Think about it, what other city has a lakefront that is mostly off the tax rolls?
Do you know of another one that has the potential that Sanford's Lake Monroe waterfront has?
Why hasn't our fair city's waterfront boomed?
Well, it did just about a hundred years ago when the Hotel Forrest Lake, (later the Hotel Mayfair) was the anchor of Sanford's fame and wealth. (That didn't end too well) Since then, not much attention has been given to it. Yes, a marina was built but by that time the highways had bypassed downtown Sanford so the Holiday Inn there wasn't a rousing success.
The recent buyout of the contract that the city had with the Coral Gables bunch should give the planners some breathing room. Maybe they can look at the big picture. The big picture includes the concrete seawall from Oak/Riverview to Mellonville Avenue.
What is there now? Starting from the west, heading east you see a bunch of two story apartments. Is this the highest and best use of lakefront property?
Next is the aptly named HCA Lake Monroe Hospital, the only real taxpaying entity that brings a chunk of money into the coffers of city government.
Not helping the hospital and surrounding businesses is Stinky, Sanford's world famous sewer plant. No tax money there.
Just east of Stinky, Sanford has located its Public Works Department. Do you know of any other city that has its public works department on some of its most valuable lakefront?
Between public works and French Avenue is a vacant strip which was the city dump eighty years ago. Probably old tires and refrigerators under there.
East of French are more low profile apartments and then Gateway at Riverwalk, an attempt to take advantage of the location.
Sanford's City Hall replaced a beautiful 1920s stucco building. The money to construct it came from a government grant based on a projection of a 100,000 population which was to be achieved about twenty years ago. The architecture is similar to some of the dormitories at the University of Florida. At first, the city did not occupy the first floor, just the second. It has one elevator, the world's slowest.
Across Park Avenue is the 1970 courthouse, many times mistaken for a hotel by visitors to the area. It is mostly abandoned, especially since the City Manager and a former mayor appeared before the County Commission and said, "By the way we have just signed an agreement to sell your parking lot to an upstanding crowd from Coral Gables."
The block to the east is still used sparingly by inhabitants of the courthouse. They don't dare park in the city hall parking lot as the city will have them towed.
To be Continued
