Business View Magazine | December 2018

306 307 BVM: Are you annexing that acreage into the city? Hayes: “Yes,we are annexing that area now. Be- cause of the JPA, the county has acknowledged that the property will be part of the city.We’ll have the infrastructure services to that area, and we’re accept- ing voluntary applications at no cost to land owners to annex.That 1,300 acres, in the near future,will be annexed into the city, and we’ll have those basic services (water services, police, fire, and fiber) afford- ed to them. “As part of the process,we have strategic partner- ships with developers, as well as engineering firms, government partners, consultants, and several great public-private partnerships.The city has hired an Economic Development Manager to carry out the objectives set out by our Lake County Commission- ers and City Council. Last year,we jointly hired an economic development consultant to implement division of the two, so we can see the Wolf Branch Innovation District area developed in the way we all feel it should be for the future.” BVM: How do tourism and recreation factor into your city’s economic growth? Hayes: “We expect to increase tourism in the city as part of our Economic Development growth plans.Mount Dora is proud to have 30-plus events throughout the year, including festivals and cor- nerstone events.There are three to four weekends, annually,where the city hosts close to 250,000 peo- MOUNT DORA, FLORIDA ple in a single day.We are a critical contributor to Lake County’s tourism dollars–we drive the beds and restaurants on those weekends to full capacity.The great thing is they return to visit Mount Dora and our boutiques and eateries.Our strong tourist season continues to be October 1st to the end of April. “We’ve worked tirelessly to make sure our parks and rec system attracts families, as well as the adult community.This includes pickle ball courts, lawn bowling, boating on Lake Dora, and other activities for all ages.We’re also expanding our trail system, in terms of mobility, infrastruc- ture, and greenspace, connecting it to other parks and recreation facilities, and the Wekiva, West Orange, and Seminole Trails.We’ve part- nered on the trail expansion with Lake County and other cities in the area, so we’re looking forward to seeing the trails as a major function in our downtown and all through the Innovation District.Any developers that present packages in that District have to include connectivity to the trail system.” McDonald: “We have four parks within walking distance to each other. Gilbert Park has a large, new playground; Palm Island features walking