Apopka’s massive Wyld Oaks project is finally getting what every mixed-use developer dreams of: real apartments going up out of the ground.
Atlanta-based Hathaway Development has closed on an 11-acre site inside the 215-acre Wyld Oaks master plan and is moving ahead with Exchange at Wyld Oaks, a roughly 325-unit apartment community. Groundbreaking is slated for this month, with the first apartments expected to deliver in summer 2027. The project marks the first vertical residential construction at Wyld Oaks and pushes the development closer to the town-center vibe it has been selling to the market.
The price tag for the project is pegged at about $71 million, with a $47 million construction loan, around $22 million in institutional equity and a $2 million sponsor contribution, according to Florida YIMBY. The 11-acre parcel was reported to have sold for roughly $13 million, a figure GrowthSpotter reported and Florida YIMBY relayed. The acquisition was completed by Dewfall Hathaway, a partnership between Hathaway Development and Dewfall Development, according to that reporting.
Hathaway Brings Institutional Backing
For Wyld Oaks, landing Hathaway is being treated as a milestone moment. Founder Joseph Beninati called the deal “a defining moment for Wyld Oaks,” saying the firm’s commitment validates the project’s co-creator strategy and the underlying market, according to a press release from Wyld Oaks. The announcement follows months of horizontal work, with utilities and site infrastructure already in place.
At full buildout, the Wyld Oaks master plan is set to include multiple residential neighborhoods, retail and restaurant space, hotels, a health village and medical campus, educational uses, parks, trails and roughly 1.5 million square feet of industrial space. The developer says nearly two miles of internal roads, sidewalks and street lighting are already complete as parcels are marketed to vertical builders. Those details, along with the delivery timetable for Exchange at Wyld Oaks, were reported by Florida YIMBY.
What This Means for Apopka
The Kelly Park / SR 429 corridor around Wyld Oaks has been on a tear. The Wyld Oaks team says more than 13,000 housing units are either planned or under construction nearby, a wave of rooftops that helps support new apartments and neighborhood-serving retail, according to Wyld Oaks. Growth in the area accelerated after completion of the SR 429 beltway and the Kelly Park interchange, a trend ClickOrlando and other local outlets have been tracking.
With thousands of new residents expected, city and county officials are likely to keep a close eye on traffic volumes, utilities and school capacity as the corridor builds out.
Hathaway’s Exchange at Wyld Oaks is expected to be among the first residential buildings to open within the project, although the exact schedule will depend on permitting and contractor mobilization. Observers will be watching permitting filings and future leasing announcements as the community moves toward opening its doors.
