The Eatonville City Council voted down plans for a $200m development on the property of Hungerford Prep School. Dubbed The World Transportation Exchange (WTE), the developer wanted to utilize the 116-acre property to build eight stories of luxury “transportation retail” consisting of a 200-room hotel, a 60,000-square-foot conference center, 200,000 square feet of other retail, 500 multifamily home units and 400,000 square feet of office space.
WTE Developer Eliot Kahana, perhaps sensing the project would not be approved, attempted to have the project removed from the agenda and not voted on Tuesday night. Instead Kahana requested the motion be for the developer to “continue to work” with the city. That failed too.
Eatonville entered into a contract with SKL a year ago to develop the same property. However, Mayor Bruce Mount believes SKL violated the terms of the contract rendering the city free to negotiate with other developers. The Orlando Sentinel is reporting SKL believes they have met the terms and are moving forward with plans for their development of a sports facility.
An attorney for Orange County Pubic Schools, which owns the school property, said that no deal is in place to purchase the school from either developer.
