Is it Knighttime Yet in Downtown Orlando? Today, March 2nd, 2016, the Florida Board of Governors approved UCF’s plan to build a major campus in the heart of Downtown Orlando within the upcoming Creative Village project. This announcement comes one day after the Dr. Phillips Charities announced a very generous $3 million dollar gift supporting its development; this has brought private commitments up to over $16 million to date. The goal for private commitments is $20 million and for the State of Florida to match with another $20 million to help fund phase 1 of the new campus. Will this round be successful? Or will it be shutdown by a veto pen as happened last year? My guess (and hope), is second time is a charm!

What will a UCF campus mean for DTO (that’s code for DownTown Orlando)? It could be the most significant game changer in years. DTO needs a 24/7 catalyst and a university presence can help; especially for the Paramore District. I predict that UCF Downtown will cause the Church Street Corridor, anchored by the Amway Center, to fuse up with Creative Village and create a walk-able, livable downtown area. Further, the relatively quiet zone of Orange ave north of Washington St. should see a boost as well; especially given the now filled-in North Quarter. That means our CBD (Central Business District for you homegamers) could triple in size over the next ten years. That is amazing!

If you are not familiar with DTO, check it out on your next visit. I-Drive and Disney is exploding as well (material for a later post), but DTO is for locals but all are welcome to visit.

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