LAKE MARY, Fla. — Downtown Lake Mary is in the middle of a transformation with millions of federal dollars fueling major upgrades that city leaders say will change the way people experience the area.
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Longtime business owner Ryan Sadove has run her boutique downtown with her sister for 16 years. She said that for her, the investment is personal.
“We’ve raised our kids here, built our life here. We just really love this community,” Sadove said.
Over the years, Sadove has watched the city’s center change. New shops and restaurants have popped up, and holiday lights and events keep families coming back.
“It feels like a small-town experience, sometimes like a Hallmark movie with the lights and events,” she said.
That small-town charm is now being paired with large-scale improvements. Lake Mary received $8.75 million through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), a federal COVID-19 relief package. Of that, $2.55 million is set aside for downtown upgrades.
Deputy Mayor Justin York said the goal is to make the district more welcoming and resilient.
“There’s better streetscapes, safer intersections, and utilities going underground so businesses can keep their power on during storms. It’s really about making downtown more walkable and welcoming,” York said.
For Sadove, success comes down to keeping things easy for customers.
“If you make it easier for people, better roads, better lighting, they’re more likely to come back. That’s what people want: convenience and an experience,” she said.
But with more people comes more traffic. Business owners hope the city uses some of the money to expand parking as downtown continues to grow.
City leaders say all of Lake Mary’s ARPA funding must be spent by 2026. The downtown upgrades are expected to roll out over the next few years, bringing new infrastructure and more space for families and businesses.
Sadove says she hopes those changes only add to what makes Lake Mary unique.
“Everybody’s so friendly, most of the businesses are family-owned,” Sadove said. “I just hope people come and get that warm, small-town feeling when they visit.”