Turnpike interchange opening today may spur Minneola growth

Completion of a new Florida’s Turnpike interchange in south Lake County brings the promise of faster commutes into Orlando and another wave of residential development into burgeoning bedroom communities.

The interchange at mile marker 279 opens today after a 5K run. Then cars get to take over.

More than 50,000 drivers already travel that stretch of the turnpike every day and the impact of the $29 million Minneola interchange is expected to ripple into diversified growth — 10,000 homes are approved for construction in the immediate area.

“We see the potential for as many as 7,000 direct and indirect jobs and as much as a $1 billion impact in the region,” Lake County Commission Chairman Tim Sullivan said.

Minneola, a city of 11,133 people, is 30 miles west of Orlando and abuts the northern side of Clermont. With construction of the new crossroads, it could triple the city’s population during the next 20 years and, Minneola Mayor Pat Kelley said, become “the gateway to Central Florida.”

“Right now, we’re starting to have a lot of people knock on our doors,” he said.

Already, subdivisions such as The Hills of Minneola, which surrounds the interchange, intend to construct nearly 4,000 homes with a charter school slated to be built to the north. To the east near Lake Apopka, another 800 homes and a golf course are planned in a development called Bella Collina.

For some city officials, the goal has been to navigate the growth to preserve a neighborly region open to bikers and walkers. Earlier this year, Kelley and two other city council members voted against annexing land to construct 250 homes on 33 acres.

“Right now, we’re just taking it easy,” he said. “Let’s build a little bit more and start getting some in.”

City officials envision new construction to also add commercial development, much of it to be built around the new turnpike intersection.

“Most of our population does work in Orlando,” said Mark Johnson, Minneola’s city manager. “This project will generate commercial office space and also some industrial office space so there’s more of an opportunity to live and work in Minneola.”

The new road is layered with paved “pedestrian paths,” grassy strips and marked bike lanes. Toll gantries, which register fees from transponders or conduct a toll-by-plate charge, are placed at the turnpike’s northbound exit ramp and its southbound entry ramp. Motorists will be charged 79 cents with SunPass and $1.06 by scanning a license plate, not including a possible administrative fee.

But for those driving from infrastructure