State Grant Could Fund City's Industrial Park Dreams

    A partnership with the State of Florida has the City of Umatilla close to securing the funds necessary to build the infrastructure for a new community industrial park. In the last week, the city has announced it is in line for millions of dollars via a state jobs initiative that could allow for the park’s necessary infrastructure to be created at zero, or nearly zero cost to the city.
   City Director of Development and Public Services, Aaron Mercer, this week provided details to the program which was initially outlined during last week’s meeting of the Umatilla City Council. Mercer said the city last year was awarded $482,500 toward the project, with this year’s potential allocation sizing up to be much more.
   “The most recent grant application was for $4,873,788.20 from Florida Commerce’s Florida Job Growth Grant Fund.”
   Mercer said the city hopes to hear within the coming months that the grant has been formally awarded.
   Loosely known as the Lake Fern Industrial Park, the city is looking to develop its former sprayfied and percolation ponds into a new area for job creation. The city is looking to repurpose former land used as part of its wastewater operations, as that facility was recently greatly reduced due to the city now pumping its wastewater to Eustis.
   Previously, the city had entered into an agreement with the Phillips corporation - currently located south of the city along SR 19, to build a new manufacturing facility on the former sprayfield, and the hope is to develop additional sites in the area for new commercial use.
   “The preliminary plat for 3-6 acre lots hasn’t been submitted to the city council as of yet,” Mercer said. “We’ve been waiting on this new funding. As soon as it gets awarded, we can move forward.”
   The grant is expected to pay for the infrastructure necessary to make the area ready for ‘vertical’ construction.
   “The water, sewer, roads, and stormwater are all-inclusive of the funding award,” Mercer said.
   Aside from the grant funding, the city remains in discussions with Florida's Natural to secure road right-of-way off Golden Gem Drive, a necessary part of the project, as the city needs to expand the road running off Golden Gem Drive to the site of the new industrial park.