The city of Orlando has taken a major step towards building a downtown soccer stadium that would be the home of a future Major League Soccer team.
Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer has confirmed in a local radio interview that the city made the purchase for $8.2 million. The land would be the site of a proposed $110 million stadium a few blocks away from the Amway Center, and the Florida Citrus Bowl.
The city has bought 21 parcels of Land along Church Street in Parramore. They lie a block west of the Amway Center.
“I can tell you with certainty that is where we would like to construct the stadium,” Dyer said. [show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’] “That’s the perfect location. We have the parking already associated with the other facilities in the downtown area.”
The location, which is bounded by Central Boulevard, Church Street, Parramore Avenue and Terry Avenue, is familiar to local sports fans as Amway Center is where the NBA Orlando Magic play. It is approximately eight blocks from the Citrus Bowl, where the USL PRO Orlando City Lions currently play.
It was reported that the city paid more than four times the appraised value of the property, but the mayor said that the city did not overpay to make the purchase.
If the stadium is built, it is expected that Orlando City will pay between $80-$100 million of the construction costs.
Currently under Florida law, MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL teams can secure state funding for construction of new stadiums. The state legislature would have to decide whether that extends to Major League Soccer franchises.
Orlando’s contribution to the project is the land, and could support the use of tourist development tax revenues. However, there is some opposition to that suggestion.
Orlando has been projected as prime candidate for a MLS franchise. There has not been a team in Major League Soccer south of D.C. United since 2001 when the league folded two of its original teams, the Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny.
Much of the MLS talk in recent years came from the Orlando City organization, with only tepid response from the league itself. However, over the last half year, Major League Soccer has been more forthcoming about the possibility of awarding a franchise to central Florida.
It has been reported that a design for a 20,000-seat stadium has been selected that it could be unveiled by mid-summer.
A decision on building a new stadium, and on the next round of MLS expansion could come before the end of the year. In the meantime, the city of Orlando is now the proud owner of a new piece of downtown real estate.
Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer has confirmed in a local radio interview that the city made the purchase for $8.2 million. The land would be the site of a proposed $110 million stadium a few blocks away from the Amway Center, and the Florida Citrus Bowl.
The city has bought 21 parcels of Land along Church Street in Parramore. They lie a block west of the Amway Center.
“I can tell you with certainty that is where we would like to construct the stadium,” Dyer said. [show_disconnected][show_to accesslevel=’Subscriber’] “That’s the perfect location. We have the parking already associated with the other facilities in the downtown area.”
The location, which is bounded by Central Boulevard, Church Street, Parramore Avenue and Terry Avenue, is familiar to local sports fans as Amway Center is where the NBA Orlando Magic play. It is approximately eight blocks from the Citrus Bowl, where the USL PRO Orlando City Lions currently play.
It was reported that the city paid more than four times the appraised value of the property, but the mayor said that the city did not overpay to make the purchase.
If the stadium is built, it is expected that Orlando City will pay between $80-$100 million of the construction costs.
Currently under Florida law, MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL teams can secure state funding for construction of new stadiums. The state legislature would have to decide whether that extends to Major League Soccer franchises.
Orlando’s contribution to the project is the land, and could support the use of tourist development tax revenues. However, there is some opposition to that suggestion.
Orlando has been projected as prime candidate for a MLS franchise. There has not been a team in Major League Soccer south of D.C. United since 2001 when the league folded two of its original teams, the Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny.
Much of the MLS talk in recent years came from the Orlando City organization, with only tepid response from the league itself. However, over the last half year, Major League Soccer has been more forthcoming about the possibility of awarding a franchise to central Florida.
It has been reported that a design for a 20,000-seat stadium has been selected that it could be unveiled by mid-summer.
A decision on building a new stadium, and on the next round of MLS expansion could come before the end of the year. In the meantime, the city of Orlando is now the proud owner of a new piece of downtown real estate.
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