A sliver of dirt beside Universal’s Epic Universe is turning into one of Central Florida’s boldest housing tests, all off a land price that would barely buy a theme park churro. Wendover Housing Partners says Universal Orlando handed over the 20-acre site for just $100, and that land is now the future home of Catchlight Crossings, a 1,000-unit mixed-income community. Construction crews are already on the ground, and the developer told local television during a hard-hat tour that the first residents are expected to move in around late spring or early summer 2027.
According to WKMG ClickOrlando, Wendover says Universal sold the land for $100 to boost workforce housing, and the property sits across from a bus depot that will give residents direct transit access. The station’s tour also captured Wendover officials explaining that the site needed extensive prep work. The developer told News 6 it has already spent more than $40 million on soil improvements and water mitigation before any buildings started going up, and that combination of low-cost land and high-cost groundwork is a core part of the project’s financial formula.
How the Land Transfer Worked
Universal’s nonprofit arm, Housing for Tomorrow, pledged the 20 acres to be preserved for housing and selected Wendover to develop and manage the community, according to a Wendover press release distributed on GlobeNewswire. As outlined by Wendover Housing Partners, the nonprofit will retain ownership of the land to help keep the community affordable in perpetuity. The original announcement framed Catchlight Crossings as a public-private model that links a major employer to the long-term supply of housing around its operations.
What Catchlight Crossings Will Include
Wendover says the development will total roughly 1,000 apartments, split into about 600 income-restricted affordable units and 400 “attainable” units for households that earn too much to qualify for traditional affordable housing, according to WKMG ClickOrlando. Units now under construction are being built with 9-foot ceilings and in-unit washers and dryers, and the site plan calls for an on-site Bezos Academy preschool, a small grocery and coffee shop, two swimming pools and a community health center. Design and master-planning materials also list Beyer Blinder Belle as a project partner, with an emphasis on open green space and walkable connections to nearby jobs and transit.
Money, Partners and the Pitch
The financing stacks private lenders, tax credits, and local support. Wendover identified Chase as the primary construction lender, and the project incorporates Low-Income Housing Tax Credits as part of its capital stack, according to Wendover’s announcement on GlobeNewswire. Orange County has kicked in gap funding and impact-fee waivers to keep the project moving. Orange County’s housing office cites multi-million dollar commitments and other incentives for developments that add workforce housing in the region. That layered approach, combining nominally priced land, lender capital, tax credits, and public gap funds, is what makes a 1,000-unit infill project possible in the middle of the tourist corridor.
Why the Project Matters
Developers and housing advocates say Catchlight Crossings could serve as a playbook for employer-backed housing in other high-cost job centers, though copying it would require deep pockets and long-term commitments from both property owners and local governments. Ryan von Weller of Wendover told Multi-Housing News that the company’s goal is to “change lives through housing” by pairing on-site services, education, and transit access with stabilized rents. For Orlando, the development is shaping up as a closely watched test of whether big employers can actually move the needle on the region’s housing shortage while keeping workers near the jobs that rely on them.
