WWW.VISITORLANDO.COM ORLANDO F LORIDA A BEACON OF INNOVATION, GROWTH & COLLABORATION
A BEACON OF INN GROWTH & COLL ORLANDO, FLORIDA AT A GLANCE ORLANDO, FLORIDA WHAT: A tourist mecca that shines bright with economic and residential growth and leading city-led initiatives WHERE: Florida, USA WEBSITE: www.visitorlando.com 1 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 07
NOVATION, LABORATION Known as a tourist draw, this world-renowned city provides so much more for its lucky residents Orlando, Florida is a city synonymous with world-class attractions and enchanting theme parks. Renowned for its vibrant tourism industry, the city offers residents a lifestyle second to none and city-led initiatives have led to a thriving ecosystem of economic development and impressive growth for this Florida gem. 2 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 07
Under the visionary leadership of Mayor Buddy Dyer who has been at the helm of the city’s growth and development for over two decades, private businesses, tourism organizations as well as business industry leaders have worked together to ensure that Orlando doesn’t just embrace growth but steers it in the right direction that benefit the community and the residents who call this great city home. UNVEILING ORLANDO’S DIVERSE ECONOMIC TAPESTRY “We have the great benefit of having one of the most internationally known brands in Orlando. When people speak of Orlando, usually the next word is Disney, Universal, or SeaWorld,” Mayor Dyer highlights. However, the tourism economy extends far beyond its iconic theme parks. “We were recently named the best sports destination in the country by Sports Business Journal. We just had the Olympic marathon trial here, and the same weekend we had the Pro Bowl, so we’re very used to hosting large sporting events which is another aspect of our tourism industry,“Mayor Dyer continues. “Visit Orlando is very well funded, we generate about $350 million in tourist development tax that’s used to promote the tourism industry in South Florida, and obviously, all of the theme parks have pretty big budgets related to that as well. Mayor Dyer adds “We also highlight the arts here in our community, and have made substantial investments, not just into the performing arts center, but also in the Orlando Ballet, the Orlando Philharmonic, and then smaller arts-related programs as well. We believe that’s a big aspect of tourism too.” He acknowledges the city’s uncanny ability to develop diverse industry clusters, each contributing to Orlando’s economic resilience and innovation prowess. While the theme parks stand as titans in the global arena, other industry clusters underscore Orlando’s commitment to developing a dynamic economy. “Certainly our theme park cluster would be the biggest and most important in the world, but we 3 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 07 ORLANDO, FL
also have a modeling simulation and training cluster, a biomedical cluster, and an innovative technologies cluster at Creative Village, we have a lot of different industries and industry types, and they are large industries of the future,” Mayor Dyer outlines. “We have a long history in the technology sector, going back to NASA, and Martin Marietta, which is now Lockheed Martin, in the defense industries.” Mayor Dyer’s emphasis on industry collaboration highlights Orlando’s unique ‘secret sauce’; a culture of partnership that transcends boundaries between government, businesses, non-profit organizations, and education institutions. This collaborative ethos serves as a cornerstone for economic vitality and growth. “The University of Central Florida (UCF), is known as the ‘partnership university,’ when we’re trying to attract whoever it may be, you’re going to end up being in the room with both the Orange County Mayor and the City of Orlando Mayor, as well as the leaders of Disney, Universal, and our local downtown businesses, all collectively singing from the same songbook.” “I think that’s an important aspect of how we’ve been successful. Visit Orlando and the Orlando Economic Partnership work hand-in-hand and have developed our brand, which is ‘Orlando – Unbelievably Real,’ playing off the tourism and innovation sectors,” Mayer Dyer notes. “We have the Minority or Women-owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) program which has both financial aspects as well as training and leadership aspects to it, and we have MWBE goals for all of our procurement. We have a blueprint for those three community venues that have specific large goals in terms of minority and women-owned business that we exceeded, so it’s always on our plate to do what we can to help those businesses.” NURTURING SMALL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEMS In the heart of Orlando’s economic landscape lies a vibrant ecosystem of small businesses, driving entrepreneurship and innovation. Mayor Dyer accentuates the city’s commitment to fostering a 4 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 07
now recognized 48 of Orlando’s local restaurants, even awarding seven MICHELIN Stars. INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT As Orlando grapples with rapid population growth, Mayor Dyer sheds light on the city’s infrastructure priorities, particularly in transportation and sustainability.The expansion of the SunRail commuter rail system is a testament to Orlando’s proactive stance in addressing burgeoning transportation needs.Additionally, initiatives to enhance broadband access and create resiliency hubs demonstrate the city’s commitment to equitable development. Mayor Dyer’s vision for Orlando also includes embracing environmental sustainability, ensuring that all city-constructed projects are built to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver sustainability rating.The city’s ambitious goals of achieving 100% conducive environment for small enterprises to thrive. “We have the National Entrepreneurs Center, which happens to be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.They’re an umbrella organization that supports a lot of small entities that assist small businesses, such as Prospera and the Black Business Investment Fund (BBIF). We have a lot of incubators, including the UCF incubator system, and StarterStudio, and they support small businesses, and we have a set of programs associated with our Community Redevelopment Agency.” The city has a unique approach to revitalizing commercial districts by leveraging traditional smalltown programs and adapting them to urban settings, to develop the necessary frameworks for new businesses, job creation, and community cohesion. Mayor Dyer highlights that this concerted approach has been so successful that the MICHELIN Guide has 5 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 07 ORLANDO, FL
renewable energy by 2050, and fostering a culture of environmental stewardship through programs like Greenworks Orlando, exemplify its commitment to a greener future. CULTIVATING TALENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE “Creating a place where people want to live and raise their family is the best thing that we can do in terms of creating a workforce, because if you have the place that people want to live, then they want to move here and stay here, and work here. Identifying the job skills that we need to train people for are important,” Mayor Dyer argues. “We built, what we call, three community venues, the Kia Center, a reconstruction of Camping World Stadium, and the world-class Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, which is right across from my office. They’re just as important for economic development as they are for quality of life within our community,” he adds. Mayor Dyer emphasizes the importance of creating a welcoming environment that attracts and retains top talent, and the role that education infrastructure plays in developing a workforce. “The University of Central Florida is now, depending on the year, either the largest or second largest university in America, and then within a couple hour drive, you also have the University of South Florida and the University of Florida, so you have 500,000 students within a couple hour drive of downtown Orlando, and Valencia College is one of the largest systems that has tailored a lot of their programs towards the workforce and the needs of our community.” “We have Electronic Arts’ East Coast headquarters here, and 15 years ago they came to me and said ‘We want to grow, but we don’t have enough skilled 6 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 07
workers,’ so we partnered with the University of Central Florida and created the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy, which is a graduate program for gamers and is now actually the best in the country. The University of Central Florida is very good about helping us identify and meet the needs of our workforce.” CHARTING THE COURSE FOR THE FUTURE In Mayor Dyer’s words, Orlando is akin to a teenager, forever brimming with potential, and still establishing its identity. “We want to be a ‘future-ready city,’ which has two meanings to it, one is that we embrace the technology that helps us to deliver services for our residents, businesses, and visitors, and secondly, we’re creating an ecosystem that allows businesses of the future to use evolving technology to thrive in our community.” “We’ve coined that we’re ‘the metacenter of the metaverse,’ because all aspects of the metaverse are thriving here in Orlando, whether it’s artificial intelligence, virtual reality, gaming, or the Internet of Things, and the University of Central Florida and Valencia College have very important programs in Cybersecurity. A lot of that is synergistic between theme parks, which use all of that technology, the modeling, simulation, and training that we already have here, and now the gaming industry, which is growing here in Central Florida,” he concludes. As the city charts its path forward, guided by principles of diversity, collaboration, and sustainability, it stands poised to emerge as a beacon of innovation and progress in the 21st century. CONCLUSION Orlando, often celebrated for its enchanting attractions, emerges as a dynamic hub of economic development and growth under the leadership of Mayor Buddy Dyer. “I tell all the other mayors that I’m the happiest mayor in America. I get to be the mayor of this great city that embraces diversity and equality. What gets me up is the people of Orlando.” Through collaboration, innovation, and a steadfast 7 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 07 ORLANDO, FL
commitment to sustainability, the city embraces its role as a catalyst for prosperity and progress. As Orlando continues to evolve and redefine itself, it serves as a testament to the power of communitydriven initiatives and the boundless potential of collaborative endeavors. KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN ORLANDO BARNETT VILLAS With the Orange County Commission’s recent funding approval for additional affordable housing projects, 2024 holds promise for the introduction of new affordable housing units. Among the greenlit initiatives is Barnett Villas, a 156-unit affordable rental housing complex developed by Banyan Development Group in collaboration with FK Architecture. Nestled adjacent to Barnett Park in Pine Hills, this endeavor is poised to tackle the county’s urgent demand for affordable housing. COOL ZOO ORLANDO Get ready for an exhilarating animal experience heading to International Drive! Cool Zoo, renowned for its wildlife rehabilitation efforts, is set to introduce a brand-new 10,000-square-foot indoor attraction. This educational facility will captivate visitors with immersive exhibits focused on wildlife and conservation. Encounter sloths, kangaroos, lemurs, and alligators up close, and engage in interactive activities such as gemstone mining and fossil exploration. ORLANDO MAGIC ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT + RESIDENCES The groundbreaking $500 million sports hub spearheaded by the Orlando Magic, adjacent to downtown’s Kia Center, heralds a revolutionary urban landscape. Encompassing 8.5 acres, this visionary project led by the DeVos family alongside JMA Ventures, SED Development, and Machete Group, encompasses a diverse array of elements. Among them are a 260-room hotel tower, a 200,000-squarefoot office complex housing the Magic’s corporate headquarters, 270 residential units, a 1,100-space parking facility, 125,000 square feet of retail space, a 3,500-capacity live event venue, and a vibrant central plaza, promising an array of dynamic offerings for the community. 8 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 07
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SENSO BEACH CLUB A 40,000-square-foot oasis on International Drive. The expansive entertainment complex will feature two pools, multiple bars, and rooftop areas. Elevating the experience, resident DJs will frequently showcase premier electronic music talent. Guests can dive into exclusivity with premium cabanas offering infinityedge glass dipping pools, flat screens, and dedicated service. Other amenities include exclusive cabanas with overnight quarters, private pools, and an open-air party deck, making SENSO Beach Club the ultimate destination for a vibrant and unforgettable escape. THE GROW Pulte Group has secured over 400 acres in Orange County for Orlando’s first “Agrihood” community, The Grow. With an investment of $10 million, the first phase will feature 504 lots, a nine-acre farm, barns, and a farm stand. The expansive 1,185-acre development will encompass diverse housing, community gardens, a park, trails, an equestrian facility, and more. TOWN VINELAND APARTMENTS A fresh addition is on the horizon for South I-Drive’s skyline as the Town Vineland Apartments, a forthcoming luxury garden-style multi-family development by The Related Group, prepares to make its debut. This expansive complex, boasting 396 units, will consist of sixteen 3-story buildings along with a clubhouse, pool, 5 detached garages, and 600 surface parking spaces, promising to elevate the standards of residential living in the area. 10 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 07
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