It has been 19 months since the city of Orlando game the Orlando Magic the green light to conduct studies on a proposed $100 million sports and entertainment complex, north of the new Amway Center. And on Monday, Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins will get to brief the city council on the outcomes of the many feasibility studies undertaken.
Billed in September 2011 as a project that would continue the revitalization of down Orlando and the Parramore neighborhood, the planned development is expected to include a mix of shopping, dining, entertainment venues and a hotel. At the time, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said, at least 300 permanent jobs would be created.
For more than a year, the Orlando Magic have had an exclusive purchase option on the city parking garage and recently signalled they are also interested in purchasing the Orlando Police Headquarters.
If the plan goes ahead, and there are no indications it won’t, the Magic will move its headquarters, currently located near Maitland at the RDV Sportsplex, into the new sports and entertainment complex.
It is not clear whether Martins will address the many questions which remain including, parking, housing of the Orlando Police Department’s fleet, Orlando Police Headquarters itself and the several African-American street level merchants, many of whom have struggled to remain in business (some have closed), since the opening of the Amway Center.
Another big unknown too, is the purchase price that will be agreed upon between the Orlando Magic and the city.
Nonetheless, from all appearances this project will move ahead and gentrification downtown Orlando will continue.
