Today we’d like to introduce you to Tony Benge.
Hi Tony, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and came to Winter Park in 1990 to attend Rollins College where I would earn a BA in Economics. Right after graduating, I started my MBA at UCF with evening classes so I could begin my career and work during the days. Within one year I purchased the Eastwood community in East Orlando 1994 as my first development. Since 1994 we have identified, planned, and developed over fifty significant real estate projects throughout Florida.
I currently live in Winter Park with my wife Robyn Benge and our company offices are in downtown Orlando. I have one beautiful daughter Anna, age 22 who just graduated from UCF and is currently preparing for law school. We have 2 English bulldogs who go to work with us every day named Samson and Delila
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Far from a smooth road, the various economic downturns such as the great recession in the 2007-2008 range that lasted until 2011 for the real estate world a devastating time. We ended up giving up everything we had made until then to keep the projects alive and avoid having any deficiencies with the banks. That span of 4-5 years was by far the most challenging time of my life and was utter hell. I am glad we chose to stay focused, not be deterred, and were able to come through scarred but smarter.
Today’s economic environment has its own challenges from COVID-19 to hyperinflation of building materials and supply chain disruptions. These new challenges are presenting a much higher degree of difficulty to navigate, and the interest rate spikes are forming the next real challenge – housing affordability in Florida.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Benge Development is a boutique real estate firm that specializes in large-scale, mixed-use developments in Central Florida. We currently have 8 team members and 52 projects in the development pipeline. Some of the more recent projects we have been working on are:
Apopka – Floridian Town Center and Kelly Park Interchange
Titusville – 40-acre mixed-use at the hard corner of the SR 405 and SR 407
Pasco County – We have mixed-use deals in Connected City and Pasadena Hills
Wildwood – Parkview Mixed use with 340 MF units, 165 ILF units, and 120,000 sq/ft medical offices to serve the Villages area
Past Projects of Note:
Eastwood – East Orlando
JB Ranch – Ocala
Traditions – Winter Haven
As a company, we have set our goals to bring fresh tenants to the Central Florida market and create developments that have a wide appeal with a very diverse range of housing types and price ranges. We believe the more involved the community can become in the crafting of the project, the better the end product will be. Development should not be viewed as a bad thing even though progress and growth do cause concern from residents who fear change. Communication and community involvement are the antidotes to fear.
In order to truly reach a community, we like to become involved with passion projects. My wife Robyn heads up our charitable efforts and has selected wonderful programs to join that have a meaningful impact on the areas we will be building in. One example is Apopka where Robyn was able to enhance two long-standing programs: Shop with a Cop which pairs disadvantaged children with a cop to go Christmas shopping and Cops and Bobbers which pairs kids and cops to go fishing. The effect these programs have on the immediate community is amazing and sets the basis for a good relationship going forward.
So maybe we end by discussing what matters most to you and why?
Our ultimate goal is to build up Central Florida as a world-class destination with the best possible variety of real estate projects that can transform and improve our community. There is nothing more satisfying than visiting a community or project we built and seeing it flourish many years later.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bengedevelopment.com
- Facebook: @bengedevelopmentcorporation
