$750K property deal meant to ease traffic

City developing plans to address problems on West Fairbanks

Winter Park is spending $750,000 to buy a land parcel on West Fairbanks — a crucial purchase for its plan to ease traffic along the busy corridor.

Commissioners approved a deal with Imperial Laundry & Dry Cleaners this week during a meeting of Winter Park’s Community Redevelopment Agency, which oversees a special district of city and county tax revenues.

Winter Park’s real estate broker has been trying to negotiate purchases for several other properties on the north side of Fairbanks between South Denning Drive and Ward Avenue. Many owners, including of Imperial, declined the city’s previous attempts to buy.

But negotiations have reached a turning point, city officials said this week.

Imperial’s owners, the Mills family, agreed to sell the lot at 901 W. Fairbanks Ave for $450,000 and its dry cleaning business for $300,000.

Acquiring Imperial’s corner lot was critical to any future plans, said Commissioner Sheila DeCiccio.

“The number one problem facing the city right now is traf

fic — no matter who you talk to, they will just give you some horror story,” she said. “The only way to actually work on our traffic problems is to purchase this property.”

Options proposed by city staff include adding a right turn lane on Denning to Fairbanks and constructing a parking lot, crosswalks and a bicycle path on the land near the south end of MLK Jr. Park.

Only $1 million is earmarked from the taxing district for traffic improvements to the Fairbanks and Denning intersection, so the city will need to reallocate money for future property deals.

Fairbanks, LLC., which owns an acre occupied by popular businesses such as Austin’s Coffee and Vines & Forks restaurant, is willing to sell its parcel for $3 million.

Before a deal is reached, the city has to pay a non-refundable fee of $5,000 to enter a purchase agreement that would provide information on current tenants and an analysis of the property.

“One thing we don’t know... is the existing leases on those four buildings,” said City Manager Randy Knight. “It may be three or four years before we can take one of those buildings down, we don’t know.”

The city is also pursuing properties along Fairbanks that house Spatz Deli & Billiard Liquor, KrungThep Tea Time and shuttered Magnolias Salon & Spa.

If Knight can’t reach an agreement with other land owners, commissioners talked last month about the city possibly invoking eminent domain, which is a government’s right to take private property for public use while compensating the owner.

Despite initial reluctance to sell, Imperial’s co-owner Allen Mills told the Orlando Sentinel that the city has been “fair, open, and honest” during negotiations with his family.

Imperial has been operating at the 6,814-squarefoot lot in Winter Park since 1965. The Mills family purchased the property 10 years later for $17,500, or about $82,000 adjusted for inflation.

Orange County property records list the current market value for the land and building at $309,334. The dry cleaner has other locations in Altamonte Springs and Apopka.

“Many emotions are involved but we have to face the fact that our city has to control the growth while maintaining the quality of life for everyone,” Mills said in a statement. “Traffic congestion is bad on that corner. Our city commissioners are right to be proactive and solve this problem now.”