IMAGE VIA TOWN OF EATONVILLE
In a landmark agreement more than a decade in the making, Dr. Phillips Charities and Orange County Public Schools have proposed a deal to transfer ownership of the former Hungerford Preparatory High School site to Dr. Phillips Charities, paving the way for a resident-led redevelopment plan in Eatonville. The transaction, which Mayor Angie Gardner strongly supports, is scheduled to begin on September 30, pending final approval by the OCPS School Board.
The 117-acre property at Hungerford and Keller Road was once home to the Robert L. Hungerford Normal and Industrial School, a late-1800s institution modeled after Booker T. Washington’s Tuskegee Institute. The site was acquired by OCPS in 1951. In recent years, discussions about selling or developing the land have raised community fears about displacement and erasure of the town’s legacy. In case you didn’t know, Eatonville, incorporated in 1887, is recognized as the nation’s first self-governing, all-Black municipality and is the hometown of author Zora Neale Hurston.
Mayor Gardner, who has led a series of community listening sessions since taking office in 2022, framed the deal as more than a real estate transaction. “This is about building a legacy and a strong future for Eatonville through a bold, strategic partnership,” she said. The agreement calls for Dr. Phillips Charities to pay $1 million of the purchase price upfront. The total purchase price has not been released, though the property was appraised at $24 million in 2020. Some of that balance will be forgiven if Dr. Phillips Charities completes a series of agreed-upon community development projects.
Those milestones include creating extensive green space and a pavilion for local festivals by the end of Year 2; completing the Eatonville Early Learning Center by Year 3, with priority enrollment for town residents and Hungerford Elementary staff children; and establishing a Community Hub and Healthcare Facility by Year 4, named with resident input. Land will also be reserved for a Town Center and History Museum once construction funding is secured. Plans for affordable, deed-restricted housing are under active discussion, with Dr. Phillips Charities potentially donating four to six acres for a proposed $4.1 million multi-family housing project. Small and local businesses will get early opportunities for jobs, contracts, and bidding to ensure economic benefits flow directly to residents.
Dr. Phillips Charities, a major philanthropic presence in Central Florida, emphasized it will not profit from the transaction. “We are here to serve as stewards of this historic opportunity, aligning our resources with Eatonville’s long-term vision to build a community that thrives without erasing its soul,” said Ken Robinson, the organization’s president and CEO. OCPS Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez echoed that sentiment, calling the deal a product of “years of thoughtful dialogue” to honor Eatonville’s history while investing in its future.
If approved at the September 30 board meeting, the agreement would mark a turning point for Eatonville, protecting a cornerstone of its heritage and placing the land’s future firmly in the hands of its residents, though guided by Dr. Phillips Charities.
