Despite the challenging economic environment, Orlando Mayor Buddy says he is more optimistic about 2011, than the last two years, and even more so, for growth and job creation in 2012. Dyer was responding to a series of questions in a wide-range interview on Tuesday with West Orlando News Online.
Acknowledging that budget revenues have been declining over the past few years and 2011 would be no exception, Dyer said there are a number of positive developments taking place.
“From a tourism standpoint, which is one of our big industries, I think we are going to see an uptick in 2011 and officials are really anticipating a good year in 2012,” said Dyer.
Commenting on other areas of industry growth, Dyer pointed to the Medical City at Lake Nona–UCF Medical School, Sanford/Burnham Institute and Nemours Children’s Hospital and Orlando VA Medical Center due to open in 2012–attributing much of the anticipated growth to the clustering that is taken place.
Dyer also discussed the Amway Center completed last October, which had provided an important economic boost during its construction, at the depths of the recession. The state-of-the art sports and entertainment facility continues to revitalize the area by generating increased incomes and jobs, and is performing as anticipated, Dyer said.
Other projects anticipated in 2011 are, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts (DPAC), which the City was “working jointly again with DPAC and Orange County on a mechanism for moving the project forward” and SunRail, that already has the financing in place and awaiting the go ahead from Governor Rick Scott.
“SunRail is in large part in the governor’s hands. One hundred percent of the funding is in place and we are simply waiting on the governor to release the contracts,” said Dyer.  “…Every impediment has been removed, all the funding is there and it is wonderfully supported by the community…and I am hoping that the governor will not try to circumvent the will of the people of Central Florida who have made this their transportation priority.”
