ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando City Council is spending $160 million to pay for new parks and road projects to improve transportation downtown and create new spaces to have fun.
The centerpiece of the Downtown Orlando Action Plan is The Canopy project.
What You Need To Know
Construction on The Canopy project will start this summer.
The 10-acre venue underneath Interstate 4 has a $30 million budget.
The space connecting Orlando’s east and west downtown areas could open in late 2027.
It will convert the space underneath Interstate 4 into a place where people can go for exercise and entertainment. It is something that has been talked about for more than a year. On Monday, city leaders announced construction on the 10-acre venue will begin this summer.
People who run businesses in the area said they are excited to see downtown being reinvented.
Cooks have been serving up Colombian food for more than a decade at Super Rico in downtown Orlando. The restaurant is located two blocks from the interstate. Manager Fernando Aragon likes The Canopy project concept.
“It’ll help a lot, especially even at night,” he said. “Nights have been a bit slower, so any kind of traffic coming through here would be good for us.”
Spectrum News/Keith Landry
If you walk or drive near the KIA Center, you’ll see signs saying The Canopy is coming soon. City leaders said the new space will feature a space for events, immersive lighting, public art, bicycle paths, a ridesharing hub and 300 parking spaces to make it more convenient for people to shop, play or eat downtown.
David Barilla is executive director of the Downtown Development Board. He outlined The Canopy project plan at City Hall on Monday. He said the project will connect the east and west sides of downtown with a high-tech vibe.
“We’re integrating both a digital projection which will allow it to be a different space every day, but then enhancing our event space to allow the community areas to gather,” Barill said.
Spectrum News 13 asked Barilla if he is confident the city can stay within the project’s $30 million budget.
He responded, “As with any construction project, if there are things that come across or that unfold along the way we’ll consider those, but we made sure that with our contract, it is a guaranteed maximum price.”
Barilla added that drivers will have to navigate some changes as the venue is built.
Spectrum News/Keith Landry
Aragon said any effort to create spaces for people to visit downtown can help many business owners.
“It makes downtown more attractive, I think, for families and friends to come out, hang out for longer than just for lunch or just for an hour or two,” he said.
Barilla said that construction could wrap up in late 2027 or early 2028.
City leaders discussed some other projects Monday to make it easier to get around downtown Orlando. They want to create pocket parks as places to sit and eat lunch. They plan to convert Orange Avenue and Rosalind Avenue into two-way streets.
The plan also would convert Church Street and Magnolia Avenue into festival streets where pedestrians can listen to music or visit an art show.