ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings is recommending tourist development tax funding for 13 projects across the county, adding the UCF Soccer Stadium and Track Facility to a list previously recommended by a citizen task force.
Tourists staying in Central Florida hotels pay a bed tax that generates hundreds of millions of dollars in tourist development tax, or TDT, funding each year. The money is reinvested into tourism-related projects in the community.
In an Oct. 8 memo to county commissioners, Demings said some applicants showed flexibility in their funding requests after county staff evaluated different scenarios. He said that flexibility would allow the available TDT dollars to stretch further and support 13 projects.
The UCF Soccer Stadium and Track Facility was not among the 12 projects recommended by the TDT Citizen Advisory Task Force on Aug. 25. The memo says UCF would receive $46 million, down from its initial $119 million request.
Michael Poole, one of the 34 members of the task force, said the UCF project did not receive support from most members.
“Only one person out of the 30-plus wanted it, and nobody else — it couldn’t even get a second motion to it,” Poole said. “So, most of the committee thought it wasn’t worthwhile. And two, when they look at college sports, college sports are typically funded by the community donors and not by tourist tax dollars.”
Orange County District 3 Commissioner Mayra Uribe said she supports the addition.
“I think it’s great. University of Central Florida. This is our home college, and I’m excited to hopefully get that through to the end,” Uribe said.
The largest proposed investment in the memo is $400 million for the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts master plan, reduced from its original $750 million request.
Other projects on the list include a children’s museum in Winter Garden, a natural history museum in Apopka, and a golf and conference campus in Ocoee.
The full list of projects outlined in the memo included:
Orange County Application Review Committee Grant program: $75 million between 2029 and 2033
Orange County Natural Resource Tourism Infrastructure Grant Program: $50 million over 10 years starting in 2028.
Orange County Eco-tourism Grant Program: $50 million over 10 years starting in 2028
Orange County Arts and Cultural Affairs: increasing from 5% of the first four cents to 6% starting in 2027, or an increase of about $3 million annually
Dr. Phillips Charities Eatonville Museum of Culture and History: $60 million beginning in 2027
Creative City Project’s Immerse Festival: $12.5 million total, with $4.75 million coming from its existing Blockbuster Grant and $7.75 million from future TDT revenue
8 Waves I am Children’s Museum: $25 million beginning in 2027
Orange Audubon Natural History Museum at Apopka Birding Park: $12 million beginning in 2027
Florida Citrus Sports Parking Structure: $52.5 million beginning in 2028
City of Ocoee Forest Lake Golf Club and Conference Campus: $30 million beginning in 2028
Town of Eatonville CRA, Eatonville Heritage Tourism District: $20 million beginning in 2028
UCF Soccer Stadium and Track Facility: $46 million beginning in 2029
Dr. Phillips Center For the Performing Arts Master Plan: $400 million bonded by the City of Orlando
Uribe said the recommendations would spread funding beyond the areas that typically receive TDT dollars.
“I think it’s fantastic. I think that there’s a lot of great projects that have applied,” Uribe said. “I think one thing very important is that there’s an opportunity for a lot of the cities — the city of Apopka, the city of Winter Garden, the city of Ocoee — to actually get some of this funding, which is not normal. Traditionally, it’s the city of Orlando and Orange County where that funding goes.”
The task force reviewed presentations from 20 applicants before making its recommendations. Poole said the process included five meetings and additional study time outside of those meetings.
“I enjoyed it. It was nice to see, of all the different projects that were going on, all the different thought processes of how to spend the money and all the good ideas that would bring more tourists to the community,” Poole said.
Poole said he would have liked to see more money set aside for transportation needs.
“That is really critical for the community,” Poole said. “And the idea that we’re not spending any money on tourist transportation doesn’t make any sense to me.”
In the memo, Demings said the recommended projects and programs would“increase tourism opportunities, generate economic benefits, support jobs and small businesses, distribute TDT investment throughout Orange County, and enhance the quality of life for our residents.”
County commissioners are expected to discuss the funding at a work session scheduled for Monday, Oct. 19, at 12:30 p.m.