City of Orlando :: Council Connection

July 9, 2012

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Mayor's Update

Wells Fargo Neighborhood LIFT

On June 21, I joined with Wells Fargo Central Florida Regional President Larisa Perry and InCharge Debt Solutions President and CEO Etta Money to launch the NeighborhoodLIFT program, a major effort to help stabilize neighborhoods deeply affected by the foreclosure crisis by providing both financial and support assistance for prospective home buyers.
The City of Orlando is one of four cities selected to participate and we will be hosting a comprehensive, free large-scale home buying event on July 13th and 14th offering several services ranging from education sessions, one-on-one credit counseling, down payment or renovation assistance and tours of residential properties available for sale.

The events are at the Orange County Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. You can register online at NeighborhoodLift.com.

Operation Positive Direction

The Orlando Police Department (OPD) is known for their daily operations to keep our city safe and prevent crime. This time OPD officers took on a different role through Operation Positive Direction, and today I want to recognize those OPD officers who volunteered a few weekends ago to provide assistance to an elderly, disabled wheelchair bound resident who has limited abilities to care for her home.

The cleanup involved painting, carpentry, yard work and rearranging furniture allowing her to move more freely throughout her home.

This is an opportunity for the Orlando Police Department to give back to one of our valued seniors, who continue to serve as important assets in our communities.

2012 Fireworks at the Fountain Re-Cap

This past week we hosted more than 150,000 people at the City’s annual Fireworks at the Fountain event at Lake Eola on July 4th. The weather was beautiful and there was no rain! The highlight of the event was the spectacular 15-minute fireworks display.

I want to thank Commissioner Ings who did a great job doing the welcome for the event and also recognize that Commissioners Ortiz and Gray were in attendance along with members of my Veterans Advisory Council.

I’d also like to thank and recognize City staff who worked on this event and made it another successful celebration for our community.

Orlando Urban Trail Opening

This Thursday, July 12th, I will join with City Commissioners Stuart and Sheehan for the official ribbon cutting for the Orlando Urban Trail and Family 5k Walk/Run event starting at 5:30 p.m. To date, we have more than 600 people registered for the 5k walk/run.

In addition to being a great public asset to help our citizens stay fit and explore Orlando, the Orlando Urban Trail project represents the completion of an important segment of a multi-modal transportation project that will soon link to three of the four SunRail Stations in the City of Orlando and eventually stretch from Winter Park to Kissimmee

Items of Note

Downtown Orlando Update

There is a lot of activity happening in Downtown Orlando and I am excited that there are several items on today’s agenda. I want to highlight a few things going right now.

Hotel

Downtown’s newest hotel, Aloft will host a groundbreaking tomorrow morning. The hotel will be located in the former OUC building.
Hotel occupancy is improving as well and currently boasts 71.4% occupancy rates.

Retail

Family Dollar is currently in the process of purchasing a location on Colonial Drive and is close to finalizing their building permits.

Residential

Steel House, located in the Uptown area, is on track to open in Spring 2013.
SkyHouse, a 23-story development, was recently announced and has construction plans under review by the City’s permitting department.
899 North Orange apartments is on schedule to present its final plans at the July 19 ARB meeting.
Rental apartment occupancy rates remain strong at 96.9%, up 4.9% since 2011.

Arts & Entertainment

Mad Cow Theater will open its doors on Saturday, October 6 at their new Church Street location.
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts has begun the demolition of the former First United Methodist Church annex building. Completion of the demolition is expected to take two months.
Renovations to Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium will begin no later than January of 2014. Renovations include a complete replacement of the lower bowl, more fan amenities, and additional club space to attract high-profile games and events.

Business Development Grants

Today, we are supporting the small businesses in our community by approving a number of small business assistance programs.

In total, these businesses are anticipated to add 30 new full time jobs and invest nearly $650,000 in capital with these expansions.

The City of Orlando is honored to have these small businesses in our community creating jobs for our residents, and we are proud to support their growth and enhancements.

QTI for MarJam Supply Company

Also on today’s agenda, we are approving a Qualified Target Industry (QTI) Tax Refund Resolution for MarJam Supply Company, an industry leader in the distribution of building supplies. The company currently has 31 sites in 12 states that serve the entire east coast of the U.S.

MarJam already owns the 140,000 square foot warehouse located at 1900 West New Hampshire Street. Because the property is rail served, they will use this location to grow their business by selling overseas, particularly in Latin America.

The company plans to create 10 jobs paying an average of $47,044, which is more than 115% of the Orange County average annual wage. MarJam's total capital investment for this project is $1.6 million.