General

With major West Church Street renovation, hopes are high for Parramore

West Church Street, which links downtown Orlando to the Florida Citrus Bowl, might soon look very different.

That’s because after years of delays and long stretches of tedious work, a $17 million improvement plan for the street is finally underway. The project is a significant portion of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s plan to make the city’s Parramore neighborhood a major sports and entertainment hub.

On April 8, crews began the first stage of the project – a “facelift” to the 1.2 mile-stretch of West Church Street between Tampa and Division avenues. New sidewalks, improved lighting, landscaping and underground utility work are among the improvements being made.

Florida secured $13 million in federal funding for the project in 2005 and design work began in 2007, but it has taken the city years to acquire the many easements necessary to unfurl the plan completely.

It has been interesting for us to watch Parramore, which has a not-entirely-undeserved reputation as a crime hotspot, become one of Orlando’s most dynamic neighborhoods. Already home to the Amway Center, it may also soon host a Major League Soccer stadium. And, if Dyer’s vision becomes a reality, it could soon be a very energized, very popular entertainment district.

The reason we are keeping an eye on Parramore is that we often represent clients who have commercial real estate interests. We know that finding the right location is of the utmost importance to such clients, so we make every effort so stay abreast of what is happening in and around Orlando. That helps us be responsive and forward-thinking when it comes to meeting client needs.

Source: The Orlando Sentinel, “$17M Church Street makeover finally gets rolling,” Mark Schlueb, April 24, 2013

• The Commercial Real Estate segment of our website has more information that might be of value to you.

Fri Aug 24, 5:11pm