The Villages Construction Update #147 - Meggison & 470 the Mystery Starts to Unfold
 

Here's my latest construction update that premieres at 3:00 PM Sunday 8/4/24
https://youtu.be/weOWCUliceg

Nice video Don. Thanks for flying over the new area south 470/Dabney. I guess we won't live in the vast wasteland people say we are in for very long. :D. I want to see them digging a multi modal tunnel from Megisson under 470.

Jam-packed video! So much new construction all going on at once. The future of The Villages is so exciting! Thanks Don for another fine segment.

Your overhead view of the Marbella Villas is interesting. Will the paths in place be for carts only? They look to me that they will be used by cars to access the homesites too. And since they appear to be narrow that would mean in no street parking!

Considering there are no plans for any such tunnel (TV does not own that property, and we know that they no longer build MMPs to areas they do not own), that commercial area is not going to be golf cart accessible...

It is Villages property.

Says who? Certainly not Don Wiley...

He only mentions that "The City of Leesburg" is involved...

But, to quote the Beach Boys, "Maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray
It might come true"...

I actually look at the maps.

The dark green is Villages property, light green is not. I flipped the image so it's oriented as in Don's video...

https://i.imgur.com/ryUyLHnl.png

The area being cleared in this pic very much appears to be Villages property. Use where Megisson comes out at 470 for orientation.

https://i.imgur.com/273huuNl.png

Thanks a lot Don!

That may or may not be true...

Regardless, there are ZERO plans in the works for either a tunnel or a bridge to cross SR-270...

Look at the plots on the Lake County GIS and the property owner has an address that is used by the developer.

The smaller plot between the waste treatment plant and the turnpike exit has a different owner and is the "speculated" site of the apartments and retail.

I don’t understand. Do you think I fabricated the map? It’s from the Villages website and shows that they own this land.

Regarding a tunnel, obviously, I was just writing a hopeful speculative post.

You must be a lot of fun at parties.

Just golf carts, at the north end there is an obstruction to stop the cars, the same will happen at the south end. The streets are normal for CYVs, street side parking is typically not done in CYV communities because, yes, the streets are slightly narrower.

This is property owned by The Villages, they also filed the permits for the work going on. I’m digging for the information on what is going in, right now none of my sources are talking and aren’t event willing to drop a hint.

Here’s a screen shot from Landglide.

As far as a tunnel goes, they had the same challenge at Meggison and Warm Springs when they were widening Warm Springs. I have little doubt they will be doing the same thing here, because remember, they have a contract to widen 470 from Chandler to the Sumter County line.

Thanks for the updates Don! Can't wait to see how this evolves.

It will be interesting to see what FDOT comes up with for the Turnpike/470 interchange widening.

Well the update/replace the current or do something new?

And there are multiple tunnels under Central Parkway AKA 470.

I think they own more than that little plot. I think they own a large area going south along the turnpike.

I dont think the developer buys small plots - not worth it for them.

They certainly do. Also, depending on what happens with the turnpike expansion and potential new bridge, this could all connect to Eastport area.

JMintzer seems to be a pessimist even with the facts in the thread.

It's okay to admit you were mistaken JM...

https://i.imgur.com/Hb9XZW4m.png


Again, dark green=Villages owned. The part being cleared is a tiny bit, as you mentioned. There's tons more land.

https://i.imgur.com/9O20mstl.png

Given 470 was completely rerouted in Sumter County, what makes you think 470 will be where it is today?

They’ll go under 470, then across the turnpike further south, around the middle of the picture

That seems likely to me also.

Maybe also with a new Turnpike/470 interchange south of the current.

That sounds reasonable. Not great for me in Lake Denham as a further south bridge won’t make Eastport closer than it is now over Bexley. But it’s not that bad of a ride at 20 minutes by cart so I’ll survive.

The adjacent property is also owned by a Villages shell company, note the address in the attached picture. This is all a part of the 550 acres that was purchased 2 or 3 years ago. Just the other side of the Turnpike is the Secret Promise property that was purchased last year by the Villages developer. Linking these properties is essential for the future growth, and while nothing has been announced to-date about connectivity, there are currently 4 possible options:
- a multimodal lane similar to the Bexley Bridge when 470 is widened
- tunnels under 470 to connect the southern properties in question, doing this will be easy in the 470 widening just like it was done at Warm Springs
- another Water Lilly type bride connecting the subject property with the Secret Promise property
- a multimodal path under the Turnpike that parallels SR48 under the Turnpike (no digging required!)

In my opinion, at least 3 of the 4 of these are likely to happen. The first 2 are most probable and likely near term (2-3 years), and the latter 2, depending on the growth pattern they have planned for south of 470/Central Parkway, farther down the timeline perhaps 7-10 years.