This just came across the Orlando Sentinel. It also gives some detail into current discussions regarding stadium plans. For what's currently on the table, the team will contribute $30 million, the county TDT will contribute $30 million, the state will contribute $30 million (has been talked about in the USL team forum), and the city will contribute the land (est. worth $20 million). The state contribution is pending legislation, and is believed to be the sticking point. Flavio Augusto da Silva, who founded the Brazilian foreign language program Wise Up, is investing in the team now, and will essentially contribute the expansion fee, eventually becoming the principal owner. Sources cited by the Sentinel say the expansion fee being negotiated is $50 million, meaning the team will be paying $80 million for the team.
sounds like good news. $110M will make a nice stadium, especially if it is downtown. only having to kick in $30M is a good deal for the team (if not the people of Florida and Orlando). and a new investor who is bringing the big cash ... from a soccer mad country ... sounds good.
$30 million from the state (sales tax rebate, SOP for pro sports teams in Florida, our specific rebate is attached to the Dolphins' request for the rebate to remodel Sun Life Stadium) $30 million from the Orange County TDT (which is mostly paid by the tourists, only locals who need to visit a county hotel put any money in it) $20 million from the City (which is actually in the form of providing the land) $30 million from the team $50 million - current number from sources for the MLS expansion fee.
Current situation seems that the State is mostly on-board and the City is okay with land (so we are talking north I-drive area vs downtown somewhere). County is where there is major discussions and possibly the biggest obstacles.
That's the gist of it. The TDT request is actually $25m, as I recently saw. That's less than the amount Ms. Jacobs wants to start spending annually for convention center upkeep. So it's a matter of convincing her it's a worthwhile investment. It doesn't even really require getting loans like Amway Center did.
wait. so i am confused ... does all of this plan and government money and land mean the stadium will be in/near downtown or does it mean it will be out of town in the burbs? if it isn't going to be downtown that is a disappointment ... Orlando has space to put it downtown and it would be much better than somewhere out in the hinterlands of strip malls and industrial office parks.
They are targeting downtown. Cannot say where they are considering yet, but the number of possible sites is "less than five".
It is not clear what "Downtown" means. Downtown by the Citrus Bowl would not be attractive. That area is not part of walkable downtown MCO.
Both land downtown and northern International Drive have been discussed and are within the City limits. Other locations like Western Orange County or what some in the media call Winter Garden (although not actually in that city) have been also discussed. However since its clear the City of Orlando seems to be floating the boat when it comes to what the land the stadium will use, it seems to narrow that land to at least the Orlando jurisdiction. Of course I think the majority of fans and supporters want a downtown location, the land near I-Drive is in a accessible area that is very large, already zoned and planned for commercial and entertainment development. Plus its almost guaranteed to be far cheaper option. Not making it the right choice, but there is some logic in going that way. Ray, where is the most likely current locations? North Orange Avenue? I-Drive and the BeeLine?
They are saying "Downtown", and that's the City talking. They do not include "Downtown Orange County", which is I-Drive. I believe they mean downtown, as in the city proper. But at the presser, they said they cannot discuss exact sites publicly yet. And that's understandable, since that risks real estate speculation.
Hope this happens. I would certainly plan an Orlando family vacation around a Sounders v Orlando City match.
I-drive sounds OK to me. Mostly I say this because it's closer to me . But, truthfully, I'm pretty used to trips to Disney and Seaworld so it would be good for a couple of trips a year from me and other TB residents.
Sounds awesome. Hope though it can remain in Downtown Orlando since I'm coming from Seminole County. I know the land is supposedly already going to be used for other purposes but I think the perfect site is the old ORena location.
The downtown option, and by downtown I mean near Orange Ave, seem to be the more likely locations at this point.
I'm ok with the location (if this is indeed the place the SSS will go if it gets approved). I know the negative feelings people have about Parramore but lettuce be cereal for the moment here. A new Stadium isn't the only thing that will go up. New parking, shops, and bars will pop up around it just like they did next door to the Amway Center. And it's not like there won't be security down there every time there is an event. I'm just glad it's looking likely that it won't be down on freaking I-Drive.
Assuming that is the stadium site, it is in line with Buddy Dyer's full Downtown Master Plan 3. The final result of that was supposed to be re-development from Amway Center to the Citrus Bowl.
The area will be a year round destination for sports events. Business will thrive. It'll be fantastic.
I'm sure it won't make the area worse but that's about as rough as it gets in Central FL. Several of businesses that have tried to make a go there have failed, and another large group only stay because the city gives them incentives. A east of I-4 downtown location would have cooler, but I really never thought any of those pieces described had enough room for a MLS stadium.
That is what they said about development around RBA in Harrison also. Hasn't happened yet. I wouldn't expect a lot of development in a weak economy unless some Brazilians decide to buy up land and make the hood into Little Brazil. But overall I think it is a fine location. The suburban crowd can get to the stadium easily off I-4 and the hipsters can strut about an urban stadium. Win for all. Get it done!
Mostly, I care about the team's success. I've never been there but Amway Center is filled to near capacity every game day even in a sucky season for a team with no stars so I believe that the place seems to be convenient enough for a large amount of fans. The extra 20 or so extra games a year will help merchants there.
It's only a block away from Amway. Even if no businesses go up and the area around the stadium remains a dump, with all the traffic cops and security that will be around on game days it should be no problem for people to walk back to the nicer parts of downtown.
It's started. We're out of the bottom of the recession, especially in the real estate market, and there's reasonable hope in general for development projects to actually deliver again, especially if given the two-year head start it takes to build a stadium.
Not only has construction started in Harrison, NJ, it's apparently about to boom. The few development properties that have finished there have extremely high demand. All apartments in the new buildings have been rented and with waiting lists, and all retail spaces were also filled immediately. It seems that because of it, other properties are speeding up the process to start construction sooner rather than later. And the new PATH station is actually being built now (of course, it's this station, with it's easy connection to NYC, that is making Harrison a high demand place).