Top 22 in 2022
December 29, 2022
In 2022, Lake Nona celebrated numerous milestones, dined at award-winning restaurants, celebrated together at community events, hosted tournaments for professional athletes, opened new neighborhoods and businesses, made headlines, attracted top talent, and so much more.
We’re sincerely thankful for all of your support.
As we look back on an incredible year, here are 22 of our favorite moments in Lake Nona:
1. Lake Nona is THE place to be. From neighborhood recommendations to beyond-the-parks profiles, Lake Nona made plenty of headlines in 2022 as an amazing place to live, work and play. Read more in Forbes, Redbook, Thrillist, Travel + Leisure and NBC.
2. Noteworthy restaurant recognition. Bacán, Lake Nona Wave Hotel’s signature restaurant that opened in December 2021, was among the select few to earn a recommendation in Florida’s inaugural Michelin guide. A tremendous honor in its first year of operation! While visiting, be sure to stroll through the impressive outdoor art gallery at the Sculpture Garden.
3. The future of flight sets up shop. SIMCOM Aviation and Training started construction on its state-of-the-art training facility in Lake Nona. Set to open in 2023, the 90,000-square-foot, high-tech facility will train an estimated 10,000 pilots per year.
4. 10 years of championing children’s health. Nemours Children’s Health celebrated a decade of service in Lake Nona. In honor of this milestone, artwork from Nemours patients was displayed on the Beacon in Lake Nona Town Center. They also gave the community a generous gift to address food insecurity that provided nutritious meals to children across Central Florida.
5. Tech talent magnet. The leAD Lake Nona Sports & Health Tech Accelerator successfully hosted its third cohort featuring six innovative entrepreneurs who are fine-tuning thoughtful solutions from sustainable athletic wear to red light technology. Of the 617 worldwide applications submitted for the third cohort, fewer than 1% of applicants were accepted to the program.
6. UCF Health Sciences Campus grows. The UCF College of Nursing secured state funding along with a $10 million donation from Dr. Phillips Charities to build a new 90,000-square-feet facility at UCF’s Academic Health Sciences Campus in Lake Nona.
7. Serving up five years of aces. The USTA National Campus celebrated its fifth anniversary. The destination tennis campus hosts about 9,000 people a week and more than 150 events a year in Lake Nona. Since opening, the campus has presented dozens of tournaments, welcomed a satellite studio for the Tennis Channel and introduced the game to countless families across our community.
8. Beep, beep, yeah! From operating the Move Nona shuttle program for three successful years transporting more than 40,000 passengers and winning an international industry award to celebrating Beep Day in the City of Orlando, 2022 was a big year for our partners at Beep Inc.
9. The right stuff. A leading corporate site selection firm recognized Lake Nona among its top 15 locations in the U.S. for relocations amid an evolving office landscape.
10. 15 years running. More than 1,500 runners and walkers took over the streets of Lake Nona for the 15th annual Run Nona 5K and Nemours Kids’ Run. The Nemours Kids’ Run has been a cornerstone of the event since it began in 2008.
11. Building a legacy. UCF Medical School reached a historic milestone as the school graduated its 10th class since opening in 2006. To date, the College of Medicine has graduated 956 doctors and gained a national reputation for its excellence, innovation and pioneering spirit.
12. New aviation business lands in Town Center. Air and travel services provider dnata USA found its new HQ in Orlando’s aerotropolis announcing it will occupy high-tech, Class A office space in Lake Nona Town Center.
13. Keeping our community well. An enhanced version of the Lake Nona Life Project, a longitudinal health study, relaunched in partnership with the UCF College of Medicine and Nona Analytics to better understand the health and wellbeing challenges and realities of today’s world. Anyone who lives, works or plays in Lake Nona is welcome to join the study and contribute to this important work.
14. A new hotel on the rise. The Lake Nona Aloft Hotel started construction and officially topped out (when the last beam is placed on the building structure) in 2022. The hotel is expected to open in 2023 providing more guestrooms for visitors, a 10,000-square-foot event space and an all-new restaurant.
15. Golf’s leading ladies returned for a record-setting tournament. The Lake Nona Golf & Country Club (LNGCC) welcomed nearly 80 celebrities, athletes and golfers, including several Lake Nona LPGA players, for the 2022 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. The 2022 event was the most attended LPGA Tour season opener with nearly three times the number of tickets sold over previous years.
16. Celebrating 10 years of conversations with the best minds in health and wellness. The 10th annual Lake Nona Impact Forum brought together thought leaders from across the health care spectrum from mental health advocates Russell Wilson and Ciara to spiritual leader Deepak Chopra, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta, former President Bill Clinton and more for groundbreaking health and wellness conversations.
17. KPMG adds hundreds of new jobs to Central Florida. In celebration of its 125th anniversary, one of the world’s largest audit, tax and advisory service organizations announced plans to add 650 new jobs to downtown Orlando and KPMG’s two offices in Lake Nona – Lakehouse and the Capability Center. Over the next 24 months, 2,000 KPMG employees will come to call Orlando home, making the firm one of the top 25 employers in the region.
18. From dining to daycare. A mix of new retailers opened their doors in Lake Nona adding to the community’s diverse shopping, dining and services, including Pet Paradise, Tijuana Flats, Pristine Spa, Noire Nail Bar, Bacán, Little Gym, The Great Greek and more.
19. Happy 1st Birthday, LNPC. The Lake Nona Performance Club celebrated one year of rock climbing, meditating, kids programming, weightlifting, cycling, swimming, sweating and more. Central Florida’s most comprehensive fitness, sports and integrated wellness center also added services from orthopedics experts Hughston Clinic generating new jobs for our community.
20. Higher ed marked a decade. Valencia College celebrated 10 years since opening its Lake Nona campus. A vital part of Lake Nona’s educational ecosystem, Valencia’s Collegiate Academy graduates the highest number of AA graduates for Osceola and Orange counties.
21. A new place to call home. From single-family homes at Laurel Pointe to luxury apartments at Concorde, Lake Nona began sales of two new neighborhoods in 2022, creating more opportunity for residents to live in one of the country’s most innovative and top-ranking communities.
22. A busy events calendar kept Lake Nona buzzing all year. From dancing during Carnaval and Flavors of Puerto Rico to hoisting steins during Oktoberfest and story time with Santa during Oh, What Fun!, Lake Nona events brought neighbors and visitors together for one-of-a-kind experiences.
