Major land purchase and new apartment plans signal residential growth for Merritt Island
South Carolina-based luxury apartment developer Woodfield Developments this year secured $51.2 million in construction financing for a new multifamily project on Fortenberry Road in Merritt Island.
Expected to be completed in early 2027, the plans call for 296 apartments across a series of four-story buildings, including amenities such as a pool, a 24-hour fitness center and outdoor summer kitchens with grills.
Located at 555 Fortenberry Road, the project will be in close proximity to other recent Merritt Island developments such as the River Fly-In condominiums and the upcoming Health First Hospital designated to replace Cape Canaveral Hospital in the coming years.
Woodfield Developments builds luxury multi-family housing complexes around the Southeast United States and is also involved in a 318-unit Palm Bay apartment building in addition to the 15.1-acre planned development for Merritt Island.
Another large land purchase in Merritt Island was made by the Sanford-based Strada Development LLC in September, when they purchased 130 acres for $3 million in September.
The owners are currently applying with the county to rezone the property to suburban residential, signaling even greater growth for the area, according to Brevard County planning and zoning records.
Although the next legislative session doesn’t begin until January, legislators have already filed a number of education bills to be considered.
WFIT’s Terri Wright shares specifics.
When the legislature reconvenes on January 13, lawmakers will take up a range of education bills. Proposals include requiring K–12 students to learn cursive, banning discrimination based on natural hairstyles, prohibiting corporal punishment, and mandating that teachers take an oath of loyalty to the state and its education laws. At the college level, one bill would require campuses to name at least one road after conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Another measure would let employers pay students below the $14-an-hour minimum wage if they choose to opt out.
North, Central Brevard get relief from rain as flood recovery efforts continue
North and Central Brevard got a bit of a reprieve from heavy rains as residents continued the cleanup from massive flooding following more than 15 inches of rain that fell in a span of 24 hours.
The downpour started the evening of Oct. 26 and continued into the early hours of Oct. 27. Hundreds were left without power, vehicles were stranded in flooded streets and parts of roads were washed away by the heavy, continuous rain.
Some were worried Monday night would bring more rain and add to the mess, but thankfully, not much wet stuff fell. About an inch and a half of rain was documented in Northern Brevard’s hardest hit areas.
“Showers passed through quickly and there weren’t a whole lot of them, especially in the Titusville and Merritt Island areas where they were hit hard (the previous day),” said Robert Haley, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne.
Red Cross opens shelter for flooding victims in North Brevard
The American Red Cross of North and Central Florida has opened an emergency shelter in Titusville in response to flooding impacting northern Brevard County.
The shelter is located at the First United Methodist Church of Titusville, 206 S. Hopkins Avenue.
The shelter provides residents with a safe place to stay along with essential support such as cots, blankets, meals, and personal care and health items. All Red Cross services are free and available to everyone.