Developers propose seven‑story Aquila Resort for City of Eustis community center site

Danelle Hopper, chief executive officer of Center Green Development, told the City of Eustis commission at a workshop that her company is proposing the Aquila Resort on the community center parcel and an adjacent lot and asked the city to partner on site control and consider conveyance of the north parcel and the Waterman parcel.

The proposal calls for a 7‑story main resort with 98 guest rooms (80 standard rooms and 18 suites), a separate tower, a 6,000‑square‑foot ballroom on the sixth floor, 20,000 square feet of total event space, an 8,500‑square‑foot “Gathering Barn,” a 2,500‑square‑foot stand‑alone spa, and a 275‑space parking garage with potential expansion to roughly 500 spaces. Hopper said the developers estimate a private investment of about $40 million, creation of more than 100 full‑time jobs and 200–500 construction jobs, and an annual property‑tax increase of about $638,000.

The developers described design elements, retail and food spaces along Bay Street, a rooftop bar, meeting rooms on the seventh floor, and public‑facing amenities such as a hotel café and boutique. Hopper said the resort would provide 20,000 square feet of event space for conferences, weddings and other gatherings that currently lack local venues, and that the Gathering Barn and event lawn together could support up to 1,000 people for standing events.

Hopper emphasized a public benefit package including creation of the Aquila Foundation for Education and Community Advancement, privately funded scholarships and workforce pathways tied to local colleges and Lake County training programs. “We are going to form the Aquila Foundation for Education and Community Advancement,” Hopper said, describing scholarships, a hospitality pathway program and local hiring goals. The developers also proposed transportation and activation measures they said would draw visitors downtown: branded water taxis (they estimated five to eight), seaplane check‑in experiences and golf‑cart connections to downtown destinations.

Commissioners and staff focused much of their questioning on parking, circulation and phasing. Commissioners asked whether required hotel parking must be adjacent to the building and whether the separate garage could be located a half‑block away; Hopper said flag hotel brands typically require one parking space per room but that the project team planned a larger garage to support events and retail and that valet and drop‑off would be part of arrival operations. The developers said they had discussed a shared‑use or lease agreement for garage spaces with city staff and described the garage as a potential revenue source for the hotel but said they did not plan to charge the general public to park in the garage as a matter of activation.

The developers identified several next steps if the city is willing: negotiate a development agreement (they estimated 2–6 months, with a 90‑day internal goal), site control or collaboration on the front Waterman parcel, plan review, then approximately 36–38 months from plan approval to opening. They also said a phased option could open front‑parcel elements within 18–24 months if the city and developers proceed with a conveyance or partnership.

No formal vote or contract was taken at the workshop. City commissioners asked to receive the materials and study the proposal; staff indicated the topic will return for further discussion and possible future action. The developers left the commission with a written presentation and asked the city to consider a development agreement and parcel conveyance so the team could move toward plan approval and engineering work.

The presentation included references to coordination with the Florida Department of Transportation on streetscape and parking questions, alignment with the city’s master plan and potential use of Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) resources toward scholarships; the developers said they would request CRA funding be redirected to the proposed foundation for scholarships if the project moves forward.

Background on presenters and local ties was part of the pitch: Danelle Hopper described prior hospitality and large‑scale event work and said Center Green Development built recent residential and mixed‑use projects in the region; Joe Hopper was identified as a partner and local realtor. The developers said they plan to engage local contractors where possible and to seek local operators or lessees for retail and food‑service spaces.