Orlando Florida Metro Orlando Lifestyle Information

Orlando, Florida

Maps
Overview
Lifestyles
Communities
Education
Entertainment
Hotels/Motels
Business
Sports/Recreation
Hotlines
Annual Events
Disclaimer

Questions and Suggestions to:

MOLI

Altamonte Springs — Overview

If there is a "right place" in all of the Orlando Metropolitan area, Altamonte Springs is it!

Positioned in the geographic heart of Central Florida, Altamonte provides a solid base of white collar personnel and support services with the convenience of a location that virtually eliminates the daily challenge of commuting to work. With infrastructure in place to sustain more than four million square feet of development, Altamonte offers the bold vision of a city that has planned well for its future.

Demographics

Altamonte Springs boasts a dynamic mix of fine retail establishments, hotels, upscale office and commercial space, abundant restaurants and housing in all price ranges. In addition to single family and multi-family homes nestled in its own lakeside and tree-shaded communities, Altamonte is in the midst of some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Central Florida. The population has increased 53% since 1984 and currently totals nearly 40,000 with a daytime population in excess of 80,000.

Location

Ideally situated at the intersection of Interstate I-4 and State Road SR 436, Altamonte is just minutes from the professional Sports/Recreation and cultural events of Orlando. It's an easy drive to a beautiful sunrise over the pounding surf of east coast beaches or a glorious sunset over the gentle waters of Florida's Gulf Coast.

Altamonte offers convenient I-4 access to Daytona Beach to the east, Tampa to the west, Jacksonville and points north via I-95, and south to the Miami/Greater Fort Lauderdale area via the Florida Turnpike. Less than 45 minutes to the Orlando International Airport-one of the most active and largest airports in the country-Altamonte is the planned location of a future light rail terminal. And, the city is just 15 minutes away from the growing Central Florida Regional Airport.

Labor

Merging its own strong, professional work force with that of the Metropolitan Orlando labor pool, Altamonte's economic base is increasingly diverse. The city has a number of office developments and a thriving commercial and hospitality base. In addition, it has a large concentration of Central Florida's quality retail stores.

Quality of Life

All this is within the framework of a city that planned wisely and has the services in place that enhance quality of life. There are 10 beautifully maintained parks and recreational facilities within Altamonte's 9.5 square miles. A full service police department is committed to community based policing and the pro-active, customer driven fire department is skilled in rapid response and emergency rescue. And Project Apricot, an innovative waste water reclamation, recycling and distribution program has established the city as a national leader in the field of water conservation.

Altamonte Springs boasts 10 % more college graduates per capita than the Florida average. These residents demand and receive quality education for the city's children from elementary through the middle and high school levels. For higher learning, the city has its own graduate school of business--Webster University--and is just a few miles from the University of Central Florida and the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College. Then there is Seminole Community College which offers custom designed courses to fit the individual training needs of local companies.

Plentiful housing, excellent city services, quality education and a skilled work force are a combination that means business. Altamonte is a thriving community where you and your employees can live, work and play.

Art and Culture

Cranes Roost Park, the very heart of the Central Business District, Gulf Orlando

is the focal point for business and cultural activity in the City of Altamonte Springs. This beautifully landscaped park features a one-mile boardwalk for strolling or jogging, pedestrian plazas and a lakeside stage for concerts and special events. Future plans include expanded pedestrian plazas with open-air restaurants, specialty retail stores and a floating concert stage. With a commitment to ensuring a vital and active gathering place of the local work force, the park is staffed with maintenance workers, park rangers, a horticulturist and an events coordinator.

The right city, right now!

Central Business District
Cranes Roost Altamonte Springs, a meticulously planned 1,375 acre central business district centered on the sparkling waters of Cranes Roost Lake, where you can take an early morning jog along winding walkways. Where you can enjoy the view from your office in a lushly landscaped park. Where you can walk with clients to an open air restaurant, listen to the opening strains of a starlit concert at a lakeside amphitheater. All this is happening at Cranes Roost. A place where you can work, play and even live in the same well-designed community.

"Future is Now!"

Cranes Roost was thoughtfully designed, from the lamp posts to landscaping, as a prototype for the future. Just off I-4 and adjacent to the 1.2 million square foot Altamonte Mall, Cranes Roost is pre-approved for a balanced mix of office, commercial, residential, restaurant and hotel development with the capacity to grow right now--up to 25 stories.

Altamonte Springs is unique. The city sought and received a Development of Regional Impact (DRI) zoning approval for the entire business district. The DRI designation means the Central Business District is pre-approved for high density development so you'll enjoy a streamlined approval process.

Cranes Roost, Altamonte Springs – the place in Central Florida where people can work, shop, go to lunch, and maybe even go home, without ever getting into a car.

City Government

The City of Altamonte Springs is governed by a council/manager form of municipal government. A mayor is elected every three years and a four-member council every two years. A commitment to progress permeates all areas of our local government. Citizen boards such as the Community Redevelopment Agency and the Planning Board and other public-private partnerships enhance the investment that companies make here.

Police Protection
The Altamonte Springs Police Department has a full time staff of 87 officers. The department's equipment includes 10 vans, 48 radio cars and 13 motorcycles. The Altamonte Springs Police Department believes strongly in "Community Policing" which encourages the community and the police to work together. To demonstrate its commitment to this philosophy, the police department has assigned patrol squads to permanent areas and instituted a bicycle patrol in local neighborhoods. While offering all traditional law enforcement services, the department is known for special crime prevention and community relations programs.

Fire Protection
The Altamonte Springs Fire Department includes a force of 51 firefighters and three stations. Equipment includes a 100 foot aerial truck three pumpers, a rescue truck and an ambulance transport unit. The fire depart provides such emergency services as advanced and basic life support, fire scene support and hazardous materials first response. As a part of its newest approach to educate children, the fire department has introduced a "Fire Safety Puppet Show" and "Fire Safety Clowns" to school and church groups.

Taxation

New growth along with alternative financing methods have helped Altamonte to maintain a moderate tax rate under 5.2 mills. Retail sales tax is 7 percent and the city receives an 8 percent utility tax on gas, electric and water and 7 percent on telephone. There is no personal income tax in Florida.

Real estate within the city limits is assessed at fair market value. Corporate income tax statewide is 5.5 percent.

City Services include:

Police Protection
Fire Protection
Emergency Medical Service
Library
Mobile Information Center
Parks & Award Winning Recreational Programs
Therapeutic Pool for the Disabled
Refuse Collection and Recycling
Water Supply and Distribution
Reclaimed Water Treatment District
Sewage Collection & Treatment
Maintenance of Streets/Sidewalks and Drainage
Lakes & Streams Monitoring/Flood Hazard Detection

History
Altamonte Springs was originally settled in 1882 by a group of Boston businessmen. They bought 1,200 acres of raw land and formed the Altamonte land, Hotel & Navigation Company. "Altamonte" which means "high hill" in Spanish, reflects the gentle hill country which is characteristic of the area.

In 1883, the first hotel was built in this newly developing area and the town of Altamonte Station was born. When natural springs were discovered in Lake Adelaide across the road from the hotel, residents petitioned the Post Office Department to rename the town Altamonte Springs. The change was made effective in 1887, but the city was not incorporated until 1920.

Growth in Altamonte Springs was slow over the next half century. Then in the early part of the 70's Altamonte entered an unprecedented decade of expansion. The arrival of Walt Disney World in 1971 and the opening of other theme parks were followed by a continuing influx of corporate newcomers. Altamonte Springs was discovered as the ideal residential community to support the effects of the new boom. Population in Altamonte springs rose from 5,000 in 1970 to more than 37,000 today. It is still one of the fastest growing cities in Central Florida.