Orange County commissioners have approved $812 million in tourist tax funding for 13 projects across the Orlando area, including a $350 million expansion of the Dr Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and new sporting facilities at the University of Central Florida.
The package was passed by six votes to one on Monday, October 19, after a hearing that attracted 78 public speakers and a protest led by labour unions. Commissioner Kelly Martinez Semrad was the only member to oppose the final recommendations.
The money will come from Orange County’s Tourist Development Tax, a 6 per cent levy on hotel stays and short-term holiday rentals. The funds are intended to support projects that attract visitors and strengthen the region’s tourism economy.
Orange County tourist tax funding approved after heated debate
The largest award will go to the Dr Phillips Center, which will receive $350 million towards its masterplan. The sum was reduced from the $400 million previously proposed by Mayor Jerry Demings, with the centre expected to use the money to add new performance and event spaces and expand parking.
A further $52.5 million has been allocated for a new parking structure at Camping World Stadium. UCF will receive $46 million for a new track and field complex and the renovation and expansion of its existing soccer stadium.
Other awards include $60 million for the Dr Phillips Charities Eatonville Museum of Culture and History, $50 million each for natural-resource tourism infrastructure and an eco-tourism grant programme, and $75 million to renew Orange County’s Application Review Committee grant programme.
The plan also includes $30 million to transform Forest Lake Golf Club in Ocoee into an entertainment destination, $25 million for the I AM Children’s Museum in Winter Garden, and $20 million for an Eatonville heritage tourism district.
Creative City Project’s Immerse Festival will receive $12.5 million, while $12 million has been set aside for the Orange Audubon Natural History Museum at Apopka Birding Park. Arts and cultural affairs funding will rise by about $3 million a year from 2027.
The UCF project was added to the package by Mr Demings after a 34-member citizens’ task force had made its recommendations. The task force had reviewed proposals from 20 groups and recommended 12 projects before the mayor’s intervention.
Opponents argued that the decision should be delayed until the county’s financial position was clearer and a new commission could consider the spending plan. The timing was also questioned because local elections are due in two weeks and a new commission is expected to take office at the end of the year.
Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer urged commissioners to proceed, saying postponement could increase costs. “There will be no better time to do them, no less expensive time to do them than right now,” he said.
The Orange County Convention Center, including a proposed Phase 5B expansion, was not included in the final allocations. Officials said construction on Phase 5A was already under way and the advisory task force had recommended waiting before advancing the next phase.
Commissioners also debated whether tourist tax revenue should eventually help fund public transport and affordable housing. Those uses are not currently permitted under Florida law, and no public transit funding was included in Monday’s decision.
