2007 State of Downtown

October 4, 2007

I wake up every day energized by the opportunity, not just to serve as the Mayor of Orlando, but to serve as your Mayor at this time in Orlando’s history.

I truly believe we are headed toward a future as the next great American City of this new century.

And, downtown is fueling our region’s future.

Together, we have come so far … so fast, in our effort to realize our vision of a world-class downtown for everyone who lives, works, plays, learns and raises a family in Central Florida.

Four years ago, we stood up and challenged the status quo. We ignored the notion that Orlando could never compete with the great cities of the world.

We dreamed big, we acted boldly and today, I’m here to tell you, Orlando is the envy of those cities.

Brick by brick … and block by block …We laid the foundation for a downtown that defines us and binds us. But a city, like a home, is not just about bricks and mortar, it’s about spirit … the spirit of this community.

We diversified our economy and strengthened our neighborhoods.

We attracted businesses, restaurants and residents like never before.

We are seeing the results of our hard work.

• We have transformed our skyline.
• We’ve bolstered our bottom line.
• And soon… we’ll have a commuter rail line.

This is the state of our downtown – surging forward and accomplishing our goals by leaps and bounds.

Now, this is one of my favorite events every year.

I enjoy it because there’s no talk of “baby steps.” No … our downtown renaissance is about giant strides.

Our success is the result of the hard work of so many people.

• My partner and friend, Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty.
• The president of our hometown university, Dr. John Hitt
• Our dedicated City Council.
• Our downtown development board chaired by Jennifer Quigley.

And, my biggest supporter, my wife Karen … thank you for all you do for our family and for this community.

The accomplishments of the past year alone are nothing short of extraordinary.

We saw progress across the board - from government to residential to commercial and retail. Projects like: The new federal court house, The Vue, Star Tower, 801 North Orange.

Recently, we had the topping off ceremony for Dynetech Centre. 55 West is only two stories away. And soon, we will have our first downtown supermarket, Publix at the Paramount.

But our success is about “smart growth” and bringing quality jobs to our downtown core … jobs for the entire region.

We’ve seen a “ripple effect” that’s expanded what we call downtown. Our vibrant urban core now spans from Florida Hospital in the North to Orlando Regional in the South. We are extending these anchors, adding mixed use projects like Mills Park and SODO.

We are building a downtown for everyone in Central Florida. Soon, our downtown core will be a destination for world class sports, arts and entertainment. This summer, with the help and cooperation of Mayor Crotty, the Orlando City Council, the Orange County board of commissioners, our venue partners, the tourism industry our EDC and Chamber of Commerce, and a host of other community and business leaders we turned the dream of three community venues into a reality. These venues will serve as the cultural cornerstone for our region for generations to come.

And remember, these public projects are more than just buildings, they are catalysts of economic opportunity for local businesses and workers, providing a sustainable foundation for local business growth and jobs.

We are also ensuring our downtown renaissance means opportunity for the next generation … our children. A little over a year ago we started the Parramore Kidz zone in downtown’s Parramore neighborhood - where 73 percent of our children live in poverty. This innovative program connects the neediest of our youth with services and educational opportunities. Today, 1-in-4 kids have been helped.

Our downtown renaissance is about opportunity for everyone.

With an influx of people, we’re acting now to make sure it’s easy to get around our urban core. A more walkable, liveable center city is on the horizon. The hallmark of a downtown is multi-modal transit. We’re on the way to having a commuter rail system to link our downtown with the rest of central Florida. And, with our partner Lynx, we’ll see expanded service of LYMMO, our free downtown circulator.

Though our accomplishments are many, we will not rest on our laurels. We are headed full steam ahead toward a future for downtown that remains brimming with promise and progress.

As downtown grows, our unwavering commitment to keeping people safe remains stronger than ever. Crime will not be tolerated anywhere in our City and that certainly includes downtown Orlando. That’s why we’re continuing to strengthen our safety infrastructure.

Beginning this week, we’re implementing an aggressive plan to keep our downtown core safe. We have created a “downtown patrol district” to focus our resources on the community policing that a vibrant city center must have.

This means more officers during the day and at night. We’re also re-activating a bike unit exclusively for the Parramore neighborhood. These are police on the street who will make a personal connection with those who live, work and visit downtown.

Wheels of a different variety are part of another effort that we’re rolling out this fall, our downtown ambassadors. Programs like this have been a staple of resurging downtowns across the country like San Diego, Nashville and Charlotte. In November, Orlando joins the club.

Our ambassadors will offer information, directions and assistance. They’ll provide police with extra sets of eyes and ears atop Segway electric vehicles. We’re opening a downtown information center on Orange Avenue as part of this program. It will serve as home base for our mobile ambassadors.

We are also moving forward with plans to relocate “the big house, fire station 1” into a new, a state-of-the-art, fire complex that will also house all of our special operations units.

This weekend, you may notice paramedics on bikes … OFD will launch its Downtown Bike team to respond to emergency medical calls in our city core on weekends, holidays and during special events. This effort will allow for quicker response time and keep more fire units available to answer additional 911 calls.

We will not falter in our commitment to keep people safe.

We also have a duty to protect the environment and our downtown plays a vital role in this effort to “go green.” Just a few days ago, we launched “Green Works Orlando,” our comprehensive plan to make Orlando a more environmentally-responsible city.

Our effort begins with the buildings downtown that are driving our renaissance and growth. Because we realize buildings impact our environment just as much as cars do, all new municipal buildings will be “green” like our new fire stations.

Our green program includes more trees, more green spaces and a push to partner with downtown businesses and residents who want to focus on sustainability.

That partnership also extends to our relationships with Orange County and OUC. Construction is underway at OUC’s new administration building to make it the greenest building in our urban core.

Today’s event presenter, the Downtown Orlando Partnership, has agreed to expand their popular “Golden Brick Award of Excellence” program. A new Green Bricks category has been added to recognize those who make a positive environmental impact.

From green innovation… to cutting edge animation… downtown Orlando aims to be the “high tech home” for film and digital media. Not too long ago, we unveiled a vision for a downtown “Creative Village.”

House of Moves, the world’s largest motion capture studio, is almost ready to open its new east coast facility and will serve as a another cornerstone to the Creative Village.

Nearby, UCF’s Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy is already producing the graduates that will fuel this growing industry in our City.

Technology is literally everywhere downtown. SmartCity has turned up free, outdoor, wireless Internet service for mobile users creating WIFI SmartZones throughout downtown.

As we advance towards the future, we do so with a focus on restoring one of the most historic areas in our downtown.

Church Street Station was once a destination for visitors and residents, and now, Church Street is returning to its past glory. As you read in the paper this morning, just outside our doors will sit a new Hilton Hotel connected to this very ballroom. A host of new restaurants will be opening like a new pizza restaurant, a new steakhouse and a dessert cafe. You will also be able to see the guy who started it all on Church Street Bob Snow as he reopens the Cheyenne Saloon early next year.

And the best news of all is that Church Street Station will once again be a hub for restaurants, entertainment and transportation for our downtown.

Finally, last week, Orlando was accepted into the renowned national “Main Street” program. This initiative provides small, neighborhood businesses with tools and training so they can work together to make their local business districts stronger.

When approved by our City Council, we will be the first “big city” urban main street program in the Southeast.

The “main street” philosophy is simple: A city can only be great if it has a great downtown … A City can only have a great downtown if it has great neighborhoods.

Orlando is already blessed with distinct, vibrant neighborhoods. This “big city” plan will establish programs in each of our six City districts to foster healthier, stronger commercial corridors.

Over the years, I’ve used a lot of numbers to chronicle our downtown renaissance. I certainly used a few today.

However, ultimately, our downtown success story isn’t all about square footage or dollar signs. Our accomplishments cannot only be measured in facts and figures.

To truly see where we’ve come from and where we’re headed... you have to realize that success is also measured in the faces and places that make up our downtown.

Our downtown success story is in this room.

It’s with each and every one of you and our entire community.

Each of you has a story, a reason why you chose to be involved in reshaping and reinventing what downtown Orlando could be. Each of you has worked to create a downtown that belongs to everyone… a downtown that acts as “Central Florida’s front porch”…

A place where people from across the region come to be with each other, celebrate with one another, be entertained together. It’s a place where we build community bonds and lasting memories.

In the spirit of this thought, I’d like to welcome all of you to Orlando’s front porch – right here in the room.