South Lake Hospital gave a sneak peek at its new, first-ever freestanding emergency department on May 18. The $12 million freestanding ER and medical pavilion, dubbed the Orlando Health South Lake Hospital Emergency Room and Medical Pavilion – Blue Cedar, is on 20 acres at the corner of U.S. Highway 27 and Florida’s Turnpike in Leesburg.

Steamroller Studios, a high-end animation and game development studio, will be establishing their new Mount Dora headquarters in 10,000 sq. ft. of prime downtown office space when they move into the 301 Baker building this summer.

As more people continue to move to south Lake, more hospital visits are inevitable. The increasing population prompted action by South Lake Hospital, which recently added 18 in-patient beds and also opened a 30-bed rehabilitation unit. Founded in 1947 when south Lake was a rural outpost, the hospital now has 170 licensed beds.

The only substantial piece of empty property in downtown Mount Dora has been sold to developers after sitting unused for 18 years in the hands of an insurance company. Welcome to the beginning of the gold rush, thanks to the Wekiva Parkway. The property, called Pineapple Point, is 4.3 wooded acres on Lake Dora that the Great American Life Insurance Company bought in 1998 for slightly more than $2 million.

One of the largest buildings in downtown Mount Dora changed hands last month.  The Sunset Building, located at Third Avenue and Baker, was purchased by two local developers, G3 Development and Baker Groves, Inc. The three-story, 15,000 square-foot building will be renovated and rebranded as “301 Baker.”