One of Clermont's busiest corridors could be in for a serious glow-up, with a new proposal that packs townhomes, a Wawa, and a massive self-storage complex onto a roughly 45-acre site along State Road 50.
Developer UP Development has filed plans for a mixed-use project near Emil Jhana Road and the planned Hooks Street extension that would blend housing and highway-front retail on a stretch of SR-50 already known for heavy traffic. The concept, labeled "Clermont Hills" in city filings, is expected to draw scrutiny over traffic, lake access, and pedestrian connections as it works its way through Clermont's review process.
The plan calls for 22 four-unit buildings and 26 six-unit buildings, for a total of up to 244 residential units, along with a 100,000-square-foot self-storage building, three drive-up storage structures and four commercial lots fronting SR-50, according to GrowthSpotter. Local planning watchers say the corridor has already seen a steady run of storage and roadside retail entitlements in recent months, a trend visible in recent P&Z dockets and development briefs.
UP Development's "Clermont Hills" package covers about 45.4 acres at the southwest corner of SR-50 and Emil Jhana Road. The company, which has owned the land since 2016, has said it wants the project to tie into the surrounding community and the nearby water. "We plan on having access to the lake, we own part of the lake behind us and want to complete the walking and jogging trail around the lake," Scott Fish told GrowthSpotter.
Commercial listings for the Shoppes at Waterbrooke flag an outparcel labeled Lot 5 for a Wawa at the southwest corner of SR-50 and Emil Jhana Road, hinting that the convenience store could land on one of the highway-facing pads if the broader plan moves ahead. CommercialCafe identifies Lot 5 as Wawa, and nearby land offerings along SR-50 are also marketed on Crexi.
What the Plan Would Add
The residential piece is designed around shared amenities. Plans show a clubhouse and pool, a tot lot, pickleball court, dog park, yoga lawn and a community garden at the heart of the townhome area. The retail spaces and the proposed fuel station would hug SR-50 to capture pass-by traffic, with self-storage buildings tucked behind the commercial pads. Homes would be grouped around common green spaces to create internal neighborhood circulation away from the highway.
Why It Matters
The SR-50 corridor through southern Lake County has become a magnet for new retail, self-storage and industrial projects as growth keeps pushing west, raising fresh questions about how much traffic and infrastructure the area can realistically handle. A "self-storage wave" and quicker buildout along SR-50 have been flagged by local planning trackers, who suggest those trends could shape future hearings and mitigation requirements. These patterns are outlined by Zoning Signal.
Next Steps
UP Development says it is in final design and plans to seek site-plan and permit approvals from the City of Clermont. Those filings will trigger public hearings and spell out any conditions that must be met before construction starts. Central Florida development briefs that note nearby phase approvals and industrial expansions underscore that SR-50 is in the middle of a major transformation, and that new projects like Clermont Hills will be closely watched for how they handle access and utilities.
