A property owner in west Ocala is seeking preliminary approval for a planned development that will feature 468 apartment units and several acres of commercial and retail space.
Agent Paolo Mastroserio will present the rezoning request to the Ocala Planning and Zoning Commission on behalf of his client, CHI Ocala Rancho, LLC, during the commission’s regular meeting on Monday, October 21.
Located at 5019 W State Road 40, the property in question is comprised of two parcels totaling 30.49 acres. The site is partially unzoned and partially zoned as B-5 (wholesale business), according to county records.
An image from Boyd Real Estate obtained through LoopNet.com shows a rendering of the potential multi-family and commercial development in west Ocala.
According to property records, CHI Ocala Rancho, LLC purchased the 27.27-acre parcel for $4,400,000 in March 2022. The organization purchased the remaining 3.22-acre parcel for $225,000 in April 2023.
State corporate records show that CHI Ocala Rancho, LLC, is registered to Steven Mendez, who owns multiple businesses in Ocala.
According to the city staff report, in 2022, the larger parcel was annexed into the city. At the time, the owner requested a future land use change to Employment Center, telling city staff of their intent to eventually rezone to a PD.
Previously, the property has been used for agricultural purposes. Three single-family residences were built on the site decades ago. The property currently has an agricultural exemption, according to Marion County Tax Collector records.
The proposed development would be situated just a mile from the Interstate 75 and W SR 40 interchange.
According to the staff report, around 5.54 acres of the property would be used for commercial and retail development, with frontage along W Silver Springs Boulevard.
The multi-family residential portion will be located to the rear of the property and will consist of approximately 24.58 acres, according to the city staff report.
In November 2023, a neighborhood meeting was held between the agent and nearby residents, who asked questions about proposed uses and buffers at the property.
The staff report indicates that one of the most important factors of this particular PD rezoning request is that it introduces “multi-family residential uses to a predominately commercial and industrial area.”
The city says that residential uses in that part of the city will promote “more housing options within” in west Ocala.
“The Live Local Act was designed to accomplish similar (affordable) residential allowances in commercial and industrial areas to provide more housing options to address local, regional, and statewide housing shortages. Further this approach attempts to provide housing options in closer proximity to employment options, limiting demand on the transportation system,” reads the city staff report.
Regardless of the recommendation by the Ocala PZC, the rezoning request will have its first reading during the Ocala City Council meeting on November 5.
It will have its second and final reading, as well as a vote on its adoption, during the November 19 meeting of the Ocala City Council.
The Ocala Planning and Zoning Commission will meet at Ocala City Hall (110 SE Watula Avenue) at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, October 21.
