ORLANDO, Fla. – The Bob Carr Theater has a rich history in Downtown Orlando, but the venue hasn’t reopened since it closed during the pandemic, so the city is looking to bring the building new life.
Orlando city leaders are seeking a design firm as they look to redevelop the 97-year-old building into what they call a town square for Creative Village.
The project, expected to cost around $30 million, will be part of phase two of the Creative Village plan, which also includes adding 365 market-rate apartments, 106 affordable apartments, office space and a 180-room hotel.
Meanwhile, new renderings have been released that give us a better idea of what the Sports and Entertainment District will look like when it’s finished.
Find more Boomtown reports on YouTube:
The $500 million project will feature 270 high-rise apartments above a 260-room hotel, tons of office and retail space, restaurants, a live music venue that can hold up to 3,500 people, and a lot more parking just steps away from Amway Center.
“Kind of like Church Street used to be is a good example,” Mayor Buddy Dyer said. “We’re very excited about that because I think that will kick-start the entire Church Street experience from Exploria all the way to the Doctor Phillips Center.”
Dyer said plans for an urban park underneath I-4 near Amway Center have also been tweaked to add around 600 parking spots. The area lost all of its parking spots during the construction of the I-4 Ultimate Project.
Check out every episode of Riff On This in the media player below: