PHOTO VIA DOWNTOWN WINTER GARDEN
The historic Edgewater Hotel (Website) in downtown Winter Garden has been sold, marking a new chapter for the nearly century-old building that has long been a landmark on downtown Plant Street.
Records show the property, which closed earlier this month, changed ownership on August 25to Legacy Edgewater LLC, which is tied to Jim Larweth, the founder of a local pharmaceutical rebate company. The 28,855 SF sold for a reported $10.3 million, according to the always-in-the-know Ryan Lynch for Orlando Business Journal.
The Edgewater first opened in 1927 after a group of Winter Garden businessmen raised $120,000 to fund construction. Built with then-modern features including an elevator, fire sprinklers, and telephones in every guest room, it quickly became a central part of the city’s growth. Rooms rented for $2 to $2.50 a night, and the hotel attracted tourists and fishermen drawn to nearby Lake Apopka. They even had built-in fish-gutting sinks where guests could gut what they caught that day and hand it over to the hotel’s cook.
The building operated for decades before closing in 1968, sitting vacant for roughly 25 years and facing potential demolition. In 1995, new owners Max Blanchard and Mike Lanza purchased the property and began a long restoration. By 2003, the upper floors reopened as a bed-and-breakfast while the first floor became home to restaurants and small businesses, including Thai Blossom, Scoops Old-Fashioned Ice Cream, and Chef’s Table at the Edgewater.
