Neighborhoods – Lift Orlando builds in West Lakes, Orlando

HEART

OF THE COMMUNITY

INNOVATIVE CENTER TO PROVIDE HOLISTIC CARE TO THE RESIDENTS OF WEST LAKES IN ORLANDO.

BY CHAUNIQUA MAJOR-LOUIS

Lift Orlando, along with AdventHealth, Orlando Health, Florida Blue, Dr. Phillips Charities, and the Truist Foundation, is steadily moving toward the opening of the highly anticipated Heart of and support for neighborhood entrepreneurs and small business owners. Additionally, the Orlando West Lakes Florida Blue Center will be on the first West Lakes Wellness Center (the Heart), which is slated for completion at the end of 2022. Lift Orlando, the nonprofit behind the development of the Heart, designed the center to help continue its purpose of strengthening The Communities of West Lakes for the benefit of residents, partners and businesses. The area includes five historically African American neighborhoods within Orlando’s 32805 ZIP code near Camping World Stadium.

The Heart will sit prominently as the gateway into the West Lakes Community Campus at the corner of Tampa Avenue and Jacobs Place. The Heart will put the finishing touches on the West Lakes Community Campus that currently features 200 units of mixed-income apartment homes, 120 affordable senior apartment homes, an innovative 16,000-square-foot Early Learning Center, and the recently opened, 31,000-square-foot Jacqueline Bradley & Clarence Otis Family Branch of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida.

The Heart of West Lakes Wellness Center will be a resident-focused health and wellness center designed to strengthen the 32805 community by providing convenient access to holistic health, financial, and lifestyle services under one roof. The center is the product of the first-ever, large-scale collaboration of this type between healthcare powerhouses AdventHealth, Florida Blue, and Orlando Health, whose data and funding helped inform many aspects of the facility. Accessible by a short walk or drive to West Lakes neighbors, the approximately 30,000-square-foot, two-story building will feature first-class amenities paired with decor that pays homage to the community’s rich history.

On the first floor, residents will find Legacy Café, a new restaurant concept from Orlando restaurateurs Karl Brown and Charles Simmons. Legacy Café will feature a reasonably priced menu with good food that's good for you. The café’s indoor and outdoor seating is designed to encourage the community and visitors to enjoy good food with their family, friends, and colleagues.

The first floor of the Heart will also be the home of the West Lakes Financial Wellbeing Center. In addition to the one-on-one financial coaching the Financial Wellbeing Center is already known for, the Lift Orlando Small Business Institute will also be on-site to provide resources floor and offer holistic health solutions resources in the neighborhood by providing innovative health solutions to residents. Residents and visitors will also have access to indoor and outdoor community gathering spaces, perfect for special occasions and neighborhood gatherings.

The second floor of the Heart will be home to Community Health Centers (CHC). CHC is a community-driven healthcare organization dedicated to serving patients and their families in their neighborhoods. CHC will provide comprehensive healthcare services, such as primary practice for preventative care, internal medicine, vision, behavioral health, and a same-day sick care clinic to patients regardless of insurance. These services will come together to provide a vital, new resource to combat the area’s lack of access to healthcare services.

Community partners also will be found on the second floor of the Heart, including Lift Orlando and Elevate Orlando, which is dedicated to building long-term, life-changing relationships with urban youth by equipping them to thrive and contribute to their community.

To learn more about this exciting and innovative center opening in West Lakes, including hiring information and grand opening details, please visit HeartOfWestLakes.com to sign up for the newsletter and to get updates via social media. To learn more about Lift Orlando and their work in West Lakes, please visit LiftOrlando.org.