Florida Construction News staff writer
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer says “Project DTO” has had a transformational impact on Downtown Orlando over the last 10 years, however, there is “much work to do and meaningful challenges to overcome”.
“COVID altered the landscape for every major downtown on earth, so, as we examine the state of Downtown Orlando, we’re at an inflection point,” said Mayor Dyer. “We find ourselves with both the opportunity and the imperative to be a city that leads.”
Dyer highlighted efforts to take advantage of this opportunity with DTO 2.0, Orlando’s new playbook to reimagine downtown with “a true neighborhood” as the key focus.
“It’s about building a downtown that appeals directly to the workers themselves. [We’ll do that] by reimagining Downtown Orlando, not as a singular employment destination, but as an authentic neighborhood, a neighborhood that belongs to everyone in Central Florida,” he said, pointing to key areas of the plan that focus on enhancing quality of life, growing amenities, furthering safety and opportunity and addressing community challenges.
More than 20,000 people live downtown and about 1,300 new residential units are currently in development, including:
- Society Orlando is set to open in January with 462 new apartments, including studios and lower cost options.
- The Commons will add 400 more apartments at the corner of Rosalind Avenue and Pine Street with retail and office space.
- The Edge includes a new SunRail station at Church Street along with 234 multifamily units.
In addition, the mayor confirmed the commitment to creating and preserving housing units for all income levels in the downtown area, including –
- more than 350 units of affordable housing in Creative Village
- more than 200 units of affordable housing at Parramore Oaks
- preserving 200 affordable housing units for seniors at the Roberts in the South Eola district
- building 16 new single-family homes for working families
Also, the Parramore Asset Stabilization Fund, a partnership with the Central Florida Foundation, to purchase and renovate more than 80 rental units throughout Parramore.