9 facts about Orlando's new Packing District

ORLANDO, Fla. — 1. Officials held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday morning at The Cannery, a 307-unit apartment complex in Orlando's new Packing District.

2. The development, which is slated to open in spring 2021, is the first to break ground in the district.

3. A grocery store, restaurants and a replica of the iconic Dr. Phillips Juice Stand will be built near the apartment complex.

4. Dr. Philip P. Phillips, who owned citrus packing houses on land in the area, was once considered the world's largest citrus producer.

5. The district, which was once industrial, is centered at North Orange Blossom Trail and Princeton Street, west of Orlando's historic College Park neighborhood. See a map of the area below:

6. The district spans 202 acres that the city of Orlando annexed in 1996.

7. The district will someday include a YMCA Family Center, a 100-acre park, trails, a food hall and the 4Roots Farm and Agriculture Center -- John Rivers' 40-acre urban farm.

8. Southern Box Food Hall will open in a 1930s-era building that originally housed Phillips' orange crate manufacturing facility. It will also include a restaurant and a brewery.

9. Construction on the district is expected to last 10 to 15 years.

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Cox Media Group