Marion growth: Apartments planned just off SR 200 southwest of Ocala ocala.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ocala.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
For nine academic years, Victory Academy Ocala has rented many facilities around the city to house its 60 or so students. Most recently, it has leased space from the College of Central Florida.
Now the plan is to build a PreK-8 campus of its own at the southwest corner of County Road 475, also known as South Magnolia Avenue, and Southwest 87th Place, also known as County Road 312.
The plan is to add an 8,250-square-foot building behind The Journey Church, formerly Coventry Episcopal Church, at 20 SW 87th Place (CR 312). The nearly 4-acre parcel south of Ocala runs primarily along the heavily traveled CR 475.
Ocala Ranch still is battling to build a 5,400-home community in southwest Marion near the Withlacoochee River. Now it says that if the dispute heads to trial, then it wants a non-local jury.
The County Commission voted down Ocala Ranch s plan almost four years ago, despite approval recommendations from county professional staff and the Planning & Zoning Commission. The developer filed suit in circuit court, seeking more than $20 million in damages.
There hasn t been much movement, at least publicly, in the legal action. But earlier this month, the developer filed a motion seeking a change in venue.
Simply put, the plaintiff argues that since Marion County residents are taxpayers – and since their tax money would be used to pay any damages – then Marion residents have an unavoidable and insurmountable conflict of interest.