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Ocala
Friday, March 29, 2024

Crystal Park Apartments receives preliminary approval for 130-unit complex

Crystal Park Apartments received preliminary approval from the Ocala Planning and Zoning Commission for its proposed 130-unit complex in northwest Ocala.

During Monday’s meeting of the commission, representatives of the property received approval for the planned development (PD) plan on the 13-acre parcel located in the 1400 block on the west side of NW 27th Avenue.

Crystal Park Apartments in northwest Ocala
Crystal Park Apartments is planned for NW 27th Avenue in Ocala, Florida

According to city records, the property was previously approved as a PUD-10 and never commenced. A conceptual plan was submitted to amend the classification, but the project did not move forward immediately and a code change eliminated the PUD zoning district by consolidating it with the PD zoning into a single district.

The proposed conceptual plan shows the community will create approximately 130 units of affordable housing by constructing 17 residential buildings, each with 6-unit, 7-unit, or 10-unit layouts. The plan also calls for a community center.

According to city records, the proposed community will generate fewer than 100 peak hour trips and, as a result, will not require a traffic study.

Although the previous PUD zoning conceptual plan was approved by the PZC and Ocala City Council, the final plan never received approval from the governing bodies. Now that the new PD has been recommended for approval, the Ocala City Council will hear the matter during its meeting on Tuesday, December 21.

The northwest Ocala complex joins a long slate of similar projects in various stages of development across the city and county.

That includes the Ocala South Townhomes, a 280-unit development planned for a 36-acre tract located on the east side of SW 60th Avenue, south of SW 52nd Street, and north of SR 200. The townhomes will have a “cottage style” feel and will offer 3-bedroom/2-bathroom and 2-bedroom/2-bathroom layouts.

Earlier this week, the Tuscawilla Artpartments near downtown Ocala celebrated its grand opening. The new, 27-unit complex is located across from Tuscawilla Park and offers one, two, and three-bedroom options. Rental rates start at $1,195, according to the leasing office website.

Additional projects in downtown Ocala that have received approval in the past year include the Brick City Lofts and Lamplighter Legacy Apartments, which plans to build over 100 apartment units near Eighth Street Elementary School. The city believes that development will have a projected $30 million impact on the city’s economy, according to Ocala City Manager Sandra Wilson.