Mike Goldman of Goldman New York Property Advisors briefed the City Commission on Sept. 18 about the city’s early‑stage economic development outreach to developers and investors.

What staff heard and what’s next

Goldman said the city’s generic marketing package — a compilation of demographic, traffic and market data — is complete and will be customized as the firm pursues specific prospects (hotels, industrial, retail, etc.). He reported about 22 firms have been contacted so far, four or five of which have indicated little or no interest; he expects the outreach list to grow toward 40–50 prospects.

Goldman emphasized that outreach is highly targeted — personal contact with senior decision‑makers, not mass email — and that developers are sensitive to market timing, traffic counts and perceived proximity to core job centers (developers repeatedly asked how far Eustis is from Orlando). He said many prospects view the area as "pioneering" and will require data and demonstrations of market demand.

Opportunity Zone and other selling points

Goldman noted parts of Eustis lie in an Opportunity Zone (a federal tax designation based on census tracts). He said the designation can be a federal tax benefit to some investors but cautioned that Opportunity Zone status sometimes causes prospective investors to assume an area is economically distressed. He advised framing Eustis with current market data to show it is a strong opportunity with OZ tax advantages layered on top, not as a signal the market is distressed.

Goldman also flagged traffic counts on Bay and Grove (well below higher‑traffic corridors such as U.S. 441) as a common developer concern and suggested identifying businesses and users that rely less on raw traffic volumes or that would benefit from downtown location advantages. He recommended market tours and follow‑up site visits as critical next steps. He said two prospects have indicated they will be in the Orlando region in November and he is trying to arrange local site tours.

Materials and transparency

Goldman told the commission he would provide the generic package to staff and the commissioners; Vice Mayor Ashcraft requested the material and Goldman said he would send the general package the next day. Goldman also said he will provide staff with contact lists and summaries of conversations; staff requested those materials for planning and outreach coordination.

Ending

Goldman reiterated the work is early stage and that continued data, customized packages and on‑the‑ground tours are the firm’s primary next steps. The commission asked staff to receive the generic package and track outreach responses.