2022 State of Downtown
December 7, 2022
Luminary Green Park
Watch the video
MAYOR DYER TO TECH WORKERS: “JOIN US HERE IN THE METACENTER!”
The story of Orlando... is a story of resilience, reinvention, and rebirth.
For more than 150 years... Central Florida has been a land of opportunity... a place where people come to work hard, dream big and pursue a brighter future for their children and grandchildren.
That spirit of resilience, reinvention, and rebirth was present way back in 1843 when settlers decided that “Mosquito County” wasn’t the best name if you actually wanted to attract people to the area.
That first reinvention gave birth to Orange County... which led to the City of Jernigan... which eventually became what we know and love today... the City of Orlando.
Decade after decade since... resilience, reinvention and rebirth has defined Orlando.
From cattle ranches... making way for the citrus industry... to becoming a military training center before and during World War 2... to our rise as the global epicenter for hospitality... to becoming a home for modeling, simulation and training... through booms and busts... through successes, challenges and even tragedies... our constant has been reinvention, resilience and rebirth.
So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that coming out of a global pandemic... Orlando is primed for another cycle of reinvention.
The reason we chose to have this conversation at our annual “State of Downtown” address... is because Downtown Orlando is the focal point of the oncoming wave of reinvention.
At this moment...a confluence of opportunities that include:
- The shifting nature of office work...
- A growing demand for technology...
- A mass migration to Orlando and the desire for a higher quality of life and urban living...
- And, an exploding need for quality, affordable housing...
Are all meeting in Downtown Orlando.
And, that means we have a history-making opportunity... here in Downtown Orlando.
Today, we’re going to talk about how we will take advantage of this opportunity... and continue to create prosperity for everyone who calls Central Florida home.
HOW WE GOT HERE
Before we dive in, it’s important to understand how we got here.
When we started working together, headlines called Downtown Orlando a “ghost town” and there were jokes about tumbleweeds rolling through the streets.
Who remembers that?
Out of that difficult reality... our community acted boldly and reshaped Downtown with iconic “gateway projects” that would:
- Double the amount of residents living in our urban core.
- Add world class community venues including the Dr. Phillips Center, the Amway Center and a refurbished Camping World Stadium.
- And, add green space with Constitution Green, Luminary Green and expanding Lake Eola Park.
Our hard work helped to create close to 28-thousand jobs and breathe life into our Downtown.
As we succeeded, we didn’t waste time congratulating ourselves.
Instead, we doubled down on our achievements.
In 2014, we got together once again to collectively ask “what’s next?”
The resounding answer was education.
So, we set to work to reinvent Downtown once more... as an educational hub... and an engine of opportunity for every single person who lives in... or has connectivity with... our urban core
We closed our eyes and imagined a cradle-to-a-career pathway for young people in Parramore.
We closed our eyes and imagined a place that leveraged education as an opportunity escalator for anyone connected with Downtown.
Look around.
The results of our imagination are all around us in the Creative Village.
We reinvented an aging arena and a sea of surface parking into...
- A neighborhood K-8 School for Parramore youth.
- The UCF and Valencia Downtown Campus where thousands of students activate this neighborhood every day.
- The Valencia Center for Accelerated Training that provides residents with short-term instruction and a pathway to secure jobs in high-demand, high wage industries.
- 640 student housing units.
- And, mix of nearly a thousand new affordable, attainable and market-rate multifamily housing options.
We certainly can’t forget the next great amenity for Creative Village – Luminary Green – where we’re standing right now.
This is an iconic space where residents and visitors can play outdoors or take part in signature events.
At night... it comes alive with interactive light installations.
The “luminary” part of luminary green isn’t just about light.
This park is literally dedicated to, and will feature the names of, luminaries from Parramore who made Orlando what it is today and remain a guiding light as we work together to forge a brighter future.
In total, the Creative Village represents 2 billion dollar’s worth of public-private investment.
We’re hearing from people who haven’t had the opportunity to experience this area because the pandemic changed their work requirements, commutes or leisure activities.
They are stunned at what’s happening here.
This is more than just shiny new buildings.
This is a city-within-a-city dedicated to unlocking the awesome power of education and opportunity... for everyone by:
- Nurturing our young people and creating students that are trained for the jobs of today and tomorrow...
- Attracting companies, like the east coast headquarters for Electronic Arts, that want to hire those students...
- Providing an unmatched quality of life, like dining at the Monroe...
- And, creating a neighborhood designed for entrepreneurship, partnership and collaboration so that new companies are created and grown right here!
To illustrate how this is benefiting us... look no further than our Parramore Kidz Zone initiative.
Since 2006, PKZ has served more than 7-thousand students with academic support, health and wellness programs.
It's also helped reduce juvenile arrest rates by 77 percent.
The program recently moved into the beautifully renovated Grand Avenue Neighborhood Center.
And, with help from our partners at the Orlando Science Center, we're getting young residents ready for the careers of today and tomorrow that are being created in their own neighborhood by providing STEM education with support of NASA.
THE META-CENTER
It would be easy to look at all we’re doing in Creative Village and say, “Mission accomplished.”
But, that’s not what we do.
In Orlando... we say... “What’s Next”
In Orlando... we say... “How do we build on what we’ve done... to expand prosperity and opportunity to more people?”
In Orlando... we say... “What more can we do to create incredible career opportunities for the students from PKZ... and every young person in Central Florida.”
One answer is – the METAVERSE.
What is the Metaverse?
Imagine you could travel back in time to the early 90s and you were able to tell someone what the biggest driver of the global economy would be for the next three decades.
What would you say?
Obviously, you would tell them... “The Internet” – right?
Well, the Metaverse is going to be for the NEXT three decades... what the internet was for the PREVIOUS three decades.
The Metaverse is the foundation of the technology economy moving forward.
Going a little deeper...
The Metaverse is the virtual world in which people live, work, shop and interact with others -- all from the comfort of the physical world.
It’s the fusion of a host of emerging technologies: augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, 3D reconstruction, gaming and the internet-of-things.
A prime example of Metaverse technology is the first regional digital twin of its scale in the world that has been built by the Orlando Economic Partnership.
Our digital twin is a virtual copy of 800 square miles of metro Orlando that looks identical to... and has the potential to mimic its real-world counterpart.
The value of this digital twin is that it’s able to simulate changes we want to make to the real world... before we make them... to see their impacts.
It can be used as a public resource, allowing transportation experts to see how a rail system might impact the region... for utility companies to map out 5G networks... and for ecologists to study the potential impacts of climate change.
Another example is being broadcast on the Electronic Arts building right now.
That’s actually my “digital double” on the screen.
The team at EA had me take part in the same process they use for professional athletes to create their virtual counterparts for cutting edge, immersive games.
In case anyone at EA is wondering... I wouldn’t be opposed to being included in the upcoming season of Madden.
I did play tight end in high school.
Any good NIL lawyers out there want to sign me up as a client?
So, why is the Metaverse so important to Orlando... and to Downtown Orlando in particular?
That’s because the Metaverse is literally being created in Orlando.
Orlando talent and technology have been pushing the boundaries of immersive experience, digital entertainment, 3D modeling and simulation since the beginning of the Space Race.
For nearly 15 years, UCF’s FIEA graduate video game development program has been one of the top five programs in the world and has ranked the #1 program in the nation for the past three years.
This foundation has allowed us to become the leading area in the U.S. that’s building the Metaverse.
At this moment... the highest concentration of game developer licenses in the entire country are in Central Florida.
LinkedIn calls us the fastest growing City in America for Entrepreneurs.
And, we’re the fastest growing U-S City for IT talent... and the second fastest growing city for tech worker salaries.
That’s why the companies that are building the Metaverse have set up shop and are investing in our community.... like Unity, Electronic Arts, Echo Interactive, Brand XR, and 302 Interactive.
To take advantage of this position... we’re planting Orlando’s flag in the ground as America’s premier City and region for all things Metaverse.
Today, I am proud to stand with all of you and declare that Orlando is.... THE META-CENTER of the Metaverse!
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Look... we know many people are just starting to hear about the Metaverse.
But, this once-in-a-generation opportunity is very real... and very much within our grasp.
To emphasize this point... right now there are 25-hundred open tech jobs in our community.
25-hundred high-wage, in demand careers, many of which are helping to build the Metaverse.
Want to hear something else that’s really cool?
This event is being broadcast in the Metaverse right now.
Thanks to our partners at the Metaverse Construction Company and 302 Interactive, both local companies... it’s actually the very first Mayoral Address ever given in the Metaverse!
So, if you’re a technology worker experiencing this event from somewhere else...
Maybe you like 300 days of sunshine... no state income tax... and a community that welcomes diversity?
Consider this your personal invitation from the Mayor of Orlando.
We want you to share in what we’re building here in the META-CENTER.
We want you in Orlando!
DTO 2.0 / DOWNTOWN ACTION PLAN
Inviting the world to do business in Orlando’s MetaCenter... is one more reason why we must continue to build a Downtown that competes with the great downtowns of the world.
It’s one more reason we must have a Downtown that truly “has something for everyone” and is exceptional every single day.
That’s where Project DTO... 2.0 comes in.
Eight years ago... the original Project DTO sparked our emergence as an academic and innovation destination.
It also made Downtown more walkable... added tons of green space... and expanded opportunities for urban living.
But, there’s more work to do.
There’s more potential to unlock.
We’re fortunate to have built a strong foundation and now it’s time to take the next steps.
For decades... American Downtowns have been designed as business, cultural and entertainment hubs where people enter... and then exit... in large numbers.
In and out... like an accordion.
This dynamic certainly applies to Orlando.
But, the nature of traditional office work and commuting is evolving.
That decades-old “in and out” model is changing.
How people experience a Downtown... and what they want out of an urban environment... is changing, too.
Taking advantage of this evolution.... is what DTO 2.0 is all about.
Over the past year, we’ve engaged in a shared planning process to ensure Downtown grows our business, cultural and entertainment amenities... while also creating more of an “urban neighborhood” environment.
Why a neighborhood?
Because people don’t just come in and out of neighborhoods.
They live there, invest there, and make memories there.
Neighborhoods don’t just have one or two big reasons to draw people in.
Neighborhoods are a collection of a million reasons why people spend time there and even draw their identities from there.
Neighborhoods are diverse and dynamic.
Neighborhoods have their own authentic character.
So, DTO 2.0 is an action plan for enacting dozens upon dozens of “small” steps that add up to one big evolution of Downtown Orlando as its own urban neighborhood:
- To start, we’re going to redesign our infrastructure block-by-block.
- We’re going to turn some of our major one-way thoroughfares back to two-way streets to encourage more retail and other destination spaces.
- We’re going to increase street cleaning.
- We’ll add smaller-scale attractions... so that no matter your age or stage in life... there are reasons to visit our urban core.
- We will upgrade our Lymmo circulator so that it better serves residents, visitors and our urban workforce.
- We’ll transform Lake Lucerne into the southern gateway to Downtown.
- We’re going to nurture more locally-owned small businesses and retail... to expand opportunity and help create the character that helps define a neighborhood.
- We’re implementing our master plan to continue improving our signature park at Lake Eola.
- We’re also bringing smaller-scale art and cultural amenities throughout Downtown. That includes our new interactive art park, gallery and café that we’re calling “Art Squared”... also activating the space under Interstate 4 with the Under-I... and a new mural that showcases what’s “Unbelievably Real” about our community.
While DTO 2.0 is a long-term plan... we’ll see key pieces in action immediately.
This includes our most important job... keeping everyone safe.
We’re creating a unique live-work-learn-and-play environment here.
But, the “play” dynamic must be safe, particularly at night.
That’s why we’re working to amend our land development code to increase safety at night by better regulating parking lots, reducing nuisances, and enhancing our noise ordinances.
This work goes hand in hand with what our police department is doing to combat all crime.
OPD has increased the size and coverage of Downtown Patrol Units during the day – and with special officers for weekend nights.
They’ve added Police Officers to all Patrol Units responsible for Downtown and Parramore areas... and also created a Tactical Patrol Unit specifically designed to impact violent crime and get crime guns off the street.
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Bringing our vision of an urban neighborhood to life... means continuing to create a Downtown where everyone who wants to live... can do so... regardless of income level.
We just helped clear the way for 194 more units of affordable housing as part of the Beacon development.
That brings the total number of affordable housing units to more than 450, just in the Creative Village.
The second phase of Parramore Oaks will be completed this summer, adding another 91 affordable housing units to our community.
And, later in 2023 Society Orlando is scheduled to open adding close to 500 new apartments, including studios and lower-cost options.
The Commons is a recently-announced project on the corner of Rosalind Avenue and Pine Street... with a 400 unit, 25-story apartment tower with ground-floor retail space and a three-story office building.
The Edge is set to break ground in the next few months at Church Street... the 33-story tower includes 200 multifamily units... a hotel... office space... retail space... and an integrated SunRail station.
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Bringing our vision of an urban neighborhood to life... also means continuing to take care of our most vulnerable neighbors.
We partnered with First Step Staffing to locate its Orlando office in the heart of Parramore where they connected more than 300 individuals experiencing homelessness with jobs and job-training.
In July we launched Accelerate Orlando, which leverages 58 million dollars in federal funding to invest in Orlando’s trusted service providers, including the Christian Service Center, Salvation Army and Coalition for the Homeless, to modernize their campuses, offer more wrap-around services and grow daytime operations, which means fewer unsheltered neighbors on our streets.
Through Accelerate Orlando, we’re investing in the conversion of the blighted Ambassador Hotel at Westmoreland and Colonial into 150 affordable apartments for families and individuals.
We’re working with the Zebra Coalition to turn another 22 hotel units into homes for LGBTQ+ youth.
And, we’re going to develop 80 apartment units for workforce housing and up to 10-single family homes in Parramore and expand down payment support, housing counseling and access to repairs for low-income residents.
While most cities had no choice but to use this federal funding to cover deficits they’d incurred during the pandemic... Orlando was different.
Our strong financial management through the crisis allowed us to use this federal money to make the most significant investment in our history to help care for those experiencing homelessness.
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Bringing our vision of an urban neighborhood to life... means continuing to grow Downtown Orlando as an urban environment that draws major events.
We had so many this year.
Who can forget the excitement when Orlando City made its thrilling run to win the U.S. Open Cup trophy.
We also hosted new kinds of events this year.
We welcomed the Special Olympics USA Games.
I-P-W, the travel industry’s largest show, hosted an entire night in Downtown Orlando showcasing our city center to tens of thousands of hospitality professionals thanks to our partnership with Visit Orlando.
Once, again, we welcomed Synapse, a celebration of our region’s innovators and technology economy at the Dr. Phillips Center.
We opened Steinmetz Hall, completing our vision for a true world class arts destination.
The FringeArts Space at 55 West opens in January.
In just the last week... we expanded “DTO for the Holidays”... a mix of events taking place throughout Downtown all December including... The Lake Eola Wonderland Christmas Tree Show... Snow Fall at the Lake Eola House... holiday markets and even the chance to visit Santa.
Our three bowl games kick off in a few days.
The Magic have a bright future with one of the most exciting young teams in the NBA.
We've got Solar Bears... and in just a few months we'll have the return of the Pride and the Predators, plus a new team, the XFL's Orlando Guardians, playing at Camping World Stadium.
Once again, we’ll play host to first and second round games of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in March.
The biggest news yet... In 2024 we’ll host the U-S Olympic Marathon trials.
We want our streets packed to cheer on the best runners in America as they compete on a course that will wind throughout our Downtown... to have the honor of representing our country in the upcoming Paris games!
RECOGNITIONS & THANK-YOU’S
This has been a lengthy talk... but that’s because there’s so much going on right now in our Downtown.
None of it would be possible without all of you.
So, please, join us as we recognize and thank some of our partners:
We want to start by recognizing the elected leadership of our City...
- Commissioner Jim Gray
- Commissioner Tony Ortiz
- Commissioner Robert Stuart
- Commissioner Patty Sheehan
- Commissioner Regina Hill
- Commissioner Bakari Burns
We want to give a massive thank you to the Downtown Orlando Partnership for hosting this event and providing this platform to focus on our beloved Downtown.
Mr. Downtown... Thomas Chatmon... and the entire team at the Downtown Development board.
Every member of our City family... your hard work and dedication to serving this community inspires us all.
To close this afternoon...
The reinvention and rebirth we’re talking about won’t happen by itself.
It will only happen if we continue prioritize partnership and collaboration over all the other nonsense and noise that can often paralyze progress.
For close to two decades, we’ve proudly proclaimed that partnership and collaboration is our strategic advantage.
That sentiment is as true today as it was when we first started to imagine the future for our beloved Downtown.
From the bottom of my heart... I hope each of you is as excited about our future as I am.
I hope each of you feels the same sense of momentum that I do as we work together to unlock prosperity for everyone!
Thank you all for being here today... in person... on social media... and now in the Metaverse.
God Bless America.
And... today on Pearl Harbor Day... God Bless all who died that day.. and all who have served or currently serve our country.
God Bless the City of Orlando.
And, God Bless Downtown Orlando.
Thank you so much for being here.