Seminole CountyMonday, November 2
Seminole County breaks ground on the new Rosenwald Community Center
The Daily Sanford team
Seminole County broke ground this week on the new Rosenwald Community Center, built where the former Rosenwald School stood in East Altamonte. The school was built in 1931 as part of a movement to improve education access for African American children. It closed in 2011 and was demolished two years ago.
The Rosenwald site took decades to return to community use
- 1931Rosenwald School is built for African American children.
- 2011The school closes.
- 2024Commissioners commit to a roughly 6,000-square-foot community center.
- Oct. 2026County staff list site-plan revisions needed before final approval.
- 2027The new community center is expected to be completed.
Sources: WFTV, Orlando Sentinel
The Orlando Sentinel reported that the latest plans call for a 10,067-square-foot center, bigger than the roughly 6,000-square-foot building commissioners committed to in 2024. Residents spent years pressing the county to return the property to community use. Former Rosenwald student and teacher Cora Snead put it plainly in 2024:
“This has been going on for too long, far too long”
- Address: 1096 Merritt St., on a 13.04-acre site
- Guaranteed maximum price: $7.4 million, including site work
- Completion: expected next year
The planned Rosenwald center covers 10,067 square feet
Floor area of the planned community center, beside places you know
2 basketball courts would fit inside the planned community center
Source: Orlando Sentinel
View as table
| Floor area | |
|---|---|
| The planned community center | 10,067 sq. ft. (1096 Merritt St.) |
| A football field | 57,600 sq. ft. (end zones included) |
| A basketball court | 4,700 sq. ft. (NBA size) |
Sources: WFTV, Orlando Sentinel