ORLANDO, Fla. — The future of a city center project in Apopka is unclear as city leaders and the developer continue to find themselves at odds.  Plans for Southwick Commons include nearly 200 apartments, mostly affordable housing.

What You Need To Know

  • Plans for Southwick Commons includes nearly 200 apartments, including some affordable housing units

  • Wendover Housing Partners is seeking approval for the housing to be part of the Apopka City Center master development

  • As of May 2023, the city’s development review committee had not yet approved the project 

  • The developer, Wendover Housing Partners, said the city is trying to strip state affordable housing funding for the project

  • Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson says the city isn’t against affordable housing, it just wants to make sure Apopka City Center will attract people with luxury amenities and appearance

Last November, a judge ruled in favor of Wendover Housing Partners to move forward with plans for the affordable housing after the city of Apopka tried to block Southwick Commons as part of the plans for the master development. As of May 2023, the city’s development review committee had not yet approved project plans. And now, Wendover claims the city is trying to strip state funding for the affordable housing project.

Wendover Housing Founder and Chief Executive Officer EO Jonathan Wolf released a statement, saying in part, “We are deeply disappointed with the actions, and inactions, the city of Apopka is taking regarding Southwick Commons. The city is flagrantly ignoring an Orange County Circuit Court ruling by continuing to inhibit the permitting process for this affordable housing community — all while the court is still considering a pending motion to determine the amount the city will have to pay for damages and legal fees.”

Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson said the city isn’t against affordable housing, it just wants to make sure Apopka City Center will attract people to the city with businesses, restaurants, luxury amenities and appearance. In a letter to the Florida Housing Authority, Nelson asked the agency to remove the affordable housing funding for the project if Wendover Housing can’t meet the city’s standards for the project.

“Having beautiful balconies overlooking the hotel, and Highland Manor, that’s the visual you want,” Nelson said. “So we just want to hold strong on the luxury amenities.”

Meanwhile, the need for affordable housing persists. When Spectrum News 13 spoke with Heather Trammell in 2022, the mother of four was worried about being evicted from her rental home in Apopka. Since then, in April 2023, Trammell was evicted from her home. 

Trammell is a single mom. She said her disability income was not enough to cover rent in Apopka, and a housing subsidy program was not able to offer the financial assistance she needed. Her family is now living out of bags, moving from motel to motel. 

“This is how you have to live, and I can never figure out where stuff is because I’m always moving stuff around so much, it’s hard to find stuff,” said Trammell.

Trammell had to leave her son behind. He stayed in Apopka to finish out his last days of eighth grade.

“It is emotional, but I’m glad he has really good friends and their family is helping and they understand what’s going on and stuff like that,” said Trammell.

Now, each day is filled with uncertainty. There’s usually a limit to how long they can stay at a motel, and they don’t know where they might have to go next. 

“Is it going to be, safe to go, and how long can we stay there?" Trammel explained. "Because it’s very stressful trying to figure all of that out.”

Trammell works prescription- and food-delivery jobs to make enough money to keep her family off the streets. She said she’s always prided herself on making things work out, no matter what.

But with elected leaders still squabbling with a developer over affordable housing plans proposed three years ago, she said she’s struggling to hold on to hope.

“There needs to be a lesson, a lesson learned — it’s either a lesson or blessing they say,” Trammell said. "Now I’m trying to figure out what the blessing is, which is one of the reasons why I want to do something to help others through all of this.”

She said she hopes to eventually help others, so they might not have to go through what she’s going through. Trammell said she’d like to find a home back in Apopka.

Apopka’s mayor said the city is working with Orange County to build a 103-unit single-family affordable housing complex in a yet-to-be determined location in another part of Apopka. That complex would also include duplexes for senior housing.