ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando city leaders held a groundbreaking ceremony downtown for the Church Street festival street project, the first phase of a larger redevelopment effort aimed at drawing more people downtown for shopping, dining and other activities.
The first phase spans Church Street from Garland Avenue to the railroad tracks. Officials said the work includes a curb-less roadway designed to blend into pedestrian spaces, loading and unloading areas, landscaping, redeveloped sidewalks and roadways, more seating and more shade.
According to David Barilla, the executive director of the Downtown Development Board and Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), the project follows recent work on Magnolia Avenue, and demonstrates the city’s dedication to giving residents what they’ve been asking for — a refreshed downtown.
“We’re taking on something that really defines what Church Street was known for and that’s being a place for people,” he said.
Mayor Buddy Dyer and several city commissioners took part in the groundbreaking, including District 3 Commissioner Roger Chapin.
Chapin said he believes the city is taking steps to bring more activity to parts of downtown, an effort he fully supports.
“We’ve just kind of got this little donut hole of an area where we need a little added help with a lot of activity,” Chapin said. “So, I think this with the things you mentioned, with the canopy and west cord, and hopefully with them we’ll be able to attract some more private enterprise to come here.”
Chapin has supported redevelopment in the downtown area, including the historic district that includes Church Street. The groundbreaking does not directly affect the historic buildings that many have been concerned about following a city vote to bypass the Historic Preservation Board’s certificate of appropriateness. However, Chapin said he believes the vote will help accomplish a similar goal of bringing more people, businesses and investment downtown.
“You talk about modern accessibilities for restaurants, but you can’t do a lot of that stuff in a historically preserved building,” Chapin said. “It has to go through that long process. So, if you’re going to do something like that, you have to have a little more flexibility to allow those types of things for some kind of modern-day uses.”
The first phase of the Church Street project is expected to be completed this winter. Officials said phases two and three are expected to wrap up by the end of summer 2028.
Church Street has been a major topic in recent weeks as city leaders discuss restrictions on redevelopment and the role of the Historic Preservation Board.
District 4 Commissioner Patty Sheehan, a notable opponent of the city’s decision to bypass the certificate of appropriateness, was not at the groundbreaking. When asked about her absence, Sheehan said, “My absence was intentional.”