Winter Park’s Planning and Zoning Board unanimously recommended approval Tuesday of a plan to replace the El Cortez apartment complex with five townhomes fronting Morse Boulevard and a three-story synagogue along Knowles Avenue with an 80-seat worship space, a rooftop terrace and a daycare for up to 60 children.
The board voted 5-0 to advance the proposal at 210 E. Morse Blvd. to the City Commission. The board also selected the more contemporary of two architectural designs presented for the synagogue. Board member Alex Stringfellow recused himself because he had worked with city staff as a consultant on the project’s architectural design.
GAI Consultants, representing property owner El Cortez Ltd. and Chabad of Greater Orlando, filed the application for the 0.61-acre property at the southwest corner of Morse Boulevard and Knowles Avenue near Park Avenue. The site currently contains three buildings with 35 apartments and 18 surface parking spaces.
The development is planned for 210 E. Morse Boulevard, taking over the historic apartment footprint at S. Knowles Avenue. (City of Winter Park)
Traffic plan draws scrutiny
Daycare traffic dominated the board’s discussion and public comment. Residents questioned whether parents could park, unbuckle infants and young children and walk them inside without vehicles backing up onto Morse Boulevard.
The daycare would operate from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, with drop-off between 8 and 9 a.m. and pickups at 12:30 and 3 p.m. The synagogue and daycare would generally operate at different times, allowing them to share parking, according to GAI Consultants.
Plans show 22 spaces in the synagogue’s underground garage and 10 surface spaces. Each townhome would have a two-car garage, with three additional spaces available for townhome guests.
In addition to the house of worship, the proposal replaces the 35 existing apartments with five high-end, Spanish Mediterranean-style luxury townhomes. (City of Winter Park)
A traffic analysis found the project would have minimal effects on surrounding intersections. Project planner Andrew McCown of GAI Consultants said the standard methodology overstates typical synagogue traffic because it is based on attendance during a major Jewish holiday. An analysis reflecting normal weekday operations projected 33 additional morning peak-hour trips and fewer evening peak-hour trips than the existing apartments, he said.
Board Chairman Jason Johnson said the central question was how vehicles would move through the property.
“My main concern with the traffic was not the number of trips, but rather the flow of traffic through the site for daycare drop-off and pickup,” he said.
At Johnson’s suggestion, the applicant agreed to conduct every daycare drop-off and pickup inside the underground garage, and the board made that commitment a condition of its recommendation. Vehicles would enter from Morse Boulevard and exit onto Knowles Avenue.
Five townhomes would replace 35 apartments
Although the redevelopment would retain roughly the same amount of above-ground floor area, it would leave the property with a much smaller residential footprint: five townhomes instead of 35 apartments.
The townhomes and synagogue are separate projects but would share access, stormwater infrastructure and some parking, said Rebecca Wilson, a shareholder at Lowndes and attorney for the applicant.
Intended to complement downtown Winter Park’s architectural character, the residential units face E. Morse Blvd. (City of Winter Park)
Wilson said comparable new townhomes nearby are valued at approximately $5 million to $6 million each, but she did not estimate prices for the five planned at El Cortez.
It remains unclear how many people still live at the complex, when they would have to leave or whether the owner would offer relocation assistance. Wilson said a review of lease records found that none of the current tenants attend Rollins College, contrary to earlier suggestions that the complex housed a significant number of students. AGPM, which manages El Cortez, did not respond to a GrowthSpotter inquiry about occupancy.
The site layout organizes the property into two distinct zones: the townhomes lining the north side along Morse Blvd. and the larger synagogue complex situated behind them. (City of Winter Park)
The Historic Preservation Board previously approved demolition of the buildings, which contribute to the Interlachen Avenue Historic District. The applicant has not announced a construction schedule, and demolition cannot begin until the city issues a building permit for the replacement project.
The proposal next heads to the Winter Park City Commission.
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