HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF MOISTURE ON THE TAIL END OF THAT FRONT. WINTER GARDENS FUTURE IS UNCERTAIN IN SOME INSTANCES. SEVERAL DOWNTOWN BUILDINGS ARE SOLD, AND SLOWLY MOM AND POP SHOPS ARE BEING FORCED OUT. AS WESH TWO STARTED REPORTING ON THE CHANGES, LINDSAY SUTHERLAND SET OUT TO SEE HOW OTHER TOWNS KEEP THAT LOCAL FOCUS AND FOUND ONE NEIGHBORING CITY WITH A MISSION TO STAY LOCAL. SO SOME OAT MILK, PLEASE. FOR ME, THIS COFFEE SHOP IN DOWNTOWN CLAREMONT IS ONE OF SEVEN BUSINESSES JULIANNE GREENE AND HER HUSBAND OWN. WE HAD MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN WINTER GARDEN. WE COULDN’T HELP BUT TO THINK, YOU KNOW, ARE WE AT RISK? A WEEK AND A HALF AGO, I REPORTED ON TWO LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES LEAVING WINTER GARDEN AFTER NEW LANDLORDS DID NOT RENEW THEIR LEASES AND MORE COMING WITH NINE COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS SOLD IN THAT DOWNTOWN IN ONE YEAR. EVERYONE WANTS TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES HERE. NEIGHBORING CLAREMONT IS UNDERGOING ITS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. WORKING WITH DEVELOPERS BEHIND SEASIDE IN COMMUNITY POLLS, THEY FOUND LOCAL BUSINESS WAS IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE, AND THEY’VE LEARNED THEIR OWN LESSONS WITH CORPORATIONS. KROGER, FOR INSTANCE. YOU KNOW, IT WAS A HUGE IMPACT TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND IT WAS UNFORTUNATE. AND THERE WERE A LOT OF INCENTIVES GIVEN OUT. AND UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES THAT DOES HAVE A NEGATIVE WHERE, YOU KNOW, 1500 PEOPLE LOSING THEIR JOBS. DEVELOPMENT LIAISON ZANE ERTEL SAYS ONE BIG DIFFERENCE. MANY OF THEIR INVESTORS ARE LOCAL, SO THEIR FOCUS IS ATTRACTING MOM AND POP SHOPS BY CREATING AFFORDABLE SPACES. WE HAVE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, INCUBATOR SPACES. WE HAVE 3 OR 4 SPACES THAT HOST 7 OR 8 DIFFERENT BUSINESSES, CREATING LITTLE DESTINATIONS ARE ALSO IMPORTANT, AND WE KNOW THESE ART WALLS ARE SO POPULAR WITH INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK, WHERE YOU CAN SNAP A PIC MAYBE SITTING ON THE BACK OF A TRUCK. THE CITY IS TALKING ABOUT EXPANDING THIS LOCATION RIGHT BY T MONT GREEN AND HER HUSBAND JUST OPENED THIS SHOP THREE WEEKS AGO AND HAVE THE ULTIMATE SECURITY. WE WERE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY THIS PIECE OF LAND, AND WE KNEW WAS GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT TO ONE DAY OCCUPY A
Clermont’s plan to protect neighborhood businesses, as local shops leave Winter Garden
Updated: 5:33 PM EDT Mar 9, 2026
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Winter Garden’s future is uncertain, as several downtown buildings are being sold and slowly mom and pop shops are being forced out. Neighboring Clermont has a mission to stay local. Clermont development liaison Zane Ertel said right now they’re undergoing a comprehensive plan, working with DPZ, the developers behind Seaside. During community forums, they found local businesses were important to people, and they’ve learned their own lessons with corporations. “Kroger, for instance, you know, it was a huge impact to our community, and it was unfortunate, and there were a lot of incentives given out. Unfortunately, sometimes that does have a negative where you have 1,500 people losing their jobs,” Ertel said. He said one big difference in Clermont is that they have local investors. A week and a half ago, two locally owned businesses left Winter Garden after new landlords did not renew their leases. More locally-owned businesses plan to leave, with nine commercial buildings sold in that downtown area in one year. Juliana Green and her husband own seven shops, four in Clermont. “We had multiple conversations about what happened in Winter Garden,” Green said. “We couldn’t help but to think, are we at risk?”Five years ago, Green and her husband had the opportunity to buy land in Clermont and opened a coffee shop called Seven Made in that location. “It was very intentional, which now, with everything that is going on, it makes us feel even better,” Green said. “We knew it would be important to one day be in our own building, and not be so concerned about lease terms and the price of rent at the historic downtown. We love growth, and we support growth. It just have to be a responsible growth.”Ertel said Clermont has sped up permit times, provided incubator space for new businesses and got rid of business tax receipts to help local businesses start and stay successful.If you’d like to weigh in on the future of Clermont, the city is still taking public comment.
Winter Garden’s future is uncertain, as several downtown buildings are being sold and slowly mom and pop shops are being forced out. Neighboring Clermont has a mission to stay local.
Clermont development liaison Zane Ertel said right now they’re undergoing a comprehensive plan, working with DPZ, the developers behind Seaside. During community forums, they found local businesses were important to people, and they’ve learned their own lessons with corporations.
“Kroger, for instance, you know, it was a huge impact to our community, and it was unfortunate, and there were a lot of incentives given out. Unfortunately, sometimes that does have a negative where you have 1,500 people losing their jobs,” Ertel said.
He said one big difference in Clermont is that they have local investors.
A week and a half ago, two locally owned businesses left Winter Garden after new landlords did not renew their leases.
More locally-owned businesses plan to leave, with nine commercial buildings sold in that downtown area in one year.
Juliana Green and her husband own seven shops, four in Clermont.
“We had multiple conversations about what happened in Winter Garden,” Green said. “We couldn’t help but to think, are we at risk?”
Five years ago, Green and her husband had the opportunity to buy land in Clermont and opened a coffee shop called Seven Made in that location.
“It was very intentional, which now, with everything that is going on, it makes us feel even better,” Green said. “We knew it would be important to one day be in our own building, and not be so concerned about lease terms and the price of rent at the historic downtown. We love growth, and we support growth. It just have to be a responsible growth.”
Ertel said Clermont has sped up permit times, provided incubator space for new businesses and got rid of business tax receipts to help local businesses start and stay successful.
If you’d like to weigh in on the future of Clermont, the city is still taking public comment.
