What Is Being Built Around Orlando? October 2026 Growth News, Answered
Quick answer
As of October 2026, a 50,239-square-foot grocery-anchored center is planned in Hamlin, Orange County approved a $13 million hotel purchase for housing, and Minneola’s 74-acre Marketplace site is headed to a new developer (GrowthSpotter; Orange County). None of these projects has an opening date.
| Fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| Hamlin Macaway Commercial (Horizon West) | 19.06 acres; 50,239 SF grocery; 105,239 SF retail total; tenant not named |
| Ravaudage apartments (Winter Park) | 7 stories; 250 units (224 market rate, 26 affordable) |
| Minneola Marketplace | 74 acres; Walmart plan withdrawn June 2026; Equinox Development buying site |
| Orange County hotel purchase (2500 33rd St.) | $13,000,000; about 200 rooms |
| Pulse Memorial construction contract | $12,624,837 guaranteed maximum price; completion expected by end of 2027 |
| The Beacon at Creative Village | 115 income-restricted apartments, opened October 2026 |
| American Modern renters insurance (HO-4) | Average −12.8% statewide; −13.4% in Orange County; about 121,898 policies |
Sources: GrowthSpotter (Oct 2 and Oct 9, 2026); City of Winter Park DRC minutes (Feb 20, 2026); Orange County / WKMG (Oct 2026); City of Orlando (Oct 2026); Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (Oct 2, 2026); Jared Jones – Orlando Living (YouTube), video published Oct 20, 2026.
What is planned at Hamlin Macaway in Horizon West?
A grocery-anchored shopping center. Boyd Development has filed plans for Hamlin Macaway Commercial on 19.06 acres near Avalon Road, McKinney Road and New Independence Parkway on the west edge of Hamlin.
The site plan shows a 50,239-square-foot grocery store, two 25,000-square-foot retail buildings, a 5,000-square-foot building and five outparcels, for 105,239 square feet of retail in total, according to GrowthSpotter’s reporting on the filing. The grocer is not named. In the video, Jared guesses it could be Publix based on the store size; treat that as unconfirmed until a tenant is announced. No construction start date has been set. The location matters because the New Independence Parkway extension will connect this edge of Horizon West to south Clermont, so a store here could serve both sides of the county line. Our full breakdown of the filing is linked below.
What is being built at Ravaudage in Winter Park?
A 7-story, 250-unit apartment building on the north side of the 90-acre Ravaudage district at Lee Road and U.S. 17-92.
Winter Park’s Development Review Committee approved the plan on February 20, 2026. Of the 250 units, 224 are market rate and 26 are restricted affordable units, and the building includes a 4-level parking garage. City records list Broad Oak Development of Lake Mary as the developer; the name heard in the video does not match those records, so we use the city’s. Jared also mentioned a project cost in the video that we could not confirm in a public record, so it is left out here. No opening date has been announced. Ravaudage has been rebuilding an older commercial corner into a mixed-use district for more than a decade, and this building continues that plan.
What happened to the Walmart plan in Minneola?
It was withdrawn. Sun Terra Communities pulled its application for a Walmart at the 74-acre Minneola Marketplace in June 2026 after opposition from residents and the city, according to GrowthSpotter.
Minneola Marketplace sits northeast of North Hancock Road and Citrus Grove Road near the Turnpike interchange and was planned as one of two town centers for the Hills of Minneola. In October, Maitland-based Equinox Development agreed to buy the site. Its early plan keeps the site mixed-use with one big-box store, two multifamily lots on more than 21 acres, a 2-acre park and up to 12 outparcels, including a hotel. The big-box store would need a conditional use permit because it exceeds Minneola’s 18,000-square-foot limit, and Equinox describes it as a roughly three-year project. Separately, GrowthSpotter reported on October 21 that Walmart paid $6.4 million for a lot on U.S. 27 at Sullivan Road for a Neighborhood Market, a different site from the Marketplace.
What is Orange County doing with the hotel it bought for $13 million?
The county has proposed turning most of the roughly 200-room Baymont by Wyndham Orlando North Millenia at 2500 33rd Street into apartments. The plan is not final.
Orange County commissioners approved the $13,000,000 purchase in 2026. At an October 5 community meeting, county officials described a professionally managed, mixed-use housing community with one-bedroom apartments for lower-income households, units for seniors and people with disabilities who need support, and a small number of emergency short-term units, according to local reporting. As of early October, the sale had not closed and the county had not published a final unit count. The property is a four-story building on about 3.8 acres beside the county corrections campus. Watch for a final plan and a closing date before treating any unit count as settled.
What other Orlando projects and costs changed this month?
Three more items from the video: a signed Pulse Memorial construction contract, a new affordable apartment building downtown, and lower renters insurance rates for one large carrier.
Orlando City Council approved a construction agreement with Gomez Construction for the Pulse Memorial with a guaranteed maximum price of $12,624,837; the city says construction is expected to begin this fall with completion by the end of 2027. The Beacon at Creative Village opened downtown with 115 income-restricted apartments. The City of Orlando’s redevelopment agency is also taking proposals to reuse the 10-story building at 1 North Orange Avenue, due November 4, 2026. For renters, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation approved an average 12.8% rate decrease for American Modern HO-4 renters policies, affecting about 121,898 policies, including an average 13.4% cut in Orange County. Existing policyholders see the new rate at renewal.
Frequently asked questions
What grocery store is coming to Hamlin Macaway?
No grocer has been named. Boyd Development’s filing for Hamlin Macaway Commercial shows a 50,239-square-foot grocery anchor on a 19.06-acre site on Hamlin’s west edge, with 105,239 square feet of retail in total. The size is similar to a standard supermarket, which has led to speculation, but the tenant is unconfirmed and no start date has been set.
How many apartments are planned at Ravaudage in Winter Park?
The newest Ravaudage building has 250 apartments: 224 market rate and 26 restricted affordable units, in a 7-story building with a 4-level garage. Winter Park’s Development Review Committee approved the plan on February 20, 2026. City records list Broad Oak Development as the developer, and no opening date has been announced.
Is Walmart still coming to Minneola Marketplace?
No. Sun Terra Communities withdrew its Walmart application for the 74-acre Minneola Marketplace in June 2026, and Equinox Development has agreed to buy the site for a mixed-use plan with one big-box store. Separately, Walmart bought a different lot on U.S. 27 at Sullivan Road for a Neighborhood Market, according to GrowthSpotter.
What will Orange County do with the Baymont hotel on 33rd Street?
Orange County approved buying the roughly 200-room hotel at 2500 33rd Street for $13 million and has proposed converting most rooms into one-bedroom apartments for lower-income households, plus supportive and emergency units. The plan was presented at an October 5, 2026 community meeting and is not final, and the sale had not closed as of early October.
When will the Pulse Memorial be finished?
The City of Orlando expects the permanent Pulse Memorial to be completed by the end of 2027. City Council approved a construction agreement with Gomez Construction Company with a guaranteed maximum price of $12,624,837 in October 2026, and the city says construction is expected to begin this fall, subject to permits.
Did renters insurance rates go down in Florida?
For one large carrier, yes. In October 2026, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation approved an average 12.8% decrease for American Modern HO-4 renters insurance, affecting about 121,898 policies. Orange County policies see an average 13.4% decrease. New rates apply to new policies and renewals, so existing customers see the change at renewal.
Sources
- GrowthSpotter: Grocery-anchored project pushes Hamlin’s commercial growth west (Oct 9, 2026; checked Oct 23, 2026)
- City of Winter Park: Development Review Committee minutes (Feb 20, 2026; checked Oct 23, 2026)
- GrowthSpotter: Equinox to purchase Minneola Marketplace site from Sun Terra (Oct 2, 2026) and Walmart Neighborhood Market to anchor new Minneola shopping center (Oct 21, 2026; checked Oct 23, 2026)
- WKMG News 6: Orange County considers future use for Developer Inn after $13M purchase (Oct 5, 2026; checked Oct 23, 2026)
- City of Orlando: Pulse Memorial Takes Next Step Toward a Lasting Place of Remembrance (Oct 2026; checked Oct 23, 2026)
- City of Orlando: One North Orange Solicitation and Creative Village: The Beacon celebrates grand opening (Oct 2026; checked Oct 23, 2026)
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation: average 12.8% rate decrease for more than 120,000 rental insurance policies (Oct 2, 2026; checked Oct 23, 2026)
- Jared Jones – Orlando Living (YouTube): Orlando’s $13M Hotel, Minneola’s Walmart Fight, and Hamlin’s Mystery Store (published Oct 20, 2026)