By Salma Dhalla
Herald Intern
Sanford city officials are once again discussing what to do with Heritage Park, a long-delayed project in the city’s historic downtown near Lake Monroe. The site, which covers more than five acres, has remained mostly unused since 2017, even though it is in a valuable location near the waterfront and important city buildings.
The original plan for Heritage Park included a mix of restaurants, retail shops, office space, apartments, and parking. However, in 2024, the city ended its agreement with its developer after disagreements about the direction of the project. Sanford paid $3.75 million to cancel the deal, making city leaders more careful as they decide what to do next.
Now, commissioners are split between two main options. Some want to continue working with a new developer to create a mixed-use space that could bring more people and businesses to downtown. Others believe it may be easier to sell the land and let developers build within the current zoning rules.
Mayor Art Woodruff said in an interview recently that the city is rethinking how it chooses developers moving forward. “We’re sort of revising that process,” he explained, adding that the city may either ask developers to share their ideas or have the city guide the plans more directly. He still believes the project could help grow the downtown area, calling it a “catalyst” for economic activity.
However, not all officials agree on how realistic that vision is. Commissioner Patrick Austin also said in a recent interview that developers are more likely to invest if the project includes housing. “The ROI (return on investment) is not an empty retail space… The ROI is beds and heads,” he said, emphasizing that residential buildings are often what make projects financially successful. He also adds the fact that it may be best to sell the properties as he is afraid that “our Sanford rosy glasses are maybe a little too narrow-minded as to what the possibilities are.”
Planning Director Eileen Hinson also warned about selling the property. She explained that if the city sells the land, it would lose control over what gets built. “If you sell the property, you don’t have any cards,” Hinson said, noting that developers could choose to build mostly apartments instead of a balanced space for everyone to enjoy.
For now, no final decision has been made. City staff are researching property values and looking at examples from other cities. Mayor Woodruff added that he would “rather do it right than just say I got it done.” He understands that “there’s criticism about the $4 million” but argues that it
would save another $8 million that they would have put into a project that Sanford may “no longer want to do,” showing the bright side of this situation.
