Residents and businesses in Avalon Park are preparing for big changes in east Orange County as they await the arrival of the Innovation Way tech corridor and the SunBridge community.
- 1 of 4 new Beachline ramps to open at Innovation Way
- Interchange intended to help traffic in growing east Orange
- Residents in Avalon Park concerned about rapid growth
- RELATED: Massive growth prompts major Beachline interchange project
Some are concerned over the impact of rapid growth.
"We sell real estate, so it's always beneficial knowing that more people are moving to the area,” said Veronica Figueroa, owner of RE/MAX Innovation in Avalon Park. “But as more apartment complexes start coming and more businesses start coming, do we have inventory to support that?”
One of the biggest signs of change is the construction happening on the Beachline Expressway in that area. Next week, the first of four ramps making up a new Beachline interchange at Innovation Way will open to traffic.
"This ramp is going to connect Innovation Way to westbound State Road 528,” said Gabriela Ruiz, spokesperson for the Central Florida Expressway Authority. “And that will be opening March 31, Friday morning, after rush hour."
In addition, the traffic pattern itself will change.
Next Friday, Avalon Park residents will have a new way of approaching the Beachline from Innovation Way. However, the bigger picture isn't necessarily the added convenience for residents — it's getting the area ready for a large traffic influx from the incoming tech corridor and the SunBridge community.
Innovation Way has been touted by officials as an economic development corridor that promotes high tech businesses and job growth. Right now, it's undeveloped woodlands.
The slated SunBridge community is a 24,000-acre development that will touch both Orange and Osceola counties, with the Orange County portion expected to add more than 7,000 new homes. These numbers have caught the attention of nearby Avalon Park residents.
"There's concern over whether the roads can handle this type of capacity. Can the schools handle this type of growth?” Figueroa asked. “The county says that it's been approved with the proper zoning and the schools can sustain it."
The next ramp to open at the interchange is expected to be the Beachline westbound off-ramp, which is expected to open in July.