SUBJECT:
Title
PUBLIC HEARING: First of Two Public Hearings for Presentation and Discussion to Consider a Development Agreement Amendment (Amendment, 2025-DM01) between Marion County, Florida, and Golden Ocala Equestrian Land, L.L.C., Equestrian Operations, L.L.C., Roberts Development Corporation, and R.L.R. Investments, LLC., Related to the Golden Ocala Development, Including the World Equestrian Center; and Request to Confirm the Second Public Hearing to Consider the Agreement Amendment on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.
Body
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INITIATOR: |
DEPARTMENT: |
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Kenneth Weyrauch, Deputy Director |
Growth Services |
DESCRIPTION/BACKGROUND:
James W. Gooding, III, Esq., on behalf of Golden Ocala Equestrian Land, L.L.C., Equestrian Operations, L.L.C., Roberts Development Corporation, and R.L.R. Investments, LLC., (Owners), has submitted a Development Agreement Amendment (Amendment) related to the Golden Ocala Development, including the World Equestrian Center, regarding potential development within the project including, but not limited to, deleting a provision prohibiting conducting certain concert event within the project, revising the listing of uses, increasing potential hotel room development amounts, and establishing a timeframe to complete an additional amendment to the overall Development Agreement to reflect updated determinations regarding concurrency, concurrency certification, proportionate share, transportation impact fee credits, and transportation improvements related to the project and the improvements based on traffic studies currently completing final review.
The Golden Ocala & World Equestrian Center (GO-WEC) development project is a mixed-use development consisting of residential, commercial, and indoor/outdoor event facilities lying west/northwest of the City of Ocala. The GO-WEC development is a development of regional impact equivalent project reflected in Marion County’s Comprehensive Plan through a series of future land use designations and future land use policies via a series of Comprehensive Plan Amendments and various Rezoning & Special Use Permit Applications. This Amendment proposes revising an existing amended Development Agreement to reflect concurrent Comprehensive Plan Amendment (25-L01 and 25-L02) and Rezoning (250606ZP) Application requests. The Amendment proposes deleting a provision prohibiting conducting certain concert events within the project, revising the listing of uses, providing for event and sports facilities, increasing potential hotel room development amounts, and establishing a timeframe to complete an additional amendment to the overall Development Agreement to reflect updated determinations regarding concurrency, concurrency certification, proportionate share, transportation impact fee credits, and transportation improvements related to the project and the improvements based on traffic studies currently completing final review.
This public hearing represents the first of two (2) public hearings regarding the Amendment. The Board’s regularly scheduled Planning & Zoning Agenda date of March 18, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. is available and staff recommends establishing March 18, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. in the McPherson Governmental Campus Auditorium, 601 SE 25th Avenue, Ocala, Florida, for the second hearing.
BUDGET/IMPACT:
None
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
Receive public comment, provide direction to staff, and motion to confirm the second public hearing to consider the Agreement on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.
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