Downtown Clermont’s revitalization is entering another chapter, with native landscaping, public art and a citywide planning update bringing fresh attention to the streets between State Road 50 and Lake Minneola.

For South Lake residents, the useful question is what has actually changed, what remains a proposal and how to take part in decisions that will shape the district.

A greener Montrose Street

One visible change is the Florida native planting makeover along Montrose Street between West Avenue and 7th Street.

News 6 reported in April that this first landscaping phase had been completed through collaboration involving the city, county, Clermont Main Street and Cherry Lake.

The approach replaces ornamental landscaping with plants selected for Florida conditions, with officials describing lower maintenance demands as part of the rationale.

That matters beyond appearances: downtown’s outdoor spaces help set the tone for a walk, a meal or a visit to a neighborhood business.

The plants are part of the setting, while the people using those streets remain the reason for improving it.

Center Lake is a proposal to watch

On April 29, the city announced that its Community Redevelopment Agency board had supported the Phase 2 landscape project the previous day.

The broader vision includes a proposed native botanical garden at Center Lake and a connected corridor toward downtown and Lake Minneola.

Clermont Main Street President Patrick Bianchi presented a concept featuring native shoreline plants, pollinator areas, shade trees and trails, according to the Florida Redevelopment Association’s account.

It is an appealing direction, but support for a vision is not the same as a finished park.

A confirmed construction start, completion date and final project budget were not established in the materials reviewed for this draft.

Readers should treat those details as questions for future city updates, rather than assume the next phase is already open.

The bigger planning conversation

Clermont is also updating its comprehensive plan in 2026, with a draft available for public review.

The city describes that document as the framework for decisions about housing, transportation, infrastructure, parks, economic development and other long-term needs.

Its Planning Division says the work with DPZ CoDesign also includes the form-based code and Downtown Master Plan.

Those planning tools deserve attention because revitalization involves more than a new planting bed: it also means deciding how buildings, streets and public spaces fit together.

The city says zoning updates will begin with a form-based code for downtown and the northwest quadrant, addressing new construction and preservation of existing buildings.

The draft is an opportunity to weigh in, not evidence that every concept has been approved.

Art adds another reason to explore

Clermont Main Street’s “With Love from Clermont” project brings the district’s history into view through paintings inspired by historic photographs.

The organization’s program materials place the unveiling on September 13, 2026, followed by displays at downtown businesses and an online auction supporting its work.

That offers another way to connect a downtown visit with the community’s past while supporting its future.

Public art, landscaping and planning serve different purposes, but each can help residents pay closer attention to the place they share.

Make your next visit count

Plan a walk along Montrose Street, spend time at a local business and notice how downtown connects to the waterfront.

Clermont Main Street’s directory and calendar can help plan the outing, while the city’s downtown page provides a parking guide.

Then review the comprehensive plan draft and use the city’s feedback link to share specific observations about walking routes, shade, access or preservation.

Downtown’s next chapter will be more useful if the people who shop, work and gather there help write it.