Courtesy of city of Apopka
Key Points
- The Apopka City Commission unanimously approved the major development plan for a 137-room Marriott Fairfield Inn and TownePlace Suites hotel at Floridian Town Center.
- The proposed hotel at Floridian Town Center will create about 75 construction jobs and 30 full-time hospitality positions upon opening.
- The city approved annexation of 0.88 acre of Fudge Road needed for the hotel's roadway network with a second public hearing set for Sept. 16.
A proposed 137-room Marriott-branded hotel at Floridian Town Center cleared another hurdle Wednesday as the Apopka City Commission unanimously approved its major development plan and advanced a related annexation needed for the development’s roadway network.
The four-story Fairfield Inn and TownePlace Suites hotel is planned for Lot 5 of Floridian Town Center, a planned development near the northwest corner of the S.R. 429 Connector Road and U.S. 441.
Upon construction, the hotel would be the first development within Floridian Town Center, according to the City Commission staff report.
The hotel project would include 142 parking spaces and 25% open space, according to city staff. The Development Review Committee recommended approval April 29, followed by a unanimous recommendation from the Planning Commission on June 9.
Approval of the major development plan does not authorize construction. The project must still undergo the city’s construction site plan review process.
During discussion, Commissioner Yesenia Baron asked how many jobs the hotel would create.
Project attorney Jason Searl said developers anticipate about 75 jobs during a 12- to 15-month construction period, followed by 30 full-time hospitality jobs.
The proposed hotel would operate under Marriott’s Fairfield Inn and TownePlace Suites brands.
The commission later unanimously approved on first reading the annexation of about 0.88 acre of Fudge Road from Kitt Avenue to S.R. 429/Connector Road. A second public hearing is scheduled for Sept. 16.
City Public Works Director Vladimir Simonovski described the annexation as a “cleanup item” for Floridian Town Center. City documents state that bringing the roadway segment into Apopka is necessary for the development’s planned roadway network and future trunk road. The annexation also would facilitate platting of an outparcel containing a proposed sanitary sewer lift station.
After the annexation, the developer intends to seek vacation of the applicable portion of Fudge Road so the existing roadway configuration can be incorporated into the Floridian Town Center master-planned roadway and development layout.
Vice Mayor Diane Velazquez tied the roadway work directly to the hotel during the commission discussion.
“This will be a main entrance into the hotel,” Velazquez said. “Basically, we’re just acquiring the roads, but the developer will upgrade those streets. They will be responsible for that.”
Velazquez said she had asked Searl for written confirmation that the developer would be responsible for the two roads and said he provided a letter to the city administration committing to the work.
The Floridian Town Center was approved by the City Commission in 2021 and amended in 2024. The planned development is entitled for townhomes, multifamily housing, commercial, hotel and mixed-use development. City staff reported that the master developer has constructed infrastructure to serve the development, including stormwater facilities, utilities and roads.