Plan to redesign Downtown Orlando set to go into action in 2023

ORLANDO, Fla. — A city initiative to reimagine Downtown Orlando and set a plan in motion for the next 10 years will see its first projects begin this year.

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Project Downtown Orlando 2.0 is the city’s master plan for the area’s future.

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The plan focuses on four specific improvement areas: streets, civic spaces, mobility options, and downtown neighborhoods.

In the early phase of the plan, city workers walked every block of downtown, collecting more than 25,000 data points about the physical space.

Business owners in the area say they’re eager to see the city get to work.

Ansberto Borrego opened “Taco My Way” in the heart of Downtown Orlando five months ago.

During the day, Borrego says his shop draws in office workers on lunch breaks, but at night and on weekends, it’s a different crowd making the most of one of downtown’s newest late-night dining options.

When Borrego thinks about improvements that could be made over the next 10 years, he says a priority should be on making the area more inviting to visitors during the day.

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“The movement is in the nights only and downtown is pretty awesome,” Borrego said. “The buildings are amazing, the fountain is super awesome. They need to bring more families to this area.”

City officials say the Downtown 2.0 project is meant to do just that. The plan will bring a number of infrastructure projects downtown meant to improve safety and the overall aesthetic of the area.

“I think the easiest things to see that will change are those physical construction-related items,” Orlando Downtown Development Board Assistant Director David Barilla said. “We’re talking about potentially redoing our entire streetscapes.”

Early phases of the project meant conducting a walkability audit throughout the area. That phase helped reveal a part of Jefferson Street that needed more lighting, fixtures that have since been installed.

However, city officials say the changes will go far beyond putting up more lights.

“Walkability, in essence, is the foundation of all of this,” Barilla said.

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That includes bringing in new sidewalks and improving communal spaces while also building up bike and transit networks, and connecting the different downtown neighborhoods.

The city says they’re working on finalizing the action plan that will decide what projects will come off the wish list and be put into motion.

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