Reflecting on the Journey

Last weekend, Jill—my wife of 30 years—and I attended Spooktacular, and it was wonderful. We took a moment to look back on the journey of Avalon Park, which began in 1989, when Avalon Park Group purchased 9,400 acres of land known as the Altman property in East Orlando.

It took another decade before construction officially began in December 1997. When you think about it, 1989 to 2025 is 36 years! We still have photos from those early days showing nothing but open land and grazing cows. To see that, in just 25 years of development, an entire town has been built—it truly is amazing.

The journey of Avalon Park Orlando spans 60% of my own life, and nearly 15% of the existence of the United States of America. In a little more than three years, Founder’s Hall—the very first building erected in Avalon Park—will be officially considered a historic building.

When I share the story of Avalon Park Orlando, people are often surprised that an area where no one lived just a few decades ago is now home to around 60,000 residents. Avalon Park has grown from a vision on paper into a thriving community that thousands now call home. What began as an idea has become a place where families live, businesses grow, and neighbors gather to celebrate life together.

Just the other morning, I received an email from an author in Switzerland who is writing a book about a building our group owns there. The building, located near Lucerne in a town called Wolhusen, is known as the Roessli. When I learned that this building has housed a restaurant under the same name since the 16th century, it gave me a new perspective on time. Here in Orlando, a 30-year-old building is considered historic—while in Switzerland, there are buildings that have stood for more than 500 years!

In any event, we are proud—both of our more than three decades of developing and enjoying Avalon Park, and of owning a building with over five centuries of history in Switzerland.

As we look back and celebrate how far we have come, I would love to hear from you—how long have you lived in Avalon Park, and what are your favorite memories of this community? Share your story with us at info@AvalonParkSun.com and be part of the next chapter of Avalon Park’s history.