PINE HILLS, Fla. – Visitors entering the Pine Hills community at the intersection of Silver Star and Pine Hills Roads have recently been welcomed by new lighted pillars and directional signs highlighting landmarks like Evans High School.
Nearby, construction crews are in the process of widening sidewalks and enhancing roadway medians to make the commercial areas along Pine Hills Road and Silver Star Road safer and more attractive.
In the next few months, Lynx will open a new transfer center in Pine Hills that is expected to reduce commute times for bus passengers.
These are just a few of the projects that have been championed by the Pine Hills Neighborhood Improvement District, a special district created by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners in 2011 to help expand commerce in the community and revitalize the major business corridor.
“It gives a voice to businesses, and a voice to residents and citizens alike,” said Tamara Johnson, the district’s executive director. “We’ve taken input from the community, as well as leadership in the government, especially Orange County itself, on what needs to happen within the community and take it in a positive direction.”
The Pine Hills Neighborhood Improvement District, or NID, attempts to identify businesses and services needed by the community, such as grocery stores or health care facilities, and then works to attract those companies.
“We’re reaching out to businesses to set up meetings to discuss, ‘How can we get you here?’” said Johnson. “We (also) partner with other agencies that have the desire to meet those needs and make our dream become a reality.”
Two years ago, the Pine Hills community celebrated the opening of Hawthorne Park, an affordable housing complex for residents 55 and older that replaced an underutilized shopping center along Silver Star Road.
“This is an example of where we’re going,” said Johnson as she stood in front of the $27 million housing community. “And we didn’t do it alone.”
On the first Wednesday of each month, the NID’s advisory board meets at the Pine Hills Community Center to solicit ideas from citizens and business leaders as it charts the future of Pine Hills.
During this month’s meeting, the NID board was briefed by Orange County Utilities about a year-long project now underway to install a sewer system in the district that will replace aging septic tanks used by businesses and residents.
“I see great things coming to the community,” said Johnson. “I see expansion. I see new businesses coming in. I see new partnerships. And I see Pine Hills truly being a place where people will come to live, work and play.”
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