Strategic Corridors
As the Metro-Orlando core continues to approach build-out and growth pressures extend into the surrounding counties, Lake County finds itself uniquely positioned to absorb a significant portion of Central Florida's future growth. Through on-going and extensive strategic planning efforts directed at identifying and conceiving Lake County's primary strategic growth corridors, Lake County Economic Development and its local partners are ensuring that the County is well prepared to absorb this future growth.
The information below provides a brief summary of three of Lake County’s more prominent strategic growth corridors.
Florida Energy and Aerospace Technology Park
The Florida Energy & Aerospace Technology Park (FEAT Park) is a master-planned high-tech commerce center located at the intersection of Florida’s Turnpike and County Road 470. The FEAT Park is over 3,000 acres, all of which is owned by the City of Leesburg. The city has planned this park to be a job creation epicenter for Central Florida. The FEAT Park is strategically concentrated on the growth of Aerospace and Energy industry sectors. This park is the ideal location for the development of light sport aircraft companies.
The City of Leesburg, Lake County and State of Florida have a number of incentives and programs to assist companies that are looking to relocate to, or expand into the FEAT Park. For further information concerning development opportunities in the FEAT Park, contact Ken Thomas, Economic Development Director, City of Leesburg, at 352-728-9708, email at Ken.Thomas@leesburgflorida.gov or the Lake County Economic Development Department at 352-742-3918.
View the FEAT Park Map
Health and Wellness Way
On a regional scale, the southern portion of Lake County is endowed with unique assets upon which Lake County is planning to create a regionally significant employment center dubbed "The Wellness Way". The Wellness Way corridor includes over 16,000 acres located in the transportation "Golden Triangle," inside of Interstate-4, Florida’s Turnpike and U.S. Highway 27.
The corridor is enhanced by State Road 429 and the soon-to-be completed Wekiva Parkway. Immediately to the east of the corridor is Horizon's West, a master planned community in Orange County that will integrate seamlessly with the Wellness Way, and is just 30 minutes away from the Orlando International Airport.
Wellness Way is more than a spot on the map, it is a concept and a vision for creating a more robust and healthy economy for Lake County through:
- Human Wellness: Capitalizing on the human performance training, nutrition, sports medicine and health sciences work being done at the National Training Center, South Lake Hospital and Lake-Sumter Community College, among others.
- Economic Wellness: Capitalizing on existing growing industries
- Environmental Wellness: Preserving Lake County's natural resources through effective master planning
View the Wellness Way Map
Mt. Dora Employment Center
The recently approved Wekiva Parkway will act as the final leg of the outer beltway around the City of Orlando, and will create significant economic development opportunities in Lake County. The new extension will link State Road 429 in Apopka to Interstate-4 and State Road 417 in Sanford. A significant portion of the Wekiva Parkway will travel through Lake County and will include an extension linking the Parkway to State Road 46, U.S. Highway 441 and the City of Mount Dora.
The Lake County Economic Development Department is working jointly with the City of Mount Dora to plan and develop a significant employment center situated on approximately 900 acres along the Parkway extension into Mount Dora. An existing Joint Planning Agreement between the City of Mount Dora and Lake County has established consistent land use classifications on the proposed properties and both parties are currently in the process of funding a detailed market analysis, which will ultimately guide the planning and development of the employment center.
It is anticipated that the Mount Dora Employment Center will include a wide range of land uses including commercial, light industrial and retail; however, the market analysis will assist in determining the ultimate mix of uses. For more information about the Mount Dora Employment Center, contact the Lake County Economic Development Department at 352-742-3918.
View the Mount Dora Employment Center Map
