Panther Run, the largest development within Lake County’s Wellness Way corridor, will transform one of the region’s most significant land acquisitions into a mixed-use community while preserving nearly three-quarters of the property as permanent open space.

The property, purchased by Fort Lauderdale-based GT USA for $165 million in September 2024, represents the largest land sale in Lake County history.

The development is expected to become a major employment center for South Lake County, featuring more than one million square feet of commercial and employment space capable of supporting more than 3,000 jobs.

County officials anticipate the project will attract employers in sectors including healthcare, finance, technology, research and development, advanced manufacturing, hospitality and tourism. The community also includes tourist-home accommodations projected to generate approximately $6 million annually in tourist development tax revenue. According to Doug Bruk, COO of GT USA, Pulte Homes is under contract to purchase some of the property for a Tourist Home community.

“We appreciate this opportunity to partner with Lake County on the execution of this portion of Wellness Way, where GT USA has designed a site with the stakeholders’ needs in mind,” said Bruk. “Our priorities include employment opportunities, improved roadways, expansive open spaces and a wildlife corridor that will benefit residents throughout Lake County.”  Bruk said the company is also working with Lake County on plans for a proposed public safety complex and a new high school to serve the area’s growing population.

A defining feature of Panther Run is its commitment to environmental preservation. Approximately 72.5 percent of the 2,241-acre property will remain undeveloped, encompassing lakes, wetlands, uplands, conservation areas and more than two square miles of protected open space.

The development will include a wildlife corridor designed to close a critical gap in the Florida Wildlife Corridor, supporting wildlife movement between North and South Florida. A two-mile nature trail will provide public access through portions of the preserved landscape.

Developers note that, despite the project’s name, Florida panthers do not inhabit the property. The name “Panther Run” was chosen to reflect the community’s emphasis on conservation and environmental stewardship.

Residential development will occupy approximately 16 percent of the site, with about 2,600 homes planned under Lake County’s Wellness Way Comprehensive Plan first adopted in 2016. The neighborhoods are designed to accommodate a range of residents, from first-time homebuyers to working professionals and retirees.

The community plan includes:

• More than 11 miles of walking, jogging and cycling trails.
• Twenty neighborhood parks.
• Low-density residential neighborhoods integrated with preserved natural areas.
• Extensive open space promoting outdoor recreation and healthy lifestyles.

Infrastructure improvements are expected to provide significant traffic relief for South Lake County.

More than four miles of new roadway will extend County Road 455 and create a direct connection to State Road 516, improving access throughout the Wellness Way corridor while reducing congestion in south Clermont and surrounding Sawgrass Bay neighborhoods.

Project representatives emphasized that Panther Run is consistent with Lake County’s long-term planning objectives and does not require amendments to the county’s Comprehensive Plan.

“The county provided the vision for Wellness Way in its Comprehensive Plan, first approved in 2016,” said Tara Tedrow, a land-use attorney with Orlando-based Lowndes, which represents the project. “The Panther Run plan meets, and in some cases exceeds, the county’s requirements. We are not seeking amendments to the Comprehensive Plan, only the planned unit development approval required under county policy.”

In addition to residential and employment uses, Panther Run reserves land for future public facilities, including:

• A proposed high school serving South Lake County.
• An eight-acre public safety complex with a fire station and sheriff’s substation.
• Expanded roadway infrastructure supporting regional growth.

Looking Ahead: GT USA expects construction on Panther Run to begin during the first quarter of 2027. The company will host a public open house on August 10 from 5 to 7 pm at the Clermont Arts and Recreation Center, where residents can learn more about the proposed development and its plans for the Wellness Way corridor.

As the largest project within Lake County’s Wellness Way initiative, Panther Run is positioned to become a model for balanced growth—combining job creation, transportation improvements, environmental conservation and thoughtfully planned neighborhoods into a community designed for future generations.

Based on materials prepared by Doris Bloodsworth, New Florida Media

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• United States Senator –  Ashley Moody
  
• Representative In Congress District 6 – Randy Fine
  
• Representative In Congress District 11 – Carey Baker
  
• Governor and Lieutenant Governor – Byron Donalds
  
• Attorney General – James Uthmeier
  
• Chief Financial Officer  – Blaise Ingoglia
  
• Commissioner of Agriculture – Wilton Simpson
  
• State Representative District 25 – Taylor Yarkosky
  
• State Representative District 26 – Nan Cobb
  
• State Representative District 27 – Richard Gentry
  
• Board of County Commissioners District 2 – Sean Parks
  
• Board of County Commissioners District 4 – Leslie Campione
  
• North Lake County Hospital District Board of Trustees (Northeast Territory, Seat 2) – Reginald A. Ward
  
• North Lake County Hospital District Board of Trustees (Northwest Territory, Seat 4) –  Ricky Harper
  
• Circuit Judge, 5th Judicial Circuit Group 27 – Nicole M. Morris
  
• School Board District 1 – Pat Kelley
  
• Clermont City Council Seat 3 (Mayor) – Tim Murry
  
• Clermont City Council Seat 5  – William “Bill” Petersen
  
• Groveland City Council District 1 (Mayor) – Keith “Chef” Keogh 
• Groveland City Council District 3 – Barbara Gaines
  
• Groveland City Council District 5 – Amy Jo Carroll
  
• Lake County School Board Resolution 2026-02 – Yes

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Sgt. Landis Delp manages the yearly event that includes a tropical-themed setting and a car show that can keep vintage vehicle enthusiasts busy for hours. This year’s event drew 50+ themed cars, trucks and jeeps of all kinds and varieties. Marcos Pizza and other area vendors provided yummy treats and giveaways for the well-attended event.

 

Sgt. Delp gives credit to the dozens of annual supporters, volunteers, city employees and sponsors that make the program a success every year.  Ace Hardware not only provides outdoor space for the event but also provides a large toy drop-off stage inside the store that includes Rudolph, a sleigh and a background beach scene complete with Florida-style Christmas palms.

 

The program served 300+ families last year, including 1,447 children that otherwise might not have had a joyful Christmas morning complete with toys.

“We don’t just provide a variety of toys for the parents to choose from. We have an application process that allows parents to indicate what their child or children would like to have, and we make every effort to make that happen for them,” says Sgt. Delp. The program also provides a bag of toys per child, when possible, versus just one favorite.

The application process will begin in October and can be found on the City of Groveland’s website at www.Groveland-FL-Gov.

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Sponsors and individual supporters who would like to help can reach Sgt. Delp at 352-429-4166 or email Landis.Delp@Groveland-FL.Gov.

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The Clermont Seventh-Day Adventist Church, in partnership with the Clermont Fire Department Education Division, is hosting CPR certification classes for the entire community at the Christian Life Center, 460 West Montrose St., Clermont .

There are two opportunities to become American Heart Association (AHA) Heartsaver CPR certified:
• August 16
• September 20

CPR is a simple yet lifesaving skill that can make the difference between life and death while waiting for emergency responders to arrive. You do not need to be a healthcare professional to save a life—you simply need the knowledge and confidence to act.

Be prepared. Be confident. Be the difference.

To pre-register and reserve your spot, send a direct message or email: Wellness.ClermontSDA@gmail.com

The post A Few Hours Can Save a Lifetime! Be A Community Heart Saver (August 16 and September 20) appeared first on South Lake Tablet.

The fireworks may be over, but the celebration is just getting started. The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA),2416 North Mills Avenue, Orlando, invites visitors to keep marking America’s Semiquincentennial – the 250th anniversary of the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence – with USA 250: 250 Years on the Road to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

While July 4 kicked off a year of national reflection, USA 250 gives Central Floridians months more to explore what 250 years of American life has looked like, through photography, painting, printmaking, collage, etching, and weaving that map the country’s landscapes, labor, movements, and ideals.

Envisioned as a road trip across the United States, USA 250 trails significant historical points of view where artists have recognized, responded to, or documented changing human experiences. The earliest painting on view hails from the late 19th-century Hudson River School and is displayed alongside works across media, extending into the contemporary era.

Each wall in the exhibition corresponds to one of five geographical regions, beginning with the Southeast and moving counterclockwise through the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, the Midwest, the North and Northwest, and concluding with the Southwest. Visitors can take the wheel and choose their own route – from photographs of the National Parks and Depression-era landscapes to paintings of American labor and Pop Art prints commissioned for the 1976 Bicentennial.

The exhibition features works by some of the most recognized names in American art, including Fritz Scholder, Grant Wood, Ansel Adams, Thomas Moran, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Indiana, and Alfred Stieglitz, among others.

“In curating this exhibition, I wanted to share a breadth of experiences across the vast landscape that is the United States. Working with images and objects from our collection that recall the latter half of the 250 years since the American Revolution, a picture emerged of a nation that progressed through the Second Industrial Revolution and ushered in scientific, technological, social, urban, rural and environmental transformations,” said Katherine Page, associate curator at OMA. “Artists have been at the forefront of visualizing and recording those changes. As we honor the 250th anniversary of an ever-evolving country, I want visitors to dream and celebrate what the next 250 years of our future could hold.”

Also on view is an extension of the museum’s Echoes of the Ancient in Contemporary Voices exhibition: Mateo Blanco’s Arhuaco Flag (2025), a naturally dyed, handwoven cotton flag created in collaboration with the Arhuaco Indigenous people of Colombia and courtesy of the artist. The American flag represents Blanco’s journey, commemorates the nation’s 250th anniversary, and reflects on the enduring spirit of a country built on freedom, resilience, and the belief that everyone’s story matters. 

USA 250 is on view at OMA through October 4.

For more information about the Orlando Museum of Art and upcoming events, please visit www.omart.org.

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About the Orlando Museum of Art: Founded in 1924, the Orlando Museum of Art is a leading cultural institution in the Southeast, dedicated to stimulating creativity and intellectual curiosity by connecting people from all backgrounds and experiences with compelling art and new ideas.

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For the past five years, The Mascotte Church has provided school supplies and backpacks to help children start the school year equipped for success. The event is open to local students, and children must be present to receive a backpack.

In addition to the backpack giveaway, attendees will have access to dental services provided by community partners:

• Free dental exams and teeth cleanings for children ages 8–18
• Adult dental exams and cleanings available for $89.00

The Mascotte Church extends its sincere gratitude to the sponsors and supporters whose generosity makes this community outreach possible: Office Depot – Clermont;  Diane DeBolt, Ruth Adams, Ed Taylor, Barb Krull.

“The Church That Feels Like Home” remains dedicated to serving the Mascotte community through programs that support children, families, and education.

Community members are encouraged to follow The Mascotte Church on Facebook for updates on this and other upcoming events.

The post The Mascotte Church Hosts 5th Annual Ready for School Backpack Giveaway (August 1) appeared first on South Lake Tablet.

On behalf of the IAED Board of Accreditation, Lake County was officially approved as an Emergency Medical Dispatch and Emergency Fire Dispatch Center of Excellence. The department remains among an elite group of emergency dispatch centers worldwide, recognized as the 125th accredited Emergency Medical Dispatch Center of Excellence and the 23rd accredited Emergency Fire Dispatch Center of Excellence.

IAED accreditation is the highest distinction awarded to emergency communications centers and recognizes agencies that demonstrate strong local oversight, rigorous quality processes, and a commitment to data-driven continuous improvement. The designation is valid for three years and recognizes agencies that consistently meet the highest standards in emergency dispatch.

Chief Buchanan and the Lake County Fire Rescue Emergency Dispatch Quality Assurance Team will also be recognized as Lake County’s Team of the Quarter during the Lake County Board of County Commissioners meeting on July 28 for their leadership and dedication in achieving this accomplishment.

Lake County Fire Rescue is honored to maintain this prestigious international recognition and remains committed to providing exceptional emergency communications and service to the residents and visitors of Lake County.

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