12/16/2025
🌿 FORT GATLIN UPDATE 🌿
Just sent via email. Visit savefortgalin.com to receive future updates by email
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Dear neighbors and friends 👋,
Thank you for your continued interest and support as we work together to protect and enhance Fort Gatlin, a truly special and historic part of our community. 💚
🛡️ Why We Formed This Group
Our mission has always been clear:
✅ Prevent commercial or residential development on this historic site
📜 Preserve and share the rich history of Fort Gatlin and its role in the origins of Orlando
🌳 Ensure any future park is safe, well-maintained, and enjoyed by all
🔒 Secure the property as a park in perpetuity
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🤝 Recent Meeting Update
We recently met with:
• 🏛️ Orange County Commissioner Mayra Uribe and county staff
• 🏫 Representatives from OCPS and School Board Member Alicia Farrant
• 🧑🤝🧑 Representatives of a prospective buyer for the property
The goal of the meeting was to advocate for a future that aligns with our shared vision:
Fort Gatlin as a protected, educational, and community-focused park.
⸻
🌳 Our Vision for the Future Park
We continue to advocate for a park that:
🚪 Is fully fenced and gated, open during the day for safe public use
🚶♀️🚴 Includes sidewalks and safe access for walkers and bikers
📖 Honors the many layers of history, including:
• Indigenous peoples
• Early settlers and the fort era
• The Naval Research Lab / Underwater Sound Reference Detachment
🗺️ Features educational elements like replicas, historical markers, and QR codes to tell the evolving story of Fort Gatlin over time
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✨ Encouraging News
We’re happy to report that the meeting was productive and encouraging!
There was a genuine spirit of collaboration, and we left optimistic that this shared vision can become reality — possibly as early as 2026, if all continues to go well. 🙌
While there’s still work ahead, this was an important and positive step forward.
⸻
🔜 What’s Next
In the coming months, we will:
➡️ Continue working with Orange County, OCPS, and the prospective buyer
➡️ Refine plans for historical and educational features, with support from private donors and the county
➡️ Explore forming a “Friends of Fort Gatlin” group to help guide future historical additions in partnership with Orange County
We’ll keep you updated on key milestones, public meetings, and opportunities for community input. 🗣️
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💚 Thank You
Thank you for caring about the future of this unique historic site. By working together, we’re not only preserving the story of Fort Gatlin — we’re creating a beautiful park space for current residents and future generations to enjoy. 🌎
📩 Know neighbors who’d like updates?
Please share this post and invite them to sign up at 👉 savefortgatlin.com
With appreciation,
Fort Gatlin Historical Group
