Orange County Public Schools has launched a new effort to sell the historic former Hungerford Preparatory School site in Eatonville, Florida. The school district has issued a new RFP (request for proposals) seeking a developer who will create a mixed-use community hub in the Town of Eatonville. The site, 94 acres in downtown Eatonville adjacent to I-4, is prime real estate that will be a keystone of the Town’s future.
“Finding a developer has been a long process, but it’s essential that we find the right fit for the Town of Eatonville,” said Amy Envall, OCPS General Counsel. After a 2017 sale fell through, OCPS began working with the Town to find a developer. The latest RFP continues to include the Town’s priorities for new development.
The site was home to a secondary school for Black students that was established in 1897 during the segregation era. Eatonville was the first municipality in the United States to be incorporated and run by Black residents, and was the birthplace of author and playwright Zora Neale Hurston. OCPS assumed ownership of the school in 1951. It closed in 2009 and was demolished in 2020.
The RFP requirements include residential units, office space, retail space and public use. Details have been posted on the district’s procurement platform at https://vendorlink.ocps.net/
Requests for questions and clarifications about the RFP are due by June 30th. Completed proposals and required deposits are due by August 3rd.
