Habitat for Humanity Steps In to Revive 24-Unit Apopka Townhome Project
A failed affordable housing development in downtown Apopka is getting a second chance. Apopka Townhomes, a 24-unit project at 350 E. Sixth St., is being revived under new ownership after its original developer couldn’t get it across the finish line.
What Happened to the Original Apopka Townhomes Project?
A nonprofit land trust spent years trying to build 24 affordable townhomes on this site but ran out of financial runway. Hannibal Square Community Land Trust, a Winter Park-based nonprofit, acquired the 2.5-acre parcel back in 2019 with plans for an estimated $8.1 million development of 24 three-bedroom townhomes. The project, designed by Canin Associates, called for six buildings with glass front doors, pastel blue and green accents, rear-loaded garages, and a shared pocket park and pavilion. But the trust ultimately couldn’t secure the financial backing to complete it, and Orange County terminated its developer’s agreement after the nonprofit ran into financial trouble and failed to make sufficient progress.
What Is Habitat for Humanity Planning Now?
Habitat for Humanity Seminole-Apopka purchased the property last month and is moving forward with substantially the same 24-unit plan. “Last month, Habitat for Humanity bought this property, and if you’re aware of the history of the property, another not-for-profit owned it and tried to develop these townhomes and didn’t have the financial wherewithal to make it happen,” Ed Schrank, Habitat’s chief construction officer, told Apopka’s Development Review Committee. The application is filed as a re-permit under the same project name, with construction documents carrying over from the earlier approved plans.
What Challenges Does the Project Still Face?
Habitat says it can’t afford to lose any of the 24 units and still make the project financially viable, and still needs to raise about $3 million beyond expected home-sale proceeds. City staff identified several outstanding comments that need to be resolved before the site plan can move forward, though the project’s density already complies with the property’s zoning allowance. “A private developer couldn’t make this project work as designed, but we can and we will,” Schrank told the committee, asking staff to distinguish between code-required changes and merely desirable ones. Apopka’s planning and zoning manager said the project doesn’t require public hearings and can be approved at the committee level once the remaining issues are worked out — and that the city is committed to helping get it built.
What Will the Community Look Like?
The plan calls for 24 three-bedroom, 2.5-bath townhomes, each with a one-car garage, built for low- to moderate-income families. Homes are designed at 1,667 square feet, split evenly between families earning 50-80% of the area median income and those earning 80-120%. The site sits blocks from Apopka’s planned City Center, within a designated Opportunity Zone. Habitat’s own renderings for the project — branded “An Apopka Townhome Community” — show a modern townhome row with warm lighting, landscaped walkways, and a clean, contemporary look.
What This Means
Right now, the site still looks like what it’s been for years: a vacant, overgrown lot behind a leftover “For Sale” sign. But with Habitat now in the driver’s seat and the city expressing genuine support for getting this across the finish line, this is a project worth watching. Twenty-four families finding an affordable path to homeownership in downtown Apopka would be a real win for the community.
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