{"id":3356,"date":"2026-06-08T21:35:51","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T21:35:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=3356"},"modified":"2026-06-08T21:35:51","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T21:35:51","slug":"orlando-advances-plan-to-roll-back-downtown-historic-protections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=3356","title":{"rendered":"Orlando advances plan to roll back Downtown historic protections"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Orlando officials advanced a plan Monday that could they say could spur redevelopment Downtown, despite pleas by preservationists who fear it could lead to landmarks flattened.<\/p>\n

Read more Pictures: Last look \u2013 Walt Disney\u2019s Carousel of Progress closes July 6 for major upgrade<\/a><\/p>\n

Any development plans within the historic district, which spans eight blocks and snakes through the city core, would be able to bypass the city\u2019s Historic Preservation Board for three years. That citizen\u2019s advisory board has been tasked with reviewing building plans, big and small, in Orlando\u2019s several historic districts.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the latest tug-of-war between the desire to spark growth in the region\u2019s urban center and the goal of maintaining the slices of Old Florida that dot the growing neighborhood. Ahead of the vote Monday, the plan was blasted by preservationists and praised by builders and business leaders.<\/p>\n

\u201cHas the historic overlay, despite its good intentions, become an obstacle to the future we want Downtown?\u201d said Commissioner Roger Chapin ahead of the 6-1 vote. \u201cWe can honor our history without standing in the way of our future.\u201d<\/p>\n

After news of the proposal was reported by the Orlando Sentinel last week, the Historic Preservation Board met the following day and unanimously opposed the new rules.<\/p>\n

Commissioner Patty Sheehan, who cast the lone vote in opposition, blasted the idea and said city staff should have briefed the HPB first before bringing it forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cBob Snow is rolling over in his grave,\u201d said Sheehan, referencing the legendary entrepreneur who founded the Church Street Station entertainment complex, themed to complement the 1889 railroad station.<\/p>\n

The historic district spans eight blocks along Orange Avenue, taking in Church and Pine Streets and other properties through the city core. It was created in 1980 and includes 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 according to a map of a guided walking tour of the district. \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

City officials contend that while the district\u2019s outskirts have seen substantial redevelopment in all directions over the past decade, within its boundaries there has been no development completed exceeding $5 million.<\/p>\n

Read more Trump energy department orders OUC to keep running coal plant<\/a><\/p>\n

The plan is an ordinance, meaning it will need to be voted on a second time to be adopted. It\u2019s considered a pilot program, and after three years the city could continue the test, scrap it altogether, or tweak it.<\/p>\n

Mayor Buddy Dyer said the plan could be a \u201ccatalyst\u201d to make dormant Church Street viable once again. The restaurant and bar scene there was once so popular it led to Walt Disney World recreating it with its Pleasure Island, but has gone into a major decline following COVID-19 closures in 2020.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI think we can all remember when Church Street was a major entertainment district,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Developer Craig Ustler, who hasn\u2019t built in the historic district, said he thinks the three-year plan is worth trying.<\/p>\n

\u201cGreat cities have great old buildings and great new buildings \u2013 they don\u2019t have one or the other,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Jeff Thompson, who has served on the HPB for nearly two decades with appointments by three mayors, argued the board isn\u2019t a detriment to development and hasn\u2019t rejected a proposal in the district over the past five years.<\/p>\n

David Martens, another HPB member, listed off landmarks he believes are in danger.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you want to be responsible for seeing the Metcalf building torn down, the Kress building torn down, Church Street Station torn down?\u201d he said. \u201cDo you want that to happen? Because with your vote today, you could do that because it\u2019s going to bypass Historic Preservation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more No charges for Orlando cop in \u2018dancing\u2019 grandmother\u2019s death<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Any development plans within the historic district, which spans eight blocks and snakes through the city core, would be able to bypass the city’s Historic Preservation Board for three years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3355,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news"],"yoast_head":"\nOrlando advances plan to roll back Downtown historic protections - 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=3356\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Orlando advances plan to roll back Downtown historic protections - 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