EUSTIS, Fla. — Residents opposing the possible sale of the Eustis Community Center are organizing a public gathering next week, as two people behind the proposed waterfront development are named in a newly filed lawsuit involving a separate Winter Garden project.
The gathering is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the Eustis Community Center, 601 Northshore Drive.
PHOTO: Marilyn M. Aciego/Inside Lake
Gail Isaac-Thomas, a lifelong Eustis resident, has spoken against the proposed sale at multiple commission meetings and on social media. She shared a flyer promoting next week’s gathering with the message, “Save Our Eustis Community Center.” Signs reading “Save Our Community Center” have been posted at homes and businesses around Eustis.
“If the city sells the property, where are we going? What will the city provide to us other than a third party’s property? We should have something of our own. We should not have to attend an event or place an event in a church.”
Isaac-Thomas said the Eustis Service Center, which is rented by W.I.N. 1 Ministries and is available for private rentals, is not big enough to replace the community center, particularly with the church storing equipment there.
“I’m always going to stand up for what’s right.”
She emailed invitations to commissioners Friday. By early Saturday afternoon, only Vice Mayor Gary Ashcraft had responded, saying he would try to attend if his work schedule allowed, she told Inside Lake.
Asked whether anyone from the city had followed up with her about concerns she shared at commission meetings, Isaac-Thomas said, “No. Not one.”
The effort comes as the city considers a development proposal involving the community center property and an adjacent parcel. The preliminary concept, called the Aquilo Waterfront District, includes hospitality, residential and commercial uses. The city identifies AQ Mixed Use Lake Eustis LLC as the company behind the proposal. On Aug. 6, the Eustis City Commission directed staff to begin discussions with a development team and conduct due diligence, including appraisals, toward a potential purchase and sale agreement.
Joseph and Danelle Hoffer, listed in state records as manager and authorized member, respectively, of AQ Mixed Use Lake Eustis LLC, were named in a lawsuit filed late Friday afternoon in Orange County through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, involving a separate Winter Garden development. The Hoffers are named as nominal defendants solely for the recovery of company assets allegedly distributed to them after its dissolution.
The complaint alleges 30 North Park LLC “hemorrhaged money” while building the development without experience financing, pricing, building or managing a project of that magnitude, then shifted its losses to buyers through unsupported additional charges. Buyer Michael Niederst alleges the company sold his contracted unit to someone else and kept more than $403,000 he paid. 30 North Park denied wrongdoing in a previous 2024 case, which Niederst dismissed without prejudice. The claims are allegations and have not been proven in court.
According to the city’s community center information webpage, commissioners have not approved a sale, no purchase and sale agreement has been executed, and no date has been set for a final decision. As discussions with the developer continue, the city is accepting competing proposals for hotel, housing and commercial development through 5 p.m. Oct. 23.
Residents urge city to preserve the center
Isaac-Thomas said she would support putting the development downtown on the former Waterman Hospital property instead of selling the community center property.
Responding to concerns about struggling downtown businesses, she said, “Put something downtown and make it lively again.”
She said the former hospital property would provide sufficient space and pointed out that it was previously the site of a hotel. Rooms there could still offer views of the water and sunsets, she told Inside Lake.
“The water didn’t move,” she said.
At the most recent commission meeting on Oct. 1, Isaac-Thomas asked commissioners to consider the community center’s role as a polling place. She said the building accommodates two voting precincts and questioned where those voters would go if the facility were no longer available.
Another resident, who identified herself as Estella Mosley, also asked commissioners to preserve the building. Mosley said she was married at the community center and urged the city to consider a different location for the development.
Residents are also seeking a public vote on sales of public land. An online petition started Sept. 13 by Lisa Graves calls for Eustis residents to have a say at the ballot box before public land is sold. It had more than 1,300 signatures when checked early Oct. 10.
The city’s webpage takes a different position on a referendum, stating, “The Commission does not have authority to put the proposed sale to a referendum.” The answer does not cite a statute or explain the basis for that position.
City outlines proposal, promises more information
The city says the discussions originated with a developer’s 2025 proposal for a hotel and brewery on the downtown Waterman Hospital property. Because that proposal involved all three Waterman blocks, the city suggested the community center property as an alternative. An initial concept did not proceed, but the developer later submitted a revised proposal.
The community center hosted 179 events last year, according to the city. Its five-year capital plan identifies approximately $700,000 in maintenance needs, and the city says a more comprehensive estimate is being developed.
No replacement location has been selected. The city says it will honor existing reservations, which can be made up to 12 months in advance, and will not close the center without a plan for accommodating its functions. It also says public access to the waterfront and boat docks would be preserved under any development.
During the Oct. 1 meeting, Interim City Manager Rick Gierok acknowledged delays in answering questions about the proposal. He said staff was preparing a dedicated webpage with frequently asked questions, project information and schematics, with updates as additional information became available. The city subsequently announced the webpage, describing it as an information resource that is not intended to advocate for or against a proposal.
Residents can review the city’s community center information and the petition requesting a public vote online.
