{"id":2543,"date":"2026-06-02T20:05:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T20:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2543"},"modified":"2026-06-02T20:05:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T20:05:08","slug":"orlando-seeks-to-loosen-downtown-historic-district-rules-to-juice-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2543","title":{"rendered":"Orlando seeks to loosen Downtown historic district rules to juice development"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Arguing the historic preservation efforts are impeding rather than enhancing downtown,\u00a0Orlando is proposing to ease restrictions on building in its Downtown Historic District, which officials contend have left valuable properties vacant and underutilized.<\/p>\n

Read more 70+ of the best gifts for Dad<\/a><\/p>\n

But preservationists are wary about the proposed changes, which could make it easier to tear down the city\u2019s collection of classic pre-war buildings.<\/p>\n

The plan, which will come before the city council next week, would allow redevelopment proposals in the district to bypass the city\u2019s citizen Historic Preservation Board over a three-year period. The board is typically required to sign off on all changes to the exterior of a building within the district for compatibility with its historic era.<\/p>\n

At the end of that timeframe, the city could revert back to the current rules, make further tweaks, or disband the district altogether.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe think the historic preservation process has created these unintentional barriers to any kind of redevelopment,\u201d said Lillian Payne, Orlando\u2019s Economic Development Director. \u201cWe want to see more residential units, we want to see more commercial square footage, we want to see more diversity of uses downtown, and right now it\u2019s difficult to do that under the district.\u201d<\/p>\n

The proposal is the latest effort by City Hall to breathe new life into downtown Orlando, a nightlife mecca where city leadership wants to add more apartments, businesses, restaurants and other uses to support a 24-hour community.<\/p>\n

Roughly $200 million worth of taxpayer-funded infrastructure and parks projects are underway this year, ranging from reverting one-way streets to two-way traffic, to building a new signature entrance to Lake Eola Park, to creating a long-discussed urban park underneath I-4\u2019s overpasses.<\/p>\n

But city officials contend the heart of downtown along Orange Avenue at Church Street, Pine Street and other areas has failed to attract developers, in part because of the restrictions on building. They created a map of developments valued at $5 million or more in the downtown area over the past 15 years and found roughly 20 projects, but none in the historic district.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe have properties within our downtown \u2026. which have been vacant for many years,\u201d Payne said. \u201cNot just vacant but deteriorating \u2013 there\u2019s been no investment in them whatsoever.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Raymond Cox, president of the Orange Preservation Trust, said the city\u2019s development woes shouldn\u2019t be pinned on historical preservation efforts. He cited developments like the 55 West high rise that have been approved and built in the district, along with the 2023 demolition of The Ballroom at Church Street.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI wouldn\u2019t call that an impediment on development \u2013 they seemed to get their way,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s the Historic Preservation Board that\u2019s impeding the development. It\u2019s just been the wrong development.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Downtown Historic District was created in 1980 and spans roughly eight blocks, according to the city\u2019s website. It includes the Kress Building on Church Street, the Angebilt Hotel on Orange Avenue, and the old Orange County Courthouse, which today is the home of the Orange County Regional History Center. Overall, it takes in buildings constructed from the 1880s to the 1940s.<\/p>\n

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\u201cSurrounded by modern skyscrapers, approximately 60 historic buildings in this district offer a glimpse into the City\u2019s dynamic past,\u201d \u201cThe historic district designation has helped preserve buildings that might otherwise have been demolished due to the rapid rate of growth and demand for commercial space in Downtown.\u201d<\/p>\n

Craig Ustler, a developer who built Creative Village and other Downtown ventures, said he has no projects within the historic district, but he believes the proposal will create a more streamlined process \u2013 rather than one where both the\u00a0Historic Preservation Board and the Municipal Planning Board, with conflicting missions, have to offer approvals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this is the right approach by the city and it should free up some investments in new projects,\u201d he said in an email. \u201cTo me, it is not about saying historical context doesn\u2019t matter, but it is about a better balance and a singular approval process with more certainty that is more conducive to facilitating new investments from owners and developers.\u201d<\/p>\n

City planners say they hope the plan spurs plans big and small, and even that historic landmarks are preserved as part of larger plans. Later this summer, an incentive package is expected to be considered offering property tax rebates for developers who preserve historic facades.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we redo the streetscapes on Church Street, and you have the ability to put in a brand new sidewalk caf\u00e9 with a big awning that may be more modern or different than what the original historic fabric was supposed to be \u2013 technically you wouldn\u2019t be able to do that\u201d <\/strong>under the current restrictions, city planner Jason Burton said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could also be a major project like a potential small one- or two-story building,\u201d he said. \u201cThe majority of the project could be demolished and keep the facades, and incorporate that into a larger development.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more High-tech gifts for this Father\u2019s Day<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Orlando is proposing to ease restrictions on development in its Downtown Historic District, which officials contend has been ignored by developers and has left valuable properties vacant and underutilized.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2542,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news"],"yoast_head":"\nOrlando seeks to loosen Downtown historic district rules to juice development - Orlando Relocation Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=2543\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Orlando seeks to loosen Downtown historic district rules to juice development - 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