Apartment Choice

August 25, 2008 | By Jerry W. Jackson, Sentinel Staff Writer Despite the real-estate slowdown, apartment developer Lane Florida LLC is moving forward with its Orlando-area projects. The company, launched in Orlando by Atlanta-based Lane Co. in 2006, is wrapping up work on portions of its first complex in Florida, a 384- unit development in Osceola County called Verano Apartments . Work began on Verano, located just off Exit 244 of Florida's Turnpike near Walt Disney World , in November 2007. While leasing has begun and some of the one- to three-bedroom units are occupied, work is continuing and the complex should be completed by February, according to Mike Mulhall, the company's Florida regional development partner . Mulhall said work has also begun on the company's even more ambitious downtown Orlando apartment tower , called The Montage. The 19-story high-rise is being built on Lake Avenue a block from Lake Eola. "The apartment market remains strong , and we have t...

Orlando will soon have a new community down near Disney — the Four Seasons Private Residences — where home prices start around $5 million. Bully for all our new neighbors ... and the $24,514 in homeowner’s association fees they’ll pay each year. Ironically, though, many of the people who already live here — the ones who work full-time in the tourist industry that attracts the Four Seasons folks — can’t afford homes of their own. Heck, they can’t even cover the HOA dues. Central Florida , you see, is in the midst of an all-out housing crisis . Our affordable- housing shortage is so severe that the National Low Income Housing Coalition recently found just 18 rental units available for every 100 low- income families — one of the lowest rates in America. As a result, we have families living in cheap motels and relying on government subsidies. And with rents rising, it’s only getting worse. This isn’t exactly the kind of thing our chambers of commerce or visitors bureaus like to promo...

Illinois-based multifamily developer  Banner Real Estate Group  has the initial support of city staff for its proposed 13-story mixed-use apartment building planned in Downtown Orlando, but has also been put on notice that key design elements must change in the coming months.  Conceptual plans and new renderings for the 13- story building will go before Orlando's Appearance Review Board on Thursday for a courtesy review.  That's being done by the developer, civil engineer  Kimley-Horn  and architect  Baker Barrios  to get valuable early feedback from the ARB and staff on their design, before an eventual Master Plan filing . Banner will have to submit again for a formal ARB review and approval, prior to submitting for building permits.  Banner Real Estate project aerial map" class="trb_em_ic_img" title=" Banner Real Estate project aerial map" src="src" /> This would be Banner's entry to the Central Florida market , with a propo...

May 8, 2010 | By Dave Weber, Orlando Sentinel Complaints of mold in apartments at Pegasus Landing prompted University of Central Florida on Friday to suspend its agreement to use the sprawling complex for student housing . That cuts off the flow of new students to the 744-unit complex on Alafaya Trail. But hundreds of students with leases could be left to fend for themselves if they want to get out of current contracts or contracts for next school year. However, university officials said they would offer "resources, guidance and references" through a telephone hotline and online network. Officials said it's too soon to say how the decision will affect the university housing market for fall semester. About 2, 500 students live in the complex, each paying from $545 to $640 a month on year-round leases. University officials say they have been pressing Capital Project Finance Authority , owners of the 34 apartment buildings about a mile from campus, since February to ...