Mixed-use development plans for Mt. Vernon Inn site revealed

Winter Park residents got their first glimpse last Tuesday night of the latest version of Unicorp’s newest development along U.S. Highway 17-92 – a project that locals hope will relieve the parking shortage at Trader Joe’s across the street.

The new development, called the The Luxe, would be a mixed-use residential/commercial project along Orlando Avenue with 53 upscale apartments, six retail spaces, three restaurant spaces and 366 parking spaces spread throughout two parking lots and a three-floor parking garage.

The four-story, 223,940-square-foot development would replace the historic Mt. Vernon Inn – set to be sold to Unicorp by the end of the month – and cost between $40 million and $50 million, Unicorp President Chuck Whittall said.

“17-92 has never really had the quality of developments that we’ve seen on Park Avenue…. We want to bring some of the grandeur and the allure of Winter Park to 17-92,” Whittall said. “It’s such a great street, it’s just not been well-developed.”

Restaurant and retail tenants could include a Cooper’s Hawk location, a sushi restaurant, a steakhouse and several upscale boutiques, all sitting beneath the residential space on the floors above, said Unicorp Director of Leasing Amy Schuemann.

The development’s 366 parking spaces could also be used for the busy Lakeside Winter Park Plaza across the street, which has seen an ongoing battle for parking since the opening of its Trader Joe’s location. Whittall said that residents would cross at the intersection of 17-92 and Morse Boulevard, made safer by additional traffic signals and a painted walkway.

It’s a project less dense than originally presented to Winter Park residents, who’ve spoken out against the development’s size. The number of apartments originally sat at just over 170 units.

Whittall said that more than 45,000 square feet has been removed from the project.

“We have listened to the community,” he said.

“What we did was decrease the density, but we wanted to maintain the architectural standards.”

But some residents attending last week’s meeting still saw the project as too dense.

“This is too much for this space, this is the nose under the camel’s tent,” resident Gary Barker said.

“Once you start this kind of development on that side [of 17-92], it’s gone. Would you put a 10-story business office building on Aloma? No, because it’s totally inappropriate.”

Other residents feared the project could add to existing traffic problems along 17-92.

“Already 17-92 and the side streets as well are just overwhelmed with traffic,” Winter Park resident Barbara Bytell said. “They were not designed to carry that amount of traffic.”

“You’re still going to create, in my mind, a potential situation that’s going to make it even worse.”

Whittall said that the influx people coming from the retail and residences wouldn’t greatly impact traffic, due to it being spread out throughout the day.

The peak times for the restaurants on the other hand would only hit during the lunch and dinner hours, he added.

Whittall said Unicorp will have complete ownership of the Mt. Vernon Inn property within the next couple weeks after the sale closes.

“This truly is the gateway to get to Park Avenue,” he said, referring to the intersection of 17-92 and Morse. “…For this to be at the gateway is just phenomenal, we’re excited about it.”