South Lake County has been one of Central Florida’s busiest growth areas for years, and 2026 added another big chapter. If you own land around Clermont, Groveland or out toward the Ocala National Forest, here’s what’s changing.
Panther Run gets its rezoning
In September 2026, Lake County commissioners approved the rezoning for Panther Run, a roughly 2,241-acre project in the Wellness Way area near Clermont. At full build-out it could include up to 2,624 homes and more than a million square feet of commercial and employment space, with about 72.5% of the land kept as lakes, wetlands, parks and open space. The developer plans to extend County Road 455 to Sawgrass Bay Boulevard as a four-lane divided road, and says construction could start as early as 2027. It still needs site, engineering, environmental and school reviews before anything is built.
What it means if you own land in Lake County
- South Lake, near Clermont and Groveland: new roads and services tend to make nearby land more attractive to builders over time, especially parcels with good road frontage.
- Central and north Lake: around Umatilla, Altoona, Paisley and the forest, demand is more about homesites and small acreage. Access, wells and septic, and zoning matter most.
- Old platted lots: many Lake County lots were sold decades ago and never built on. Whether a lot is buildable today depends on its size, road access and current zoning.
Big projects take years
A rezoning is an early step. Large projects like Panther Run often take many years to build out, and timelines can change. If you’re holding land and hoping growth reaches it, it helps to be realistic about how long that could take and what taxes you’ll pay in the meantime.
Want to know where your land stands? See our Lake County page or tell us about your land.
Sources: ClickOrlando (WKMG), “Lake County approves massive Panther Run development near Clermont” (Sept. 3, 2026).