ORLANDO, Fla. \u2014 Hundreds of millions of dollars are up for grabs in Orange County, and dozens of organizations are hoping to secure a share of the record-setting funds.<\/p>\n
The Tourist Development Tax Task Force met this week to begin discussions on how to allocate $430 million collected from visitors staying in Orange County hotels and short-term rentals. <\/p>\n
Officials say the amount is the most the county has ever collected from the tourism tax.<\/p>\n
The demand for money far exceeds the supply. <\/p>\n
The task force received nearly $3 billion worth of funding requests from organizations seeking support for major projects and initiatives.<\/p>\n
The largest request came from the Orlando Dreamers, who are asking for $375 million to help build a baseball stadium as part of their ongoing effort to bring Major League Baseball to the Orlando area.<\/p>\n
In its application, the organization says the stadium project would create thousands of jobs and generate billions of dollars in economic activity. <\/p>\n
Officials estimate the total cost of the stadium project would exceed $2 billion, with construction potentially beginning as early as next year.<\/p>\n
The Orlando Dreamers are among 17 applicants that will move forward to present their proposals to task force members. <\/p>\n
The group will review the requests before making recommendations on how to spend tourism tax dollars.<\/p>\n
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