Commissioner's Corner: Big changes for Orlando venues

On Oct. 22, 2013, the Board of County Commissioners voted to approve Mayor Jacobs’ $92.5 million Tourist Development Plan colloquially known as the Venues Agreement. The plan included funding for Phase 2 of the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center, Citrus Bowl renovations, a new soccer-specific stadium for a Major League Soccer franchise, additional tourist advertising and promotion, and upgrades to the Orange County Convention Center. A year has passed, and I would like to give you a brief update on the status of these projects.

One of the venues, Phase I of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, just opened this month. The center houses the 2,700 seat Walt Disney Theater, the 300 seat Alexis and Jim Pugh Theater, an arts education facility, grand lobby and staircase, the outdoor CNL Arts Plaza, and community and rental space. Phase I cost $337 million, including an Orange County contribution of $53 million, and took four years to complete. A further $53 million came from private philanthropy. Orange County is contributing $86 million toward construction of Phase II, including an additional $25 million allocated by the October 2013 Venues Agreement. The total cost of Phase II is $167 million. This phase will add rehearsal space, an acoustic theater, lobby extension, and a kitchen. The acoustic theater will be equipped with a moving shell and towers that can be arranged to create rooms for a symphony orchestra, opera, theater, or ballet performance. Construction is scheduled to begin in March 2015. When construction of Phase II is complete in 2018, Orange County will be home to one of the finest cultural facilities in the nation.

The Orlando Citrus Bowl’s $187 million renovation is also nearing completion. Approximately 80 percent of the old facility was demolished and rebuilt, including the entire lower bowl of the stadium. The October 2013 Venues Agreement allocated an additional $12 million in county funding for various competitive scope elements for the stadium, including indoor club space, improved press boxes, and fully digital stadium signage. Although construction is not quite complete, the stadium will host the annual Florida Classic football game on Nov. 22. Other major events scheduled for the stadium include the Florida High School Football Championships from Dec. 5 through 13, the Russell Athletic Bowl on Dec. 28, the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, Monster Jam on Jan. 24, and Major League Soccer games beginning in March. Construction of all upgrades will be complete in April 2015. The look of the stadium has been completely overhauled, including a new main concourse with modern amenities and styling. Other improvements include additional stadium seating along sidelines and end zones. The renovated stadium will include 56,000 seats with room for expansion. Once complete, the stadium will create a best in class experience for visitors. I hope the newly renovated Citrus Bowl will be an active contender for a future national championship college football game and other major sporting events.

The October 2013 Venues Agreement allocated $20 million in county funds towards the construction of a $114 million soccer-specific stadium for a Major League Soccer franchise. The soccer team will provide $30 million toward construction. The remaining $64 million is being contributed by the State of Florida, the City of Orlando, Seminole and Osceola Counties, the City of Apopka, and a ticket surcharge paid for by fans. Work on the Major League Soccer stadium has been unfortunately delayed due in part to eminent domain matters; and will not meet the originally scheduled opening in 2015. A church located within the stadium’s original stadium footprint was reluctant to sell its property, leading the City of Orlando to file an eminent domain lawsuit in May 2014. In August, the city dropped its suit and revised the stadium site by purchasing additional property on the northeast corner of Church Street and Glenn Lane approximately a block west of the original site. Construction began on Oct. 16 and is scheduled to continue until 2016. The Major League Soccer franchise will begin play in 2015 and will hold its home games in the Citrus Bowl while the soccer stadium is being built. Given the scope of public investment in the MLS stadium, I hope the team will be successful in attracting both tourists and locals to attend games at the new stadium.

The Orange County Convention Center’s $187 million, five year capital improvement program is proceeding rapidly. The 2013 Venues Agreement allocated $10 million towards these renovations. Renovations began in 2013 include aesthetic and safety improvements including walls, lighting, restrooms, fire alarms, and telecommunications systems. Other improvements that have already been completed include wayfinding signage, pavement rehabilitation, digital message signs, and a covered walkway from the Convention Center to the Rosen Plaza Hotel. Future upgrades will include a pedestrian bridge over International Drive, renovation of Halls E, F, and WF, a Vision Garden, and renovated restaurants. The Convention Center, the second largest in the nation, is an important driver to our economy, bringing over 25,000 direct and indirect jobs and $1.9 billion in economic impact to the community. I hope these renovations will help attract more national conventions and trade shows to Orange County.

The October 2013 Venues Agreement allocated $5 million per year over five years to Visit Orlando, the region’s official tourism agency. The funds are being spent on expanded marketing and advertising efforts with an emphasis on South America. Calendar year 2013 brought a record 59 million visitors to Metro Orlando, the last year for which data was available. Total visitation for 2013 was a 3 percent increase from 2012 levels. Given the additional tourist marketing funding and construction of new local attractions, I am confident that 2014 will be another record-breaking year for Orange County’s hospitality industry.

I hope these publicly funded venues drive growth in our economy and increase visitation to Orange County. As always, I welcome your questions or comments on our venues or any other Orange County issue. Please feel free to contact me or my staff, Edgar Robinson and Lynette Rummel. We can be reached at 407-836-7350 or by email at [email protected]