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Smart Growth In Action: Baldwin Park Naval Base Redevelopment Project, Orlando, Florida
 When the U.S. Navy announced in 1993 that it would close the Orlando Naval Training Center, the city of Orlando saw an opportunity to build a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood that would make the base property once again part of the community. The city's Base Reuse Commission organized to plan the property's future, engaging citizens in hundreds of meetings over two years to help devise and refine a plan to redevelop the base. At visioning workshops, citizens described what they wanted: a variety of housing types, a vibrant main street, public access to lakes, and linkages with existing neighborhoods. Before rebuilding could begin, 256 buildings, 200 miles of underground utilities, and 25 miles of road had to be dismantled and recycled. Asbestos and lead paint in the buildings and arsenic and petroleum in the soil needed to be cleaned up. This demolition and clean-up took more than a year.
The new development was named Baldwin Park. Since the first model opened in 2003, Baldwin Park has sold lots and houses faster than any comparable project in the area. When construction ends in 2008, Baldwin Park will have 10,000 residents living in 4,100 homes, ranging from rental apartments to custom homes, built in architectural styles traditional to the area. In addition, 6,000 people will work in offices throughout the neighborhood and in shops in the Village Center. Everyone can enjoy over 450 acres of lakes and parks, including over two miles of lakefront property reserved for public use. With public schools near and in Baldwin Park, local children can walk to school.
Baldwin Park's residents, workers, visitors, and neighbors have many choices in how they get around. There are 50 miles of trails and sidewalks on an interconnected street grid for walking and biking. Traffic, once blocked by the former base's security fence, can now flow through 32 new intersections that connect Baldwin Park streets to surrounding neighborhoods, reducing congestion.
The community created 16 extra acres of parkland by using innovative underground stormwater management systems. Audubon of Florida helped plan parks and wetlands restoration projects, recreating ecosystems that were lost years ago.
Since it is an infill redevelopment project, Baldwin Park can take advantage of existing power plants and water and wastewater treatment facilities. At the same time, the city will gain an additional $30 million in annual property tax revenues.
The redevelopment of this former naval base gives the citizens of Orlando what they wanted and planned for: a thriving new community and a legacy for future generations to enjoy.
Go back to the Smart Growth Projects page.
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Conservation: An Investment That Pays from Trust for Public Land is intended to help agency personnel and community conservationists make the case for conservation as a long-term economic investment.
Based on the National Building Museum's exhibit, Green Community is a collection of thought-provoking essays that illuminate the connections among personal health, community health, and our planet's health.
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