Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and city officials have left Parramore rotting from the core, refusing to redevelop the historic community with affordable housing, small business and investing in the African-American community that calls this area home. Now, Dyer has made another major Parramore land grab today north of Church Street and east of Parramore Avenue when the City Council approved a $4 million purchase of several parcels of land.
Dyer has been steamrolling ahead with his plans to build a new $110+ million soccer stadium so he can attempt to bring a Major League Soccer team to Orlando. Two other MLS teams have failed in Florida in the past. The Orlando City Lions are making a bid to become the latest pro-soccer expansion team.
However, there is also no funding in place to build the new stadium, as the team would expect at least $55 million from Orange County and the City of Orlando. But our community is already dipping into our reserves to close budget holes along with trying to secure funding for the Citrus Bowl renovations and Performing Arts Center completion. The team also wants up to $60 million in tax incentives from the state of Florida.
This latest move by the City of Orlando continues the gentrification of Parramore and fits into the city’s self-described “Downtown West” plans to take over the entire area for new, high-end and luxury development.
In addition to Dyer’s plans for Creative Village, which will be located on the site of the old Amway Arena in Parramore, the city wants to give the Orlando Magic the land where the Orlando Police Department Headquarters currently sits. Residents are already organizing against Creative Village and the looming gentrification.
The failure of our city’s leadership to invest in our actual community is more clear every day.
Great story….I was at this meeting yesterday. Barely blew through this agenda item. TEAR EM UP….
[…] regards to the slumlords operating at Orange Center Boulevard. Worse than that, Mayor Dyer made his gentrification efforts more blatant as he started buying up land in Parramore, which he hopes to develop into yet another stadium (this one for soccer). West Orlando News […]
[…] residential development towards the Citrus Bowl, and the Gentrification of the Paramore District (which you can read about it here). This is all very exciting to me as I live, work, and play right in the heart of Downtown […]
[…] Citrus Bowl.  The city plans to achieve this through the gentrification of the Paramore District (which you can read about it here). This is all very exciting to me as I live, work, and play right in the heart of Downtown […]