Orange County and Dominium Apartments officials spoke at a groundbreaking ceremony for two affordable housing communities on Thursday, May 22, at 1256 Plymouth Sorrento Road.
“The Mira, which is where we are right now, will be the family-oriented apartment community, which will provide homes with attainable rent for 300 families,” said Devon Quist, Dominium’s vice president and project partner. “The Stillwaters, behind us near the lake, will provide affordable homes for 180 senior households. When the two developments are complete, they’ll have fitness centers, playgrounds, dive bars, a pool, outdoor grilling and recreation areas, as well as walking trails.”
The Mira and The Stillwaters have benefited from Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings’ “Housing for All” Task Force.
“The Housing for All Task Force made some recommendations about what we could do to move the needle to increase the production of affordable workforce housing in our community that would be available to our low-income families,” Demings said at the groundbreaking.
As a result of the task force, Demings and Orange County Commissioner Christine Moore established the Orange County Housing Trust Fund. This trust fund—the first of its kind in the area and one of only a few in the nation—will grant at least $160 million to affordable housing efforts over 10 years.
“Having an affordable place to live and raise a family can transform lives,” Demings said. “Orange County is proud to partner with Dominium and approve over $789,000 in impact fee waivers for The Stillwaters 180-unit affordable housing development for seniors.”
Demings said the county also approved $15 million to support The Mira, a 300-unit affordable housing development for families.
“These two communities are a fantastic example of all the different parties—the city, the county, the state agency—working together to ensure appropriate housing opportunities and smart growth development,” Quist said. “These future communities would not be a reality without consistent leadership from Orange County, and we’re delighted that these communities will come to be over the next couple of years.”
