One of Lift Orlando’s primary roles as Community Quarterback in West Lakes is to amplify the voice and will of residents. This can be done in a variety of ways, from yearly community-wide surveys to funding resident-led initiatives and programming. When construction began on the health and wellness center in late 2021, Lift Orlando desired to find every opportunity to invite residents into the planning and execution of a unique project meant to serve every member of the neighborhood. And the final name needed to be a reflection of the strong community within which it would be sitting.

To find the perfect name, a collection of dedicated resident leaders agreed to participate in a naming process alongside other project stakeholders. Called together in the middle of a pandemic, this committee met virtually several times throughout 2020 and into early 2021, learning more about the facility’s amenities and architecture while sharing their own insights and stories of the long legacy of the neighborhoods surrounding it. After several meetings, this committee of residents narrowed down a list of 40 possible names to five and then again to three final names. An online poll gave the larger community an opportunity to weigh in and from those final three names, it was agreed The Heart of West Lakes Wellness Center fit the bill perfectly.

The heart is the wellspring of life. The human heart keeps bodies breathing, moving and alive.. Metaphorically, the heart represents emotional life. Our hearts move us to compassion and action and to love one another. For a building designed to foster wellbeing of all kinds, physical, emotional and social, the Heart is a perfect moniker.

With a name selected, the committee went back to work with architects and designers to create a logo and brand for the facility. Color palettes were presented, tweaked, re-presented and tweaked again to reveal a bold and energetic vibe. Maps and aerials of the neighborhoods were studied and a tapestry began to emerge within the neighborhood footprint itself. The Heart of West Lakes Wellness Center will stand at the heart of West Lakes and so the roads and streets and lakes, much like veins and arteries, made their way into the final look. We are truly grateful to those residents who lent us their time to ensure the health and wellness center truly tells the story of the neighborhood, starting with its name.

Learn more about Lift Orlando’s work in The Communities of West Lakes and all of the exciting events and milestones happening last year in West Lakes by reading the 2021 Annual Report!