Florida Construction News staff writer
Orlando has begun construction on the first phase of the Church Street Festival Street project, a major downtown redevelopment initiative designed to create a more pedestrian-friendly, vibrant and connected urban corridor.
The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) marked the project milestone with a groundbreaking ceremony, celebrating the start of a transformation guided by the Downtown Orlando (DTO) Action Plan and a broader vision to reimagine one of the city’s most historic streets.
The project will transform Church Street between Garland Avenue and Magnolia Avenue into a festival street designed to support year-round community events, outdoor dining, local businesses and multimodal transportation. The redesigned corridor will prioritize pedestrian activity while improving mobility, accessibility and public gathering spaces.
“The Church Street Festival Street project represents a significant investment in the future of downtown Orlando,” city officials said. “The transformation will create a more welcoming and connected environment for residents, businesses and visitors while strengthening Church Street’s role as a civic and cultural destination.”
Reconstruction is intended to reduce cut-through traffic while creating a flexible streetscape that balances vehicle access with opportunities for entertainment, dining and community programming.
The project will be completed in three phases:
- Phase I will reconstruct Church Street from Garland Avenue to the railroad tracks as an Exceptional Streetscapes Festival Street. The design will feature two 11-foot travel lanes, a curbless roadway that blends with pedestrian areas, a semi-pervious street surface, designated loading and unloading areas and expanded landscaping opportunities. Construction is expected to be completed in winter 2026.
- Phase II will extend the festival street design from the railroad tracks to Orange Avenue. Planned improvements include textured paving that visually extends sidewalks into the roadway, traffic-calming features, designated loading zones, linear benches, planters and movable furniture to encourage outdoor activity and public gathering. Construction is expected to be completed in spring 2028.
- Phase III will continue the transformation from Orange Avenue to Magnolia Avenue by converting the corridor from one-way eastbound traffic to two-way operations. The phase will also integrate LYMMO bus service into the regular travel lanes, creating a more connected and intuitive transportation network. Construction is expected to be completed in early summer 2028.
When complete, the Church Street Festival Street project will create a flexible downtown destination that accommodates pedestrians, businesses, transit users and community events while supporting Orlando’s continued growth.