Back to Business
by Kevin Fritz
An ongoing effort to better position Longwood as a desirable place to do business in Seminole County is attracting new restaurants and retail establishments to the City.
Thomas “Tom” Krueger, Economic Development and Special Projects Manager; Kevin Cyman, Economic Development Coordinator; and Chris Kintner, Community Development Director; have been working on initiatives designed to move the needle toward Longwood becoming a more robust business center.
“It has been a process of being persistent,” says Tom. “We knew we had to develop more population density and build up the average household median income to make us more attractive to businesses.”
A Growing Longwood Is Leveling Up
The City’s efforts are paying off. More residents are moving to Longwood, which is building up density. Since 2020, Longwood’s population has increased 11.88 percent and is currently growing at a rate of 2.73 percent annually. The average household income has grown to $92,979, with a median income of $75,197. The City is also seeing higher income residents flocking to the more than 1,678 apartment units within Longwood’s perimeters.
The City also had to overcome the perception that Longwood did not desire development, says Tom. Indeed, previous City Commissions – happy with Longwood’s status as a bedroom community – had made it difficult for businesses to come to town. As a result, most businesses instead chose nearby Lake Mary, Altamonte Springs, or Casselberry to call home.
With its recent growth in population and average income, Longwood is becoming more appealing to regional and national retail outlets and restaurants including Foxtail Coffee Co. and Huey Magoo’s Chicken Tenders. Orlando Brick Co., a building brick toy store, recently opened on South Ronald Reagan Boulevard. There are also several negotiations underway with medium-size anchor stores and other eateries.
It’s in the Bank
One particular economic development push that is helping Longwood draw national retailers and restaurants is the City’s repurposing of four empty banks, a difficult process due to factors such as high lease agreements still in place.
“Anytime you have an empty building on a main drag it just does not look good,” says Tom.
As of late September, Chipotle Mexican Grill – a chain Tom has been working to attract for 10 years – had moved into a former bank on West State Road 434, with a 2,500 square-foot sit-down restaurant coming in next to it. And, a Starbucks coffeehouse moved into another former bank.
The City is aggressively focusing on specific areas of town to attract even more commercial development, says Tom.
Among those targets are Lake Emma Road and Longwood Hills Road, the old Pic ‘n Save lot on West State Road 434, Dog Track Road and South Ronald Reagan Boulevard, and a significant mixed-use development that will follow the closure of Orlando Health South Seminole Hospital.
The City’s industrial sector is another focal point of Tom’s office. Approximately 16 percent of Longwood’s land mass is designated as industrial parks, which enjoy an enviable five to six percent vacancy rate. The City recently landed a federal economic development grant of $676,426 for stormwater improvement on Bennett Road to help drainage conditions at industrial parks. Attention is also being given to help those parks expand.
A bonus for new businesses coming into Longwood is that all reviews and permitting are done at the staff level, says Tom, meaning companies can be up and running quickly.
“I am proud of the work our City staff has done to facilitate the commercial and industrial development, which makes it an exciting time to live in Longwood,” says Mayor Matt McMillan. “Properties that have been dormant for decades are finally coming to life. Longwood is finally seeing balanced growth for the enrichment of our resident businesses and families.”