Plans for a mixed-use development will introduce new apartments and 12,000 square feet of commercial space to downtown Tavares.

TAVARES, Fla. – Downtown Tavares is set for a transformation with new development plans that include a mixed-use project. City officials have announced that construction for an apartment complex, complete with retail space on the ground floor, could potentially begin this summer.

The development, known as Heritage Square, will feature 58 residential units and approximately 12,000 square feet designated for commercial use, right in the core of downtown Tavares.

Christopher Clark, owner of Tiki West in downtown Tavares, sees the development as an opportunity for mutual growth.

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“I’ll always appreciate growth,” Clark said. “Growth helps me. Hopefully we help them. You know, hopefully we all kind of work together.”

Clark is optimistic about the development bringing more people downtown.

“This setup is perfect because everything will be in walking distance,” Clark mentioned. “There aren’t many places where you can live just two blocks from options like steak, seafood, and live music.”

While some people think the project would help downtown, some residents worry about the project’s impact on Tavares’ small-town atmosphere, infrastructure and parking.

We asked Tavares’ Director of Economic Development, Bob Tweedie about parking and he said right now the project meets code.

“It meets the requirements of city code for the number of parking spaces,” Tweedie said. “I believe it exceeds the current requirement.”

The city told us it is also working on several parking projects right now.

City officials said there are three parking areas that will be under development in the next 90 days that will create just shy of 100 spaces by the end of the year.

Tweedie also said there are future plans for two parking garages that could create anywhere from 1200 to 1500 additional spaces. However, Tweedie said the final number is dependent on funding.

Tweedie said the apartment complex will create more of an anchor for downtown businesses.

“In terms of having residential population in the core of the downtown right now, there isn’t any,” Tweedie said. “This sort of development can create more of a permanent foot traffic for their customer base.”