Clermont's rapid growth is fueling new commercial developments, including restaurants and mixed-use projects. Find out which popular chains are coming to town.
Two commercial projects headed to Clermont are highlighting the city's development boom.
First, Florida Engineering Group in Orlando is planning a 7,000-square-foot building to be added to Magnolia Pointe Center at West Colonial Drive and Magnolia Pointe Boulevard.
The site is across West Colonial from Plaza Collina, the mixed-use development home to a Costco and whose other newcomers in the works include a White Castle restaurant.
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Magnolia Pointe PUD
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The new building, which will go on the empty plot in the northeast of the 22-acre commercial property, will feature three quick-service restaurants, plus an outparcel for a Twistee Treat location. A site plan included in the documents indicates Potbelly Sandwich Shop, Fortuna Latin Bakery and Blended Bistro & Boba will split the 7,000-square-foot building.
The commercial center already features a Dunkin' and a Paradise Grills alongside a variety of medical providers.
Florida Engineering applied for the project on behalf of the owner, Lake Magnolia Properties LLC, an entity connected to Orlando investor Bassel Maali, which bought the property for $1.2 million in 2008, according to Lake County records.
Executives with Florida Engineering and Lake Magnolia Properties were not available for comment.
Farther west, Winter Park-based MEI Partners LLC is developing a 6,920-square-foot office, retail and restaurant building at 935 W. Minneola Ave. in the west end of the city's downtown district. The project will include an outdoor patio section.
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The building will replace the existing duplex on the half-acre property, which is owned by Jude Meus and Marie Geralde, who bought the land vacant in 2007 for $240,000, according to property records. Neither the owners nor MEI could be reached for comment.
The project will be just southeast of the incoming mixed-use Lumberyard District from local developers Wolfe & Wallace Properties Inc.
As outlined in city documents, the Lumberyard project is to include:
Both the Minneola Avenue and Magnolia Pointe projects were approved by the city council on March 11, though the Magnolia Pointe development will have a second hearing regarding aesthetics.
Marie Shorey, president of Maitland-based real estate firm Palkiper Commercial Real Estate Services, which has other projects in Clermont, said the city is in the midst of absorbing growth from the Orlando market.
"The natural expansion of Central Florida is going in that direction," she said, pointing to Colonial Drive and U.S. Highway 27 as connectors from multiple directions. "People have been planning for a long time to build residential there. Now they need services."
The south shore of Lake Minneola is also being redeveloped, another factor Shorey said is bringing people and developers to the city. "Lakes attract people."
Clermont had the second fastest growing ZIP code in metro Orlando, according to data in December from the American Community Survey. The city saw a 39% rise in its population from 2019 to 2023, bringing its total up to 25,407.
Shorey said the next thing the city needs is a major operation. "What I’m waiting to hear about is some new large employer. We have decent employers …but I’m waiting to hear about some huge employer who is ready to move out of some high-tech state and … bring thousands of jobs."
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Lake County Employers
Lake County employees
Rank | Prior Rank | Company |
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1 | 1 | Lake County Schools |
2 | 2 | AdventHealth |
3 | 3 | Publix Supermarkets |
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