The Clermont City Council has approved a mixed-use development called the Lumberyard District, which will include apartments, commercial space, and a two-story entertainment complex called The Sawmill. The project will be located on a 12.3-acre site adjacent to Victory Pointe Park and the South Lake Trail.
Atlanta-based Penler is under contract to buy the 7.14-acre multifamily site. The company plans to build a Class-A community with one-bedroom units that will appeal to young professionals. The project will be designed with an Old Florida, Key West-style architecture, which is why Penler has requested to substitute Hardie Board siding for masonry on the first floor.
Penler has also requested a height waiver from 55 feet to 65 feet to allow for higher ceilings on all four floors of the apartment buildings and to build a pitched roof. The city council approved the height waiver, which will allow Penler to build a more modern and attractive project.
The Lumberyard District will also include a two-story parking garage, two live-work buildings with 114 residential units and office space on the ground floor, three commercial buildings with retail and dining on the ground floor and residential above, and a signature restaurant with a rooftop bar.
The project will be mass graded and prepped for construction with infrastructure improvements at the same time. Penler is expected to go vertical first, followed by the parking garage, two live-work buildings, three commercial buildings, and a signature restaurant with a rooftop bar.
Development Services Director Curt Henschel said his only reservation regarding the project is the continuity of the architectural style throughout the district. For that reason, the staff added a condition in the ordinance that the commercial buildings would need architectural approval from staff before permits could be approved.
Crawford said the goal is to begin the site development, including demolition of the existing buildings, in the spring. The apartment community will take at least 12 months to build.