0 Group making progress in fight to ban College Park apartment complex

ORLANDO, Fla. - Construction was expected to be underway by now on a planned apartment complex in College Park, but persistent residents are standing in the way.

The grass roots effort Rethink the Princeton has already spent months in court fighting the plans approved by City Council.

Neighbors are banding together as they try to keep their neighborhood free of an apartment complex they say is too big.

"We have difficulty with the sheer size, the mass of the building on that particular piece of property," said Mary Travis of Rethink the Princeton.

The group is appealing Orlando City Council's approved plan to build a 200-plus unit apartment complex near Princeton and Smith streets.

"I think they intended to be demolishing stuff now," said Travis.

Travis said many neighbors didn't know each other before banning together and raising nearly $20,000 to fight the plans.

No one with The Princeton or the developer returned Channel 9's phone calls on Wednesday, but they said on Facebook in December that they are saddened the group "wish to be devise and have filed an appeal to overturn the city's approval."

Travis explained the group began with community members just wanting to be a part of the planning process. She said had developers reached out in the beginning or had city leaders listened to their constituents, "We would've never gotten to this point."

In the nearly six months back and forth to court, Travis said the group has successfully challenged every motion to dismiss their case, getting much further than most community opposition.

"It turned into quite a fight," she said. "This is grassroots democracy, and it's very exciting to be part of it."

Travis said they'll be back out this weekend handing out fundraising slips and preparing for their next day in court.