A Coral Springs-based company is ready to make a splash in west Orange County with plans to build a surf park at a soon-to-close landfill on Avalon Road.
The developers behind the project say the public venue would include a 15-acre pool capable of creating waves as high as 10 feet, according to a report in GrowthSpotter. Plans also call for a restaurant and shops for the 44-acre project that’s envisioned to drive professional and collegiate surfing competitions to a spot about 60 miles from the nearest beach.
A company called Ocean Sports Development submitted a preliminary application to Orange County on Sept 21 for the property at 7902 Avalon Road in Horizon West. Located just east of the Western Beltway and across the street from Orange County National Golf Course, the property has for years been used as a private landfill for construction and demolition debris.
Gregory Lee, an attorney with Baker Hostetler who is representing the applicants, told county planning staff at a meeting Wednesday the landfill is set to close soon.
“This (surf park) would generate waves for recreational use,” Lee said. “We also believe that this facility could accommodate some special events related to surfing.”
The project, which requires a land-use amendment, is pending final approval by the county.
Ocean Sports Development plans to invest “several million dollars” on excavation, while the development of the surf park is expected to cost $45 million, Anthony Brown, the company’s chairman told GrowthSpotter. Plans include a beach volleyball court, playground, a pavilion, a surf shop, and an academic center for educational programs.
This would be the company’s first surf park, but Brown said the goal is to open as many as 30 nationwide over the next 20 years.
Another goal: use the locations to help establish surfing as an NCAA-sanctioned sport.
“We are bringing surfing to the masses,” Brown said. “While this is something you can do for amusement, we are really focusing on the development of this sport for high schools and colleges. Surfing is not currently an NCAA sport. It is an intramural sport, not governed by the NCAA.”
Surfing debuted as an Olympic sport during the 2020 Tokyo games and has been approved for the Paris Summer Olympic Games in 2024.
A concern raised by county staff at a recent meeting dealt with noise. On adjacent land to the north of the project site, Park Square Homes is planning to build a 260-unit apartment community called Horizon Vue.
Brown said noise shouldn’t create a nuisance.
“The only thing neighboring residents will hear is the relaxing crashing of the waves,” Brown said. “Our neighbors won’t even know we’re there.”
Brown believes the landfill can be redeveloped without causing any environmental problems.
He notes that in 2022 the county and state allowed Ocean Sports Development to conduct a test dig on the property to evaluate what’s buried there.
Brown said since the landfill holds construction materials such as metal, sheetrock, concrete and brick, there aren’t any harmful gases or hazardous pollutants.
“All we are going to do is reconfigure the site to house what we want to house,” he said. “No waste will be moved off-site. The site will be excavated and refilled in accordance with state statutes in order to level the site for our intended development. We want to make sure we aren’t going to cause any environmental damage.”
The landfill contents were not discussed at the Oct. 10 meeting between the developer and county planning staff.
Denise Cochran, an environmental program supervisor with Orange County’s environmental protection division, said the county is awaiting more data from landfill operators.
“Orange County’s Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has communicated to the landfill representatives that more recent groundwater quality data is needed for the end of their 5-year long-term care period, which is now,” Cochran said. “This data would also be used to guide the proposed redevelopment.”
The proposed wave pool would have a 35-million-gallon water capacity and be surrounded by a beach, support retail, stormwater pond, and parking, according to materials sent to the county. The pool itself would
have a 22 -foot high center island to house the wave machine and a 14-foot depth at its center.
Using patented technology, the Ocean Sports Development surf park can create a variety of waves similar to what can be found at the beach, according to the company’s website.
Brown said the customer can choose the waves they want or a randomized experience. The park would be open to the public, at a rate of $100 per 90 minutes or $33 per half hour. Surfboards would be available for rent or purchase.
“We are excited,” he said. “Orlando is the number one tourist market in the world, and that’s the reason we targeted this location for our first surf park.”
Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at (407)-800-1161 or dwyatt@GrowthSpotter.com. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.
