By Fred Griffin Jr.
New Mount Dora Rec Center Construction Underway
In 2025, the City of Mount Dora held a groundbreaking for a new $18 million, 29,485-square-foot community resource and recreation center, which is expected to be completed at the end of 2026. The B+P team joined city officials, community members and project partners to celebrate the milestone, marking the start of construction on a long-anticipated, one-of-a-kind facility.
On March 3, the city council unanimously approved a resolution to designate the facility, set to open later this year, as the Nathaniel Bell Community Resource and Recreation Center. The naming honors Bell’s decades-long impact on Mount Dora, particularly in the Northeast community.
Nathaniel Bell was elected to the Mount Dora City Council in 1978 at age 47 and served the community for many years before his death in 2007. He was a longtime educator at Milner-Rosenwald Academy, an assistant principal in the Lake County School District and a city council member. As the owner of Liberty Bell Charters, he provided transportation, jobs and meaningful experiences for local youth, often at little or no cost.
The new center will feature a public lobby with reception, a child watch room, family and ADA restrooms, a computer and technology lab, a commercial teaching kitchen with a walk-in cooler and freezer, a conference room, three banquet halls that can be combined into one large space, six flexible offices and a full-sized gymnasium with locker rooms.
The facility is designed to serve as a central hub for youth programs, fitness, technology access and community events. City leaders say the center will play a key role in revitalizing the community while creating new opportunities and a safe space for future generations.
“This new facility is being built to support residents across Mount Dora by combining recreation, community programs and access to important resources in one place,” Mayor Robin Hayes says. “It is an investment in how our city serves its community today and into the future. Thank you to all our project partners, Florida delegation, city leadership and council, community leaders, Northeast CRA, staff and everyone who helped make this milestone possible.”
Fred Griffin Jr. is a devoted husband, proud father of two daughters and a committed community leader who enjoys traveling. With more than two decades of experience supporting individuals with developmental and mental disabilities, he is deeply passionate about making a meaningful difference in the lives of others. He holds advanced credentials in Business Administration, a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Theology.
