A yellow public hearing sign planted outside the Eustis Community Center is drawing renewed attention to the future of one of the city’s longtime waterfront gathering places.
And as residents prepare for another round of public meetings, News 6 has learned that a second redevelopment proposal has been submitted for the property, while city officials are simultaneously pursuing a land-use change that could expand what is permitted to be developed there.
In a detailed written response to News 6 on Tuesday, October 27, the City of Eustis confirmed that one additional proposal was received before the October 23 deadline and is currently under review by city staff.
The city also confirmed that it wants to change the Community Center property’s Future Land Use designation from Public Institution to Commercial Business District.
That change would broaden the types and intensity of development the city could consider on the property at 601 Northshore Drive.
However, city officials emphasized that no property sale has been approved, no developer has been selected through the proposed amendment, and the November 5 hearings will not determine the Community Center’s final fate.
The distinction is particularly important for residents who fear the proposed changes could eventually lead to the loss of a building that has hosted generations of community celebrations, weddings, meetings and other events.
‘That’s a takeaway sign’
For Gail Isaac-Thomas, a lifelong Eustis resident who has spent weeks advocating to preserve the Community Center, the yellow notice outside the building represents something more troubling than another government meeting.
“That’s a takeaway sign. That’s how I read it,” Isaac-Thomas told News 6 while standing near the posted notice.
The sign announces November 5 public hearings involving a proposed amendment to the city’s Future Land Use Map.
Although the city says the amendment would not authorize a sale or demolition, Isaac-Thomas worries the process is moving the property closer to redevelopment.
She believes the building and the public functions it provides should be preserved, particularly because generations of residents have relied on it for gatherings and community activities.
“If they’re going to take our community away from us, they need to build us one first before they take it away,” Isaac-Thomas said.
Another resident, Lisa Graves, expressed similar concerns about losing an important gathering place.
“The community center brings a lot of people together,” Graves said.
She pointed to the weddings, celebrations, dances and organizational meetings held at the facility over the years.
For residents like Graves and Isaac-Thomas, the debate is about more than the financial or commercial value of waterfront property. It is also about what the building provides to the people who live in Eustis.
What exactly does the city want to change?
The proposed Future Land Use Map amendment is one of the most significant developments in the ongoing debate over the property.
According to the city’s written response to News 6, the current designation is Public Institution.
The proposed designation is Commercial Business District.
City officials explained that changing the designation would expand the general uses and intensity of development the city could consider.
However, officials stressed that the existing Community Center would still be an allowable use under the proposed designation.
That means changing the land-use designation would not, by itself, require the building to close, be demolished or be replaced by commercial development.
The city also explained that a Future Land Use Map amendment is not the same as approving a specific project.
No particular building, development plan or construction proposal would be authorized simply by adopting the amendment.
Instead, the city describes the proposed change as establishing a planning framework for future possibilities.
Why is the city pursuing the amendment before approving a sale?
That question has become especially important as the city considers a preliminary redevelopment proposal known as the Aquilo Waterfront District.
The approximately $70 million concept, presented by AQ Mixed Use Lake Eustis, LLC, envisions a mixed-use waterfront development featuring a boutique hotel, residential units, restaurants, commercial space and other amenities.
The estimated $70 million represents projected private development investment, not the purchase price of the publicly owned property.
The concept includes the Community Center property and an adjacent parcel.
In August, the City Commission authorized staff to begin discussions with the development team and examine what a potential purchase and sale agreement could involve.
That authorization did not approve a sale.
In its latest response, the city explained that the proposed land-use amendment is being pursued as part of implementing the Downtown Master Plan, which identifies the Community Center property as a catalyst site for redevelopment.
City officials say the plan, adopted in 2025, outlines a broader vision for downtown, including economic development, public spaces, waterfront improvements, commercial activity and housing.
The proposed amendment would establish a land-use framework supporting that vision.
Importantly, the city says the amendment is not dependent on Aquilo being selected.
While the Aquilo proposal remains under consideration, the city emphasized that changing the land-use designation would not select a developer, authorize a sale or approve any specific redevelopment project.
Any eventual property sale would require City Commission approval of a contract at a public meeting.
In other words, the land-use amendment and the potential sale are related parts of a larger planning process, but they are separate government decisions.
Another developer has entered the picture
The city’s latest response also confirms a new development in the effort to determine the property’s future.
On September 22, Eustis opened a 30-day period inviting other interested parties to submit redevelopment proposals.
That period ended October 23.
News 6 asked the city how many additional proposals were received before the deadline.
Officials confirmed that one additional proposal was submitted and that city staff is reviewing it.
That means the city now has the original Aquilo concept and one additional proposal to consider.
However, the city did not identify the new applicant or provide details about what that proposal would involve.
It remains unclear whether the competing proposal would preserve the existing Community Center, replace it with another public facility or propose a different type of development altogether.
The city has not announced when its review will be completed or when commissioners will be presented with the competing proposals.
Those unanswered questions could be especially important to residents who have spent weeks advocating for alternatives to removing the existing facility.
What will actually happen November 5?
Despite concerns that November 5 could determine the fate of the Community Center, the city says the scheduled proceedings will not constitute final approval of a redevelopment project.
According to the public hearing notice, the Local Planning Agency is scheduled to meet at 4 p.m., followed by the City Commission at 6 p.m.
Both meetings are scheduled at Eustis City Hall, 10 N. Grove Street.
The City Commission will consider the proposed Future Land Use Map amendment on first reading only.
That means the amendment cannot receive final adoption at that meeting.
The city says a second reading and any other required approvals would still need to take place.
Even if commissioners ultimately approve the land-use change, the city says the contemplated redevelopment cannot move forward without additional public decisions.
Those include City Commission approval of a sale contract and development agreement, followed by applicable zoning and site plan review.
City officials emphasized that any sale agreement would have to be approved publicly.
The November 5 proceedings, therefore, represent a step in the planning process rather than a final decision about selling the property or allowing construction.
What happens to the Community Center and its public access?
For residents concerned about losing a public facility on the Lake Eustis waterfront, the most immediate question is what would happen to the building and the activities currently held inside it.
The city’s response was explicit: Nothing changes at the Community Center because of the proposed land-use amendment.
The facility remains open, is accepting reservations and continues hosting its regularly scheduled programs and events.
No final redevelopment decision has been made, and the city has not approved a sale.
According to information previously published by Eustis, the Community Center hosted 179 events last year.
The facility also faces maintenance needs. The city’s five-year Capital Improvement Plan identifies approximately $700,000 in required maintenance work, although officials have said they are developing a more comprehensive estimate of the building’s needs.
If redevelopment ultimately moves forward, the city says it would need to address what happens to the Community Center’s current public functions and waterfront access.
Those issues would be evaluated as part of any redevelopment proposal.
The city also acknowledged that no legal terms governing those arrangements currently exist because no agreement has been reached.
Officials say public access and the future locations of activities currently held at the Community Center would need to be spelled out before the commission makes a determination.
On its official Community Center information webpage, the city has also stated that public waterfront access and the existing boat docks would remain accessible under a redevelopment scenario.
However, there is currently no approved redevelopment agreement establishing the final legal terms for those arrangements.
The city says its commitment to residents remains unchanged.
Its published information also states that existing reservations will be honored and that, if an agreement is eventually reached, nothing would change at the building for at least one year.
Officials have discussed potentially relocating or replacing Community Center functions using other city-owned property or facilities, but no specific permanent replacement location has been selected.
Residents want redevelopment somewhere else
Isaac-Thomas argues that supporting economic development does not necessarily require replacing the Community Center.
“If they want economic development, take it downtown. That’s where they need it. Build downtown,” she told News 6.
She believes the city should explore other available downtown properties rather than potentially sacrificing a waterfront building that already serves residents.
Her concerns also extend to the amount of information residents have received throughout the process and whether their questions have been adequately addressed.
She has called for residents to attend the November 5 meetings and make their concerns known directly to city officials.
Meanwhile, city leaders have maintained that exploring redevelopment is part of a broader effort to strengthen downtown Eustis, attract investment and expand economic opportunities.
The city’s position is that evaluating those opportunities does not mean it has already decided to sell the property.
That distinction remains at the center of the debate: whether creating more development opportunities on publicly owned land is a necessary step toward the city’s long-term economic goals, or a move that could ultimately threaten a community landmark.
For now, the Community Center remains open, the city has two known redevelopment proposals under consideration, and no final decision has been made.
What residents need to know about the November 5 meetings
Date: Thursday, November 5, 2026
Location: Eustis City Hall, 10 N. Grove Street, Eustis, FL 32726
4 p.m. — Local Planning Agency
Public hearing concerning the proposed Future Land Use Map amendment.
6 p.m. — Eustis City Commission
Commissioners are scheduled to consider the proposed amendment on first reading. This is not final approval of the amendment, a property sale or redevelopment.
The city also lists a Community Redevelopment Agency meeting at 5 p.m. that day, although its published meeting schedule alone does not establish whether that meeting will involve the Community Center.
Residents can review the city’s official information and meeting updates through the Eustis Community Center information webpage.
Additional information about scheduled meetings is available through the City of Eustis public notices page.