Rendering of Maitland Town Center [Photo: Name of photog]

After more than a decade of discussions, Maitland is moving toward developing a new downtown core that will be the only town center in central Florida to span both sides of U.S. 17-92.

The project’s crown jewel is the $300-million Maitland Town Center. Developer Brossier Co. plans a pedestrian-friendly, four-block area that includes a city hall, retail and office space, and 675 condos. The center will join several other condo developments under way in the north Orange County community, which is known for its upscale subdivisions with plentiful lakes and mature trees. In five years, Mait-land could have 1,500 new condo homes clustered near the town’s new core.

The downtown will replace a cluster of mostly one-story commercial buildings at 17-92 and Horatio Avenue. The Maitland Town Center’s architecture is designed to maintain a small-town feel, with three-story wraparound layers that graduate to seven stories in the middle. The look is meant to make the buildings less imposing to pedestrians, who, the city hopes, will take advantage of paths between the town center and nearby retail areas.

The project hopes to capitalize on a four-county commuter rail project that will include a station in Maitland, expected in 2009. It also wants to jump on the green-building bandwagon: Brossier plans to build the town center with environment-friendly construction. Mayor Doug Kinson and city leaders are looking toward promoting Maitland as a healthy city, eventually adding smart cars and electric trolleys to connect with the commuter rail line.

Tags: Central, Housing/Construction