Orange County Starts Work on Emergency Demolition of Unsafe, Deserted Mobile Home Park

Lake Downey Mobile Home Park has long been a source of complaints, criminal activity.

Orange County, FL — Orange County Government has started clearing the site of a deserted mobile home park that’s been deemed unsafe.

Lake Downey Mobile Home Park, located at 1410 Dean Road, has generated complaints about dilapidated structures, safety hazards, the presence of squatters, drug use, and other criminal behavior. Orange County Fire Rescue responded to fires on two separate occasions at the property on March 8 and March 11.

Typically, it’s the property owner’s responsibility to secure demolition permits and work with a general contractor to clear the land. Orange County Ordinance 9-279 allows the County to authorize an emergency demolition when a dangerous condition exists that poses an imminent threat to the public’s life, health, or safety.

Demolition activity officially began Friday, March 22, with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and close to a half dozen mobile homes were demolished. Demolition crews plan to work at the site all day Saturday, March 23, and return on Monday, March 25. It’s expected that every structure at the site will be leveled within a few working days, and the complete cleanout of the area will take several weeks.

The property, located next door to an apartment community and Union Park Elementary School, has outstanding code violations dating back to 2019 related to safety, zoning, and structural problems.

No tenants have legally lived in the mobile home park since November of 2023.