On the southern edge of Lake Apopka, the second phase of the Briley Farm development in the Town of Oakland is moving forward with plans recently filed with the St. Johns River Water Management District.
Phase 2 of Briley Farm, which is nestled on just over 71 acres between Jefferson Street and the Machete Trail, just north of Oakland Avenue within the Oakland Nature Preserve, comprises 87 executive homesites for estate homes priced in the millions. Briley Land Holdings LLC, an affiliate of Windermere-based Corcoran Premier Realty, is the land owner and developer of the project.
The property has been owned by the Briley family for generations, originating with Samuel J. Briley and Fannie Edna Rich Briley — among the earliest settlers of the Town of Oakland in the late 1800s — who settled on the property in 1900 and grew produce, such as cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers.
Jefferson Rich Voss, great-grandson of the Brileys, still lives on the property and sold land for the second phase of the Briley Farm development to Briley Land Holdings LLC for $5.5 million in 2024.
Plans filed with the St. Johns River Water Management District last week indicate the development will also include 2.72 acres set aside for four lots that will serve as estate lots for Voss, cutting the total Phase 2 development area to just over 62 acres.
While the original plans for Phase 2 called for 111 single-family lots, the developer agreed to reduce the project density by 20% and reconfigure the lot layout under an amended development agreement with the Town of Oakland.
The second phase of the Briley Farm development, located on Lake Apopka, just north of Oakland Ave. and the West Orange Trail, is set to rise on just over 71 acres in Oakland. (Provided by Gemini Land Development)
As part of the agreement, the developer is donating land on the west side of the site to the Oakland Nature Preserve and contributing two tracts of over 5 acres to the Town of Oakland for future parks that will connect to the nature preserve.
The developer also agreed to make an $85,000 payment to the Town of Oakland for transportation improvements and separately pay future road impact fees for each building permit, according to town staff.
Amenities for Phase 2 of Briley Farm will include a clubhouse, resort-style pool, splash pad, four pickleball courts, a half-basketball court, and direct private access to the 128-acre Oakland Nature Preserve for hiking and viewing local wildlife.
Four lots within Phase 2 will be located directly on Lake Apopka and lots within the development will be a minimum of 80 feet wide.
Home prices for Phase 1 of Briley Farm currently range from $400,000 for a lot within the community to $3.57 million for completed homes by three custom builders active in the community: Pioneer Builders, J&J Building, and Element Home Builders.
Just over two miles west, right across the county line into Lake County, Orlando-based Pinecastle Investment Properties recently filed construction plans for a new subdivision in Clermont where home prices will start at $1 million.
The Green Mountain project spans 123 acres across both sides of Old Highway 50, north of the Plaza Collina shopping center. (City of Clermont)The Green Mountain subdivision will contain 130 single-family estate homes set on 75-foot lots straddling Old Highway 50 and bordering Florida’s Turnpike to the north. The property is owned — and set to be developed — by Pinecastle President Bob Harrell.
Right next to the proposed Green Mountain project site, only a few feet to the east within Plaza Collina, Arizona-based Alliance Residential Company is preparing to develop the second phase of its existing Broadstone luxury rental apartment offering, buying land in Clermont for the project in December.
The 12.1-acre subject property was purchased by Alliance for $7 million and is located directly next to the developer’s first community within Plaza Collina, Broadstone Overlands, off State Road 50. Plaza Collina master developer Avanti Properties Group was the seller in the deal.
According to Bobby Anderson, managing director at Alliance, the second phase — tentatively named Broadstone Collina — is planned for 296 units. Alliance took out a $49 million loan for the land purchase and future construction of the project with Mississippi-based commercial banking company Renasant Bank.
Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at jwilkins@orlandosentinel.com or 407-754-4980. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.