OCALA, FL (352today.com) – This Wednesday morning, Oct. 18, the City of Ocala and the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership (CEP) showcased new developments arriving in the metropolitan area this year and in the coming decades.
The CEP announced two new projects at its monthly exCEPtional Mornings event, both of which promise to bring jobs to the Ocala economy.
Antebellum Manufacturing, an already established fencing company near downtown Ocala, is looking at an expansion near the Ocala/Marion County Commerce Park: the huge expanse of massive logistics buildings north of US-27 and I-75. They say this $25 million development will create nearly 200 jobs with wages exceeding the county average.
Meanwhile, Averitt Express, a transportation and supply chain management company, will be filling the last open slot of the commerce park. This $30 million development is projected to create at least 32 jobs with an average wage of $69,000. The company also teased it might already be looking to expand the new facility.
exCEPtional Mornings is also home to the annual “State of the City” address. This year, Ocala City Manager Peter Lee took the stage to address the crowd about current challenges, strategies and plans in Ocala’s development.
“Change is really the only constant in the City of Ocala,” he said.
Lee began with an overview of Ocala’s recent growth. While the actual population is around 60,000, the daytime population – which is mostly people commuting to town for work – is three or four times that, according to Lee.
Lee added that the biggest challenge currently facing city planners is affordable housing.
“In our economy, we have a shortage of about 4,000 affordable units,” said Lee. “It affects our professionals, our teachers, our firefighters, our police officers, people working in retail. It’s a tough time to find housing and to be able to afford it.”
Lee added it will take years to address this complex issue, but there are already about 200 units under construction in Ocala right now, as well as others across the county. One large housing development is coming to the west side of town, near the commerce park and other new developments like the Ocala Wetland Recharge Park and the Mary Sue Rich Community Center. Continuing to develop this historic area is still one of the city’s top priorities.
Another top priority for Ocala is also a complicated issue: homelessness prevention. Lee says the city will continue to collaborate with county officials and private sectors to develop solutions.
Additionally, Lee provided updates to the 2035 and 2050 visions for the City of Ocala. Although the 2035 vision was put on hold during the pandemic in 2020, it’s back on track as of last month, September 2023. It must still be adopted by the city council, however.
Many plans through 2035 focus on downtown Ocala. According to Lee, some plans for the area include phasing out surface parking lots, beginning work on another parking garage and creating an underground garbage collection system. Nearby parks will be getting some extra love, too. Tuscawilla Park and the Ocala Skate Park will both receive upgrades through 2024.
“Downtown gets complex,” said Lee. “The more activity we get, the more we scratch our heads and go, ‘Okay, now we’ve got this new problem. How do we fix it?’ But we do good with that. It’s a good problem to have.”
Public transit throughout the city will also see some developments in the next few years, according to Lee, including buses around town and taxis at the Ocala International Airport.
This fiscal year is the first in which Ocala’s budget has exceeded $1 billion. Even so, the millage rate (which affects property taxes) has remained consistent for nine years in a row.
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The largest portion of that budget will go toward public safety, especially the Ocala Police Department (OPD), which has also implemented a new policing infrastructure. Since the changes, OPD reports violent crimes are down about 3%, property crimes are down about 7% and the average emergency response time is down from over three minutes to just over a minute and a half.
Several new water projects are also in the works, thanks to a $1.75 million grant provided during the 2023 legislative session. A new water treatment facility will provide direct aquifer access as an additional clean water supply for the city. Lee said the city will also work to decrease nutrient loading in the Silver and Rainbow River basins, as well as expanding sanitary sewer collection to reduce the number of septic systems needed in Ocala.
The city also received another $8 million grant to develop Northwest 44th Avenue, which is expected to be open before the end of the year. The road runs parallel to I-75, on its west side.