ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — County commissioners voted to move forward with the Sunbridge Development Project.
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The yes vote means about 6,200 acres of rural land from Orange County will be annexed into the city of Orlando; however, the deal comes amid controversy and a long debate during Tuesday’s Board of Commissioners Meeting.
The area expands from Lake Nona all the way to St. Cloud and includes building almost 6,000 single-family homes and more than 1,600 multi-family units in the area.
“We still have to execute the agreement because the City of Orlando still needs to sign it,” said Orange County Mayor Demings.
Read: The City of Orlando will hold 2nd reading on annexation of land near the Sunbridge property
Also, as part of the negotiations, the deal includes a plan to lease part of Orange County’s Work Release Center to the City of Orlando to be used as a “low barrier homeless shelter” starting next year.
“There’s a lot of safety concerns about this,” said Mayra Uribe, County Commissioner for District 3.
The approval comes with a huge financial benefit: over 600 million dollars of Orange County Tourism Tax Money will now go to Camping World and The Kia Center upgrades.
Read: Orange County and Orlando reach agreement on controversial annexations
There is also a win for those against development - the city will now temporarily stop pushing for the annexation of another chunk of land – the massive 52,000-acre Deseret Ranch, which belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
The space is 8 times larger than the City of Winter Park and would have expanded Orlando’s size by nearly 60%.
The City of Orlando sent Eyewitness News a statement following the agreement vote:
<i>Mayor Dyer believes this interlocal agreement is an important step forward that exemplifies the city and county’s long-standing partnership and collaboration in addressing the region’s most pressing needs.</i>
<i>Whether addressing homelessness through coordinated regional efforts, using Tourist Development Tax (TDT) funds to enhance and invest in key community venues that attract visitors from around the world while creating job opportunities and supporting local businesses, or managing the rapid growth and development impacting housing availability, sustainability and public safety.</i>
<i>This agreement ensures that we are working together to create impactful outcomes for the community we are proud to serve. Together, the city and county can continue to foster a collaborative environment where shared resources are used to meet the vital needs of our community.</i>
<i>As far as next steps, the interlocal agreement will go before city council on Nov. 4 for approval and the item for annexation will be removed.</i>
— City of Orlando
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