Orange County may offer $5.5 million in grants and incentives to develop an apartment complex on the site of Orlando’s first gay-friendly resort.
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The Orange Blossom Trail Development Board voted in June to recommend approval of the incentive package for a proposal submitted by the Simkins Group, according to a report in GrowthSpotter. The city and county are working to revitalize the downtrodden OBT corridor through a Community Redevelopment Area, and have already approved the family-owned real estate firm’s plans for a 294-unit multifamily community with 2,000 square feet of commercial space at 410 N. Orange Blossom Trail, site of the former Parliament House.
“This will be the first incentive-based project that the OBT CRA does of this magnitude,” OBT CRA Director Vanessa Pinkney said, adding that the $80 million project has the potential to be one of the “most transformative redevelopment projects in the history of the Orange Blossom Trail CRA.”
The approved plans call for three 4-story apartment buildings, including one that overlooks Rock Lake, and a separate pool and clubhouse. Simkins Group has committed to keeping 60 units attainable for residents earning between 80% and 120% of the area median income, making it eligible for an 80% property tax refund for 10 years.
Even with the tax abatement, the developer would still pay roughly $12.7 million in property taxes over the 10 years, according to the grant application.
Additionally, Simkins Group is seeking reimbursement for about half of the amount owed for impact fees and building permit fees, estimated at $2.59 million, and for site improvements during construction — another $2.79 million. Those improvements include new streets and sidewalks, a transit stop with public art, environmental mitigation, and stormwater and utility improvements for the Rock Lake area. The developer is also requesting a $180,000 grant to pay for the interior buildout of the retail space.
The Simkins have been working to redevelop the site since 2021, but needed the grant package to make the project financially feasible. If the incentives are approved, construction could start in 2027 with completion slated for 2028. Representatives for the company declined to comment for this article.
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Pinkney said the project would be a catalyst for continued investment along the OBT corridor and advance the vision of the OBT NEXT Redevelopment Plan by promoting sustainable redevelopment, neighborhood revitalization, and long-term economic prosperity.
The OBT CRA Business Development Grant Program was established to provide developers and property owners grant money for new construction projects, adaptive-reuse projects, and smaller-scale improvements to properties, such as facade improvements within the OBT CRA.
“So this is our first large project of this size, and this is the first time that the OBTCRA has to kind of make a decision,” she said.
Although the site is located in the City of Orlando, the Orange County commissioners serve as the OBT CRA and have final approval of any grants. The proposal would need to go through the county’s agenda review process before being placed on a commission agenda.
The Parliament House was Orlando’s first gay-friendly resort, and its historic sign was moved offsite when the buildings were demolished. The Simkins’ Lion Financial LLC acquired the 20-acre site as part of a 2018 bankruptcy sale.
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