Marion Oaks is an unincorporated community in the outskirts of Ocala and Belleview

Belleview

Belleview can refer to:* Belleview, California **Belleview, Humboldt County, California, unincorporated community**Belleview, Tuolumne County, California, unincorporated community* Belleview, Florida, city...

. It is part of the Ocala Metropolitan Statistical Area. The current population is approximately 15,000 and the community is currently exploring becoming an incorporated city, with a feasibility study underway.

The area has been steadily growing in population and so has retail space. The main shopping in Marion Oaks is a Winn-Dixie Shopping Plaza

Winn-Dixie

Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. is an American supermarket chain based in Jacksonville, Florida. Winn-Dixie has ranked number 24 in the 2010 "Top 75 North American Food Retailers" based on 2009 fiscal year estimated sales of $7.3 billion by Supermarket News. and was ranked the 43rd largest retailer in the...

 on Marion Oaks Boulevard, which is anchored by a Winn-Dixie grocery store with several other retail spaces along its strip. There is currently an expansion project underway to the plaza to add more retail space. A Walgreens Pharmacy was recently built at the intersection of Marion Oaks Boulevard and Marion Oaks Lane. There are also a couple of new banks nearby including a Bank of America. There are plans to keep expanding the shopping in the area over the next couple of years including a new shopping plaza near the entrance to the community.

I-75 & Hwy 484

Marion Oaks is located one mile west of Interstate 75

Interstate 75 in Florida

Interstate 75 is a part of the Interstate Highway System and runs from Hialeah, Florida, a few miles northwest of Miami to Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan...

 on Highway 484. The area of I-75 and Hwy 484 has seen new construction projects over the recent years including 3 hotels (Sleep Inn, Microtel, and Hampton Inn), redevelopment of the former Marion Crossing Outlet Center into an office/retail interstate center, and several new restaurants including Dunkin Donuts, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Cracker Barrel, Zaxby's, and more. A Subway restaurant is planned for 2011. A few gas stations serve the area including a Pilot Travel Center, which houses a Dairy Queen and a Wendy's.

Schools

Marion Oaks currently has three schools: Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks (5-8) and Sunrise Elementary (K-4). Marion Oaks Elementary School is on the north side of Marion Oaks with an ESE wing.

Marion Oaks is mainly zoned for Sunrise Elementary School, Marion Oaks Elementary School, Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks and Dunnellon High School for elementary, middle, and high school students, respectively.

Other schools Marion Oaks is zoned for are Dunnellon Middle School, Belleview Middle School, Belleview High School

Belleview High School

Belleview High School is a school in Marion County, Florida. It serves the Belleview area and the southern part of Marion County, Florida. The school mascot is the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, and the school colors are blue, silver, and white. The school offers the AICE program...

, Forest High School, West Port High School

West Port High School

West Port High School is a school in Ocala, Florida and one of eight public schools in Marion County, Florida. Founded in 2000 and constructed at 3733 SW 80th Avenue, West Port is the district school for Western Ocala. Formerly West Port Middle and High School, the middle school disbanded in the...

, and Vanguard High School

Vanguard High School

Vanguard High School is one of eight high schools in Marion County, Florida. The school serves the northeast area of Ocala, Florida. Vanguard offers the International Baccalaureate program for students, which accepts pupils from outside districts and makes up about 25% of the student population....

.

About Marion Oaks

Marion Oaks was developed by "The Deltona Corporation" more than thirty years ago. The real estate prices and taxes rose dramatically during the 2000s (far beyond the norm due to heavy investing and speculation); this happened only to fall back to more reasonable levels by the end of the decade. Deltona Corporation, the developer of Marion Oaks, has relocated their headquarters in the community. Marion Oaks has community areas, medical facilities, houses of worship, and a community center with a 450 seat auditorium, meeting rooms, a well-stocked public library, and recreational facilities such as lighted multi-purpose sports courts.

Marion Oaks holds a Spring celebration every year in April. The celebration includes a parade, health fair, book sale, talent show, car show, and lots of individual booths selling everything from homemade crafts to ethnic foods that are popular in the area.

Currently there is cable TV and high speed internet services available to a good section of Marion Oaks, with Brighthouse Networks being the largest provider in the area.

Marion Oaks has a profound amount of natural wild animal life, including turtles and rabbits.

Fire Stations

Marion Oaks has one fire station, which is located at the corner of Marion Oaks Lane and Marion Oaks Course. It is known as Marion County Fire Station # 24. The Fire Station currently has 18 Career Firefighters assigned (5 firefighters and 1 Lieutenant per shift) working 24 hours on and 48 hours off per shift and few local Volunteer Firefighters who are residents of Marion Oaks. The Station currently average anywhere from 8 to 20 calls a day. Apparatus assigned to the Marion Oaks Station. Tanker 24 has a 2400 gallon tank with a 1500 GPM Pump rating made by E-One, Brush 24 has a 150 gallon tank with a 750 GPM Pump rating also made by E-One, Engine 24 has a 750 gallon tank with a 1500 GPM Pump rating also made by E-One which carries ALS Equipment, and Rescue 24 is a Freightliner ALS Transport Ambulance made by American LaFrance. Station 24 covers all of Marion Oaks, part of Florida Highlands, Hwy 484 and I-75 from Marion County Line to Hwy 200. It responds to areas such as "Friendship" Marion County Station # 21 (which is located out on Hwy 200 and also the busiest in the county), "Belleview" Marion County Station # 18 (second busiest), Shady Station # 16, The Villages Station # 10, Liberty Station 32, Marion County Station # 31, Florida Highland Station # 5 (Volunteer Station) and Pedro Station # 23 (Volunteer Station) as additional resource.

Police Department

Law enforcement for Marion Oaks is provided by the Marion County Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff has a sub-station located in the Marion Oaks Community Center on Marion Oaks Lane at the intersection of Marion Oaks Boulevard. This office is open Monday-Friday from 8am to 5pm. The office is closed on weekends. Also the Florida Highway Patrol provides additional coverage to Marion Oaks.

External links