Amway Center Renovation?

[TheEnforcer]

I recall when they "renovated" the Orena back in the day, and basically made the seats smaller to squeeze more people into it.

[UCF]

I wouldn’t disagree with funding improvements to keep it state of the art. 250 million is nothing to sneeze at. Residents would likely prefer a front lawn stage at the DP center for half that amount. The roof over the citrus bowl is also an interesting proposal. UCF is also looking for funding for their athletics.

[basketballRob]

I wouldn’t disagree with funding improvements to keep it state of the art. 250 million is nothing to sneeze at. Residents would likely prefer a front lawn stage at the DP center for half that amount. The roof over the citrus bowl is also an interesting proposal. UCF is also looking for funding for their athletics.

Unfortunately, the tourist tax doesn't cover student athletes and probably not the UCF stadium either.

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[Max Power]

I actually think adding a retractable roof to Camping World Stadium is a great use of the tourist tax. They want to attract big events and the place is a lot better than it used to be when Wrestlemania was here a decade ago, but rain and absurdly hot weather probably keep viable events from coming here. As for Amway, I think keeping it up is a good idea, but I think RDV needs to be on the hook for that. You whined yourself into a bad ass arena, but you gotta handle upkeep.

[drsd]

Isn't the point of the tourist tax to generate infrastructure to promote tourism? The Amway Center is not for tourists; it's for the locals.

Have a direct tram line from MCO-airport to Kissimmee would be a good thing to build over anything sports.

[UCF]

Getting rental cars off the road would save lives. It’s too practical for them to consider funding.

[Knightro]

Isn't the point of the tourist tax to generate infrastructure to promote tourism? The Amway Center is not for tourists; it's for the locals.

Have a direct tram line from MCO-airport to Kissimmee would be a good thing to build over anything sports.

The DeVos family will tell you it's for both

[Skybox]

Isn't the point of the tourist tax to generate infrastructure to promote tourism? The Amway Center is not for tourists; it's for the locals.

I’m guessing you haven’t been to a game in a while…feels like Disney with all of the tour groups. It’s not just NY and MIA fans that shout down the locals…they pack in groups from the frozen Midwest all winter long.

[UCF]

They use group sales to fill the arena with tour groups. Go to an NBA game elsewhere and you’ll quickly see it’s a high % of non-locals attending magic games.

[Knightro]

Unfortunately, the tourist tax doesn't cover student athletes and probably not the UCF stadium either.

UCF is going to sell their athletic village as something that will be used for much more than just UCF athletic events.

Like UCF is going to pitch to use the tourist tax to build a state of the art track and field facility, a state of the art soccer facility, a state of the art softball facility etc.

And then the plan would be to draw new people to Orlando by hosting youth tournaments and international events and all sorts of things like that year round with families driving and flying in from all over the country. These teams and families would stay in Orlando hotels and visit Orlando tourist attractions before and after these events.

Hypothetically, if UCF has one of the best track and field complexes in the country, they can host high school events and college events and international events year round.

Say they bring in 20 non-local teams with 20 athletes apiece on them. And those teams bring coaches and bring trainers and the athletes all bring their parents.

All of a sudden for a single one day event you have 500-750 people in Orlando who otherwise wouldn't have been here. And they're all staying in Orlando hotels paying the tourist tax. And if the event is on Saturday afternoon, you know they're all going to Disney or Universal on Sunday before flying out on Monday.

Now extrapolate that one single day event of 500-750 people to a full year schedule of 20 events. Now that 500-750 number jumps to 10,000 to 15,000 people.

Now extrapolate that one sport (track) to three sports (track, soccer, softball) or more and now that 10,000 to 15,000 number jumps to 30,000 to 45,000 new tourists per year.

That's the concept UCF is pitching to Orange County.

"You guys use tourist tax dollars to improve our facilities and we'll guarantee you that we will open said facilities up for year round for events at the junior, high school, college, elite amateur and professional levels."

[UCF]

Having applied for tourist tax funds in another county, I’ve seen first hand how sometimes the money tends to be spread to different areas of the county to satisfy the board members districts. I wouldn’t be shocked if they did received funding at some level. Track and field, baseball, softball, soccer and basketball tournaments are a big multiple day events. There’s also a growing hotel market in the UCF area.

[MasterGMer]

Is Camping World Stadium going to get a roof just like Hard Rock Stadium did? I am so excited for that if it is true

[basketballRob]

Isn't the point of the tourist tax to generate infrastructure to promote tourism? The Amway Center is not for tourists; it's for the locals.

Have a direct tram line from MCO-airport to Kissimmee would be a good thing to build over anything sports.

I don't think it would go towards infrastructure. It only takes about 30 minutes on 417 to get from the airport to Disney.

They just built a high speed train to Miami.

https://www.traveloffpath.com/new-high-speed-train-will-connect-miami-to-orlando-this-year/

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[drsd]

..

Pat Williams just asked taxpayers for 1.7B for this I-drive stadium to lure the Rays to Orlando

"This project is about far more than baseball," Williams said in a press release about the Orlando-area ballpark plan. "It's about creating tens of thousands of well-paying jobs and year-round economic impact to support Orange County residents."

[JT3000]

Isn't the point of the tourist tax to generate infrastructure to promote tourism? The Amway Center is not for tourists; it's for the locals.

Have a direct tram line from MCO-airport to Kissimmee would be a good thing to build over anything sports.

Why would anyone want to go to Kissimmee? That's like arriving at the airport in NYC and saying "I want to go directly to Newark."

And let's not get it twisted, putting a roof on the Citrus Bowl is a TERRIBLE idea. That's just putting another layer of lipstick on a pig. You want a nice football stadium? The Citrus Bowl will never be that, no matter how many times you spend millions of dollars to improve it ever-so-slightly. It's just a money pit that's crumbling more slowly than before.

[drsd]

Isn't the point of the tourist tax to generate infrastructure to promote tourism? The Amway Center is not for tourists; it's for the locals.

Have a direct tram line from MCO-airport to Kissimmee would be a good thing to build over anything sports.

Why would anyone want to go to Kissimmee? That's like arriving at the airport in NYC and saying "I want to go directly to Newark."

And let's not get it twisted, putting a roof on the Citrus Bowl is a TERRIBLE idea. That's just putting another layer of lipstick on a pig. You want a nice football stadium? The Citrus Bowl will never be that, no matter how many times you spend millions of dollars to improve it ever-so-slightly. It's just a money pit that's crumbling more slowly than before.

I-drive then. This is were all the cheap hotels are for the package tourists.

[OrlandoSaban]

I think constantly investing in keeping the space nice is important but 250m makes me wonder if something is wrong with the venue. Unless they’re hoping to find their project next door?

I hope they spend that money on removing that stupid OZONE sign. Can’t stand that thing

[JT3000]

Isn't the point of the tourist tax to generate infrastructure to promote tourism? The Amway Center is not for tourists; it's for the locals.

Have a direct tram line from MCO-airport to Kissimmee would be a good thing to build over anything sports.

Why would anyone want to go to Kissimmee? That's like arriving at the airport in NYC and saying "I want to go directly to Newark."

And let's not get it twisted, putting a roof on the Citrus Bowl is a TERRIBLE idea. That's just putting another layer of lipstick on a pig. You want a nice football stadium? The Citrus Bowl will never be that, no matter how many times you spend millions of dollars to improve it ever-so-slightly. It's just a money pit that's crumbling more slowly than before.

I-drive then. This is were all the cheap hotels are for the package tourists.

They've been wanting a light rail line between the airport and the convention center for years. Never gone anywhere. The airport being connected to Miami could open up a lot of possibilities for a local transportation system that acts as one unit of a larger statewide system, but no one wants to spend the money locally.

[Howard Mass]

I am too curious about the 250 million to renovate Amway Center. The facility needs to be upkept but that figure makes me wonder.

This whole Orlando Dreamers thing is about trying to get The Rays. No way is MLB going to have 3 teams in Florida given The Marlins and Rays' Attendance issues and also the proximity from Orlando to Tampa Bay/St. Pete.

It's always been about doing well enough in the Expansion Process that MLB would then let The Rays move here.

This is Orlando's last chance to get an MLB team probably in many of our Lifetimes but don't see how this works financially even though I would love to go to a game in that proposed stadium.

One thing though, this is over this year if the Rays get a Stadium deal in St.Pete/Tampa Bay.

[Audi]

anyone else remember?