journey concluded Monday when a ribbon fell to the ground in South Apopka.
"This morning marked a historic ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new OTC – Apopka Campus! The Orange Technical College said in a statement on their Facebook page. "In addition to celebrating the new one-story 2,500 square-foot adult learning center across from Phillis Wheatley Elementary, the celebration recognized longtime District 2 commissioner’s aide and community leader Dr. Shirley Sharpe-Terrell with a plaque unveiling."
In 2016, a convenience store near Phillis Wheatley Elementary School sold its property to The Orange County Public School System. But it didn't happen easily or overnight. Practically every elected official in Northwest Orange County played a role in its acquisition or completion over the last decade.
“After many years of diligent pursuit by our (then) school board member Christine Moore, Orange County Public Schools is about to turn an eyesore into a community asset,” said (then) Apopka Mayor Joe Kilsheimer. “It bodes well for the future of South Apopka.”
Moore, who represented District 7 on the Orange County Public School Board (which includes all of Apopka), explained that this was a three-year process that nearly didn’t happen.
“It all started in 2013 with a meeting between (OCPS Superintendent) Barbara Jenkins, leaders from the (South Apopka) Ministerial Alliance, and myself," she said. "We wanted to build a replacement school for Phillis Wheatley Elementary, but the consensus was that the convenience store had to go.”
In 2014, state senator Geraldine Thompson and then state representative Bryan Nelson introduced legislation in the Florida Legislature to gain a grant to purchase the property. Nelson made sure the grant made it onto the state budget but then was termed out of the Legislature. To close the process, a new sponsor would need to emerge.
Moore reached out to newly elected representative Jennifer Sullivan to be the sponsor. Sullivan was a first-term 23-year-old home-schooled Lake County native, but she took the bull by the horns, according to Moore.
With Sullivan and Thompson at the helm in Tallahassee, legislation passed, and OCPS had their grant. The replacement school for Phillis Wheatley Elementary was completed two years later, but negotiations with the convenience store owner turned out to be more difficult than they expected. For months the two sides were nowhere close to coming to terms and with a July 1st, 2016 deadline to close. It seemed the project was doomed, which meant the grant money would, once again, go back to the state.
But in the final days, a deal emerged. OCPS paid over $400,000 for a property that appraised at less than $180,000, and the purchase took place before the deadline. OCPS took ownership of the property on August 1st, 2016.
“It was a three-year team effort that made the difference towards OCPS taking possession of the property for the adult education center," said Moore. We look forward to the good it will do in the community."
Now, almost seven years after that acquisition, the Orange Technical College Apopka Campus is a reality.
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MamaMia
Good to know it is now open, or will be soon. I guess we will start seeing mailers coming with the classes they offer, and the costs.
Thursday, June 15, 2023 Report this
MamaMia
I wonder how Jennifer Sullivan is doing? Last I heard she got married, moved to Texas, and had a baby.
Thursday, June 15, 2023 Report this
maylinna
Thank you so much, Christine Moore you really made this happen! A true leader that gets things done
Thursday, June 15, 2023 Report this
MamaMia
Some type of college coming in on Ocoee Apopka Road too, I think, when I first looked at this article, I thought that was the location. What about these 1.26 million square feet centers coming in to Apopka, two of them? Just think of how much money they will rake in on the per square footage, when leased out. I wonder what goods or services will fill them? It looks like Apopka will be the Warehouse Capital of the World!
Thursday, June 15, 2023 Report this
MamaMia
This sport of foot golf is something I never even heard, until a World Championship, was near here, and talked about on tv. Disney World has it out there. I think they use soccer balls, and kick it around to get the ball to the big holes at the flags, on a nice green. It was explained with soccer the ball is pretty much in constant motion, but with footgolf, it is not. Are we going to build a footgolf course at NW rec, as something new and different?
Thursday, June 15, 2023 Report this
maylinna
Where’s the popcorn is a-maize-ing at being an internet Troll!
Thursday, June 15, 2023 Report this
MamaMia
City council fireworks going on right now, but not at Apopka, instead Mt. Dora is having an emergency meeting that started at 7 pm, over their issues with their city manager. News crews on the scene, just waiting to see what goes! I am watching tv channel 6 news. I am just happy some other city council meeting is duking it out instead of Apopka for a change! Waiting for the fireworks .........
Thursday, June 15, 2023 Report this
MamaMia
Where were the city commissioners? Why were they not at the ribbon cutting? Huh?
Saturday, June 17, 2023 Report this
MamaMia
I see where Randolph Bracy Jr. passed away. I was confused, because of the Jr. after his name, but after looking him up, I see he is the elder one, and I had him confused with Randolph Bracy III, his son, the one I was more familiar with, the lawmaker, I remember mainly around Ocoee, but served our area too. RIP, so sorry to hear that.
Sunday, June 18, 2023 Report this