Bank under construction at The Grove Orlando

Those who have driven by The Grove Orlando recently may have noticed a new outparcel under construction.

According to county documents, that new outparcel will house a Fifth Third Bank branch. Plans call for a 2,440-square-foot building with a drive-thru consisting of two lanes at 9168 Conroy Windermere Road, Orlando. 

The bank is being built just west of Conroy Windermere Road on a 1.13-acre parcel of land — directly north of the building that includes Regus office spaces and Hawkers Asian Street Fare, and south of the Chase bank — that once served as extra parking. 

“This is confirmed to be a future Fifth Third Bank location,” said Melanie Chakor, Fifth Third Bank vice president and regional marketing manager. “I don’t have information today on the timing of completion and opening.”

Karlee Kunkle, communications manager for Tavistock Development Company, said Tavistock sold the parcel to the bank a few years ago. 

County documents show an application for new construction was filed in July. However, the bank has run into some delays throughout the process of obtaining a building permit. 

Documents show the bank submitted an initial application for capacity encumbrance letter — an important step in the process of obtaining a building permit — last fall. CELs can require property owners and developers to pay a proportionate share mitigation at some point in the development process prior to issuance of the building permit.

The initial CEL was denied because of insufficient road capacity for roads in the project’s vicinity, including a “failing” road segment of Conroy Windermere Road from Lake Street to Apopka Vineland Road.

However, documents show the Orange County Board of County Commissioners since approved in February a proportionate share agreement for the CEL in which Vericon Construction, on behalf of Fifth Third Bank, paid $38,546. 

According to its website, Fifth Third Bank has seven nearby locations in Ocoee, Dr. Phillips and Winter Garden. This branch will serve those near Windermere and Southwest Orange County. It also marks development of the last remaining outparcel on the property.