City gives green light to Downtown Orlando's long-time planned $500M Sports and Entertainment District

The Downtown Orlando Sports and Entertainment District has been given the green light by the City of Orlando and is set to open next to Kia Center in 2027.

The long time planned sports and entertainment district in downtown Orlando, that was first announced back in 2011, finally appears to be inching closer to reality with the Downtown Orlando Sports and Entertainment District getting the nod from the City of Orlando.

Today, Monday, April 22, 2024, City officials gave the final green light for the Downtown Orlando Sports and Entertainment District, with the ambitious 8.5-acre project to be built just steps from the Kia Center at West Church Street and South Hughey Avenue in downtown Orlando.

Construction on the huge development is set to begin late 2024, with the 900,000-square-foot mixed-use project including a full-service hotel, 270 residential units, a 3,500-capacity live entertainment venue, office space, a town square featuring a variety of dining and shopping options, and parking for 1,100 vehicles.

The City of Orlando say that the project is expected to create 3,400 jobs in downtown, with a projected completed date of March 2027.

The Downtown Orlando Sports and Entertainment District is being developed by the Orlando Magic and the DeVos family, owners of the Orlando Magic.

Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins commented on the project moving ahead, “With today’s approval and the leadership of Mayor Dyer and City Council, we are looking forward to the next phase of the project and bringing the sports and entertainment district to life,”

Orlando City Commissioner Tony Ortiz said, “This is going to be a game changer initiative, going to incentivize businesses, there’s a lot of empty office spaces that need to be filled and this is going to bring people back to downtown.”

Located on W. Church Street and S. Hughey Avenue, this exciting mixed-use development project will be brought to life byJMA Ventures, LLC and Machete Group, Inc. who are the development team for the massive project.

Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins commented, "We are thrilled to have JMA Ventures and Machete Group guide the development of this joint venture with the DeVos Family and the Orlando Magic. It will be a great place to live, work, and play in the heart of downtown and will provide significant job and contract opportunities during and after construction."

“The city has been a tremendous partner to us since the start of the process and we are looking forward to developing a vibrant new place in downtown Orlando,” said David Carlock, founder of Machete Group, Inc.

JMA Ventures CEO Todd Chapman. previously said, “Central Florida is a fantastic market for this type of mixed-use development, and this project will further energize downtown Orlando. We look forward to working with the Orlando community to bring the sports and entertainment district to life.”

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