ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Over the next few months, the Orange County Convention Center will be home to one of the biggest operation centers in the area.
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The Orange County Emergency Operations Center has temporarily moved to the South Concourse of the Orange County Convention Center.
“We have been preparing for almost a year now that we would need to operate full-time,” said Orange County Emergency Manager Lauraleigh Avery.
This relocation results from ongoing renovations at the main facility on Amory Court, which began in 2019.
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When disaster strikes, it has been the central nervous system for the county’s emergency operations.
The original EOC was built in 2001 and was meant to accommodate 40 people, while the new operations center will have 88 seats, new technology and more breakout rooms.
“We have grown so much bigger,” Avery said.
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The convention center has always been the county’s alternate EOC location, but now, it will serve as the primary hub during this hurricane season.
Emergency officials gave a tour that showed the media accommodations, news conference logistics, and advanced planning information firsthand.
The total estimated cost for the EOC renovation project is $3.5 million. The Capital Improvement Plan contributes $2.8 million to the project, while an additional $1.2 million in funding is being provided through the American Rescue Plan Act.
If all goes as planned, construction will be completed by September or October, but the center will be in the temporary space for the season.
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