Mayor Buddy Dyer has been busy lobbying heavily for a sports stadium tax incentive package to provide public funds to help his financial scheme to build another major venue in the heart of Parramore, a new soccer stadium. We’ve known all along this new $110+ million stadium would be bad for Orlando and bad for Parramore.
Well today, the Florida legislature did not pass that sports stadium tax incentive package. This is yet another example of why Mayor Dyer must end his quest to gentrify Parramore with over-development and big spending projects.
Dyer has been on a crusade in recent months to continue spending despite the fact the city of Orlando’s credit is maxed out and our city’s financial obligations are piling up. The city of Orlando has neglected the people of Parramore for too long. The broken promises, land grabs and over-development are hurting our community. The Stop Creative Village, Save Parramore Campaign has rallied against Dyer’s proposed luxury housing and commercial development, and jumped out in front against the plan to build a new soccer stadium in Parramore.
This major set-back proves that Dyer’s focus must shift.
“Parramore has been used and abused for years and it must end,” said Lawanna Gelzer. “People are organizing and really becoming educated on what is going on in our community. No more business as usual.”
Without these tax incentives, Dyer’s push for a new stadium in downtown becomes even more far-fetched. He already needed $25-30 million from the city and another $30 million from the County. These funds would likely come from tourist tax dollars that we don’t need to spend on a stadium. Dyer has also bought more than $8 million of land in Parramore for the project and still needs $3 million worth of land more. All of this money was loaned off of our already-existing city debt, meaning the Mayor spent more money we don’t even have.
“The shell game of city funds and debt has gone on too long and it’s the people of Orlando who stand to lose the most,” said Mike Cantone. “We call on Mayor Jacobs and Orange County leaders to stand against providing funding to Mayor Dyer for this soccer stadium so that we can focus on what really matters: the families and future of Parramore.”
The fight goes on but the momentum continues to shift away from Mayor Dyer.
Every day our campaign to Save Parramore grows stronger. Every day we are out educating the community. We continue to hold community forums and town hall meetings. We are receiving support from all parts of the community. And we’re just getting started.
The Save Parramore Hotline has been launched to help collect our stories about Parramore – the history, the culture, the people – but also to hear why you are against the gentrification of historic Parramore. That number is 407-476-1352.
[…] sick time for workers, just money to benefit the soccer team and a stadium. Because he was so busy lobbying in Tallahassee for the soccer team, he even failed to show up for a key vote that would have provided dedicated […]