Orange County commissioners have approved spending $13 million to purchase the Developer Inn, a hotel near the Orange County Jail, as the county considers new uses for the property.
One possibility is transforming the roughly 200-room hotel into transitional housing as the county works to address homelessness.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings has previously discussed transitional housing as part of the county’s approach to homelessness. Recent reports show nearly 2,000 people are experiencing homelessness in Orange County.
The county has proposed a mixed-use community housing model for the property, but officials have not made a final decision.
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Commissioner Mike Scott, who represents District 6, said the property could eventually become part of a larger regional service center.
“This is the beginning of a potential, you know, West Side Regional service center,” Scott said.
Scott said he does not envision the property becoming a traditional homeless shelter.
“I don’t foresee a circumstance where it’s just a regular shelter like what you would see in other areas,” Scott said. “It really is going to be what the community wants.”
The possibility of transitional housing has raised concerns among some residents who live near the hotel.
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Michael Davis, who has lived in the Lakeshore Landings subdivision for more than 10 years, said he values the area’s quiet atmosphere and is uncertain how redevelopment of the hotel could affect the neighborhood.
“It makes you cringe a little bit when you first hear it,” Davis said.
Davis said he is not necessarily opposed to the county’s plans but would prefer to see the property used for another purpose.
“I guess it’s needed,” Davis said. “I wouldn’t be 100% against it if it was done properly. I’d rather see it turn into a business, little business class or something.”
The county is still in the process of acquiring the property, and officials have not finalized how it will be used.
County officials are expected to discuss potential plans for the Developer Inn at a community meeting at 6 p.m. Monday at the Holden Heights Community Center.