EATONVILLE, Fla. — Town council members in Eatonville will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Town Hall to discuss a drafted contract between Orange County Public Schools and Dr. Phillips Charities to sell the Hungerford property.
Some council members said they found out about the deal after it was made to sell the historic properties.
Eatonville Mayor Angie Gardner said the deal is an exciting moment for the town’s future. OCPS approved a deal to transfer the property to Dr. Phillips Charities a few months ago, but not everyone in Eatonville joins the mayor in her optimism. Dr. Phillips Charities will pay the district $1 million upfront with a fair-price contract.
After news of the agreement to sell the property broke, many in the community said they were hearing about it for the first time and that they believed it was completed without any consultation or feedback from the community.
Many residents and Eatonville Town Council members had expressed their opposition at multiple meetings, saying they felt that the decision was made without their input. At the meeting when the Orange County School Board approved the deal for the controversial transfer of property, dozens of residents commented on the proposal.
As the plans move forward, Gardner said in October, “I feel good about where we are right now. It has been a mood shift, and it’s a great mood shift, and I am thankful to Dr. Phillips Charities and I’m thankful to the residents that are sticking with it, believing and trusting that this is what is best for the town and we move forward.”
According to the proposal plans, the site would include a pavilion, green space, a museum and a learning center and healthcare facility.
The Hungerford Property, formerly known as the Robert L. Hungerford Normal and Industrial School, sits between Orlando and Winter Park. The school in Eatonville, which is between Orlando and Winter Park, was founded as a private school, the first school for Black children in Central Florida. It helped educate African American students in the late 1800s. OCPS acquired the property in the 1950s and owned about 100 acres.