The City of Winter Park took a step toward owning the home of two popular businesses as part of a traffic improvement project along W. Fairbanks Avenue.
Soseki Modern Omakase and Austin’s Coffee are among the leases on the 1-acre property by the corner of S. Denning Drive that includes 929-957 W. Fairbanks Ave. City commissioners at their November 13 meeting unanimously approved moving forward with the $4 million purchase, securing the right-of-way needed to build a left-turn lane in both directions of Fairbanks by the Denning intersection to ease traffic flow.
Currently owned by Winter Park-based Avanti Properties Group, the property is also home to Nail Alchemy and the former Winter Park Collective. The leases total $180,000 annually with expiration dates between 2025 and 2035. A report in the commission meeting agenda states that the buildings can remain in place with a reconfiguration of entrances that are impacted by the added turn lane.
Commissioners discussed purchasing the property in April of 2021 with Austin’s Coffee mounting a campaign against possible demolition stemming from the traffic project. The matter was tabled in a 3-2 vote to review potential traffic and pedestrian impacts, existing lease terms, and the possible need to purchase additional properties to accommodate the turn lanes. The city has since acquired 901-919 W. Fairbanks Ave. for the project.
Michael Collantes, chef/owner of the Michelin-starred Soseki, and Austin’s Coffee co-owners Jackie and Steven Moore, expressed their concerns during public comments about possibly having to relocate. They asked the city to consider the hardships that road construction and changing building entrances would cause.
Mayor Sheila DeCiccio, who, as commissioner, cast one of the votes in favor of tabling the matter in 2021, said at the November 13 meeting that the city had been approached by the property owner about a purchase. She also said stormwater drainage improvements and an expansion of MLK Park are part of the development plan, and stated the city’s intent to work with current tenants. “What I want to make clear,” she said, “is we are not looking to terminate any of the leases, we are not looking to buy them out. We are going to honor all of the leases there.”
The vote to approve the purchase came after the property owner agreed to extend the 60-day due diligence period to 75 days. City Manager Randy Knight made the request after Vice Mayor Todd Weaver noted that the holiday season would likely delay necessary inspections.
The purchase will be funded with $1 million from the city’s Parks Acquisition Fund and $3 million from the Community Redevelopment Agency, which recently received approvals from the county and city of Orlando for extension through 2037 and a 142-acre expansion.
The second City Commission meeting of the month has been canceled due to the Thanksgiving holiday. The next regular commission meeting is scheduled for December 11 and will be the last commission meeting of the year.
