A sports-anchored entertainment district in downtown Orlando, whose concept can be traced to 2011, appears finally to be moving toward a possible starting date late this year.
SED Development LLC and the Orlando Magic pro basketball team in Florida yesterday identified two development partners for a sports and entertainment district to be located on 8.43 acres between the city-owned Amway Center (where the Magic plays) and the Federal Building and Courthouse.
The Magic is owned by the DeVos family, which is spearheading this project, whose cost is expected to exceed $500 million. The development team now includes JMA Ventures and Machete Group. JMA’s previous projects include Downtown Commons, a 1-million-sf mixed-use development adjacent to Golden 1 Center, where the Sacramento Kings basketball team plays. Machete, which developed the Amway Center, is most recently known for its development of Chase Center arena and the surrounding Thrive City mixed-use district in San Francisco.
SED and the Magic did not disclose the start date for the entertainment district in Orlando, although officials from SED have stated previously that construction could begin in late 2023, with a mid-2025 completion. The design-build team has not been revealed yet, either, but news reports have cited the firm Baker Barrios as the district’s architect and master planner.
One of several entertainment districts underway Florida
The district, state SED and the Magic, will comprise 260 hotel rooms, 16,000 sf of meeting and conference space, 270 housing units, 200,000 sf of office space within an 18-story tower, 125,000 sf of retail space, a 3,500-seat event space, a town square, and 1,100 parking spaces.
The development of a downtown sports and entertainment district has been under discussion in Orlando since 2011, according to news reports. A January 14, 2014 staff report to the city’s Municipal Planning Board stated a project plan that was similar to what’s being proposed today, with some variations: for example, the project a decade ago would have had 100,000 sf of office space and 64,000 sf of retail. On the other hand, the older plan called for 40,000 sf of meeting/conference space.
Over the past decade, the parking garages and Police Department building on the land to be redeveloped have been demolished.
The Orlando project is one of several entertainment districts that are in various stages of development in Florida. Other districts have been proposed or are underway in Tampa Bay, Pompano Beach, Miami, and Gainesville.
Related Stories
Standards | Jun 26, 2023
New Wi-Fi standard boosts indoor navigation, tracking accuracy in buildings
The recently released Wi-Fi standard, IEEE 802.11az enables more refined and accurate indoor location capabilities. As technology manufacturers incorporate the new standard in various devices, it will enable buildings, including malls, arenas, and stadiums, to provide new wayfinding and tracking features.
Mixed-Use | Jun 12, 2023
Goettsch Partners completes its largest China project to date: a mixed-used, five-tower complex
Chicago-based global architecture firm Goettsch Partners (GP) recently announced the completion of its largest project in China to date: the China Resources Qianhai Center, a mixed-use complex in the Qianhai district of Shenzhen. Developed by CR Land, the project includes five towers totaling almost 472,000 square meters (4.6 million sf).
Architects | Jun 6, 2023
Taking storytelling to a new level in building design, with Gensler's Bob Weis and Andy Cohen
Bob Weis, formerly the head of Disney Imagineering, was recently hired by Gensler as its Global Immersive Experience Design Leader. He joins the firm's co-CEO Andy Cohen to discuss how Gensler will focus on storytelling to connect people to its projects.
Mixed-Use | Jun 6, 2023
Public-private partnerships crucial to central business district revitalization
Central Business Districts are under pressure to keep themselves relevant as they face competition from new, vibrant mixed-use neighborhoods emerging across the world’s largest cities.
Urban Planning | Jun 2, 2023
Designing a pedestrian-focused city in downtown Phoenix
What makes a city walkable? Shepley Bulfinch's Omar Bailey, AIA, LEED AP, NOMA, believes pedestrian focused cities benefit most when they're not only easy to navigate, but also create spaces where people can live, work, and play.
Mixed-Use | Jun 1, 2023
The Moore Building, a 16-story office and retail development, opens in Nashville’s Music Row district
Named after Elvis Presley’s onetime guitarist, The Moore Building, a 16-story office building with ground-floor retail space, has opened in Nashville’s Music Row district. Developed by Portman and Creed Investment Company and designed by Gresham Smith, The Moore Building offers 236,000 sf of office space and 8,500 sf of ground-floor retail.
| Apr 28, 2023
$1 billion mixed-use multifamily development will add 1,200 units to South Florida market
A giant $1 billion residential project, The District in Davie, will bring 1.6 million sf of new Class A residential apartments to the hot South Florida market. Located near Ft. Lauderdale and greater Miami, the development will include 36,000 sf of restaurants and retail space. The development will also provide 1.1 million sf of access controlled onsite parking with 2,650 parking spaces.
Mixed-Use | Apr 27, 2023
New Jersey turns a brownfield site into Steel Tech, a 3.3-acre mixed-use development
In Jersey City, N.J., a 3.3-acre redevelopment project called Steel Tech will turn a brownfield site into a mixed-use residential high-rise building, a community center, two public plazas, and a business incubator facility. Steel Tech received site plan approval in recent weeks.
Green | Apr 21, 2023
Top 10 green building projects for 2023
The Harvard University Science and Engineering Complex in Boston and the Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis are among the AIA COTE Top Ten Awards honorees for 2023.
Urban Planning | Apr 17, 2023
The future of the 20-minute city
Gensler's Stacey Olson breaks down the pros and cons of the "20-minute city," from equity concerns to data-driven design.