How this Winter Garden developer persevered through tragedy — and what's next in popular Orlando suburb

Welcome to Orlando Business Journal's weekly LinkedIn newsletter. I'm Digital Producer/Senior Staff Writer Richard Bilbao, rounding up Orlando business news to keep you in the know when time is short.

Sharon Williams woke up one morning in January with a simple directive: "Go."

It had been two months since Williams, principal for Winter Garden-based boutique development and real estate firm Exchange Place, had said goodbye to her husband and business partner.?Darand Williams , her co-principal for Exchange Place and CEO of D&D Construction Services — the family's related general contractor — died after a prolonged battle with cancer on Nov. 12 at age 51.

When?Darand Williams ' condition had deteriorated earlier in 2022, their firm's progress on?Westside Station — the redevelopment of a former gas station at 12623 W. Colonial Drive in Winter Garden into a trendy new retail property ?— understandably had slowed and remained relatively idle until that January morning.

"It was surreal — I hadn't slept well and was in and out of sleep," Williams recalled. "I just woke up and it was like this voice just said 'pull the trigger.' So I called our son, Jacob, who joined the company on the construction side."

A few weeks later, on Feb. 13, Westside Station broke ground.

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And now onto other big business deals, transactions and activity headlines from the week.

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Real estate news of the week

• Clermont developer pitches Citrus Cabanas short-term rentals in popular downtown district: A new project that would inject more lodging options into the popular Lake County suburb has entered the development pipeline.
• Major landowner, agricultural firm Duda & Sons buys Seminole County property: The firm paid $9.5 million to buy the two-story, 29,208-square-foot office building.
• Baldwin Park, Cady Way Trail attract new high-dollar project to be built in Orlando: Winter Park-based developer?John Builder?of Palmetto Real Estate Investments LLC is leading the project team.

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Orlando news bites

You don't want to miss these other top stories:

• Disney makes new move related to $350M+ affordable housing community in Horizon West: The project — scheduled to open in 2026 — is ramping up.
• Dr. Phillips Center's future expansions to include housing, outdoor venues and more: Planning for the third phase is underway, with construction projected to start in 2025.
• Brightline service to Orlando may be hampered by this : The train company estimated it could result in a 50% reduction in passenger service.

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Restaurant news & notes

Check out the latest news on popular local places to eat:

• First look: See inside Debonair Supper Club, downtown Orlando's new immersive dining concept (PHOTOS): The new restaurant and lounge concept will open soon at 183 S. Orange Ave. in The Plaza.
• Salt Shack to open 2nd restaurant in downtown Clermont: It has leased the space that previously was home to Lilly's on the Lake.
• Torchy's Tacos chain to take former Red Robin space in Winter Garden Village: The 4,395-square-foot restaurant space was at the center of recent litigation.

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Nominations & Events

Things to put on your busy calendar:

• Nominate now for the 2023 Inno Under 25 , which recognizes the top founders, entrepreneurs, innovators and leaders under 25 in Orlando. The deadline is July 21.
• Nominations now being accepted for the 2023 C-Suite Awards , which recognize Central Florida's top CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, CMOs, COOs and others. The deadline is July 27.
• Nominate now for the 2023 Power Players , which honor business leaders and executives who are helping grow and innovate the way business is done throughout the region. The deadline is Aug. 17.
• Nominate now for the 2023 Veterans of Influence , which?recognizes military veterans who have made a significant achievement in their careers in the past year, have a strong record of innovation or outstanding performance in their work, and are involved in our community. The deadline is Oct. 6.

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Finally ... make your voice heard!

These?OBJ?polls are live. Let us know what you're thinking.

• Where would you like to see a Brightline station?
• Would you support expanded uses of Orange County's tourist development tax revenue?
• Which of these 16 proposed projects do you think is the priority for TDT funding?

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That's all for this week's top headlines, and thanks for supporting?OBJ.

This weekly round-up of Orlando business news was compiled by Richard Bilbao, digital producer/senior staff writer. Questions? Comments? Concerns? News tips? Send them to rbilbao@bizjournals.com.