ORLANDO, Fla, – Orlando is hitting pause on historic preservation efforts downtown.
The City Council voted Monday to enact a moratorium on the Historic Preservation Board, sparking emotional public comment from residents and advocates on both sides as the city weighs what redevelopment could look like in the downtown historic district.
Lawanna Gelzer, who spoke against the moratorium, told council members she worries the city’s past is being put at risk.
“The past is what we’re questioning,” Gelzer said.
In a longer statement, she cited previous examples of places she says were once protected but later changed, arguing that moratoriums can be undone when convenient.
“Tinker Field national protected...gone. The Wetlands national protected...gone,” Gelzer said, adding that other moratoriums have been rescinded when the council wanted to take action.
Cindy Parker also opposed the moratorium, saying it brought back memories of a decision she says led to rapid demolition in the early 2000s. Parker referenced 2003, when the city granted a demolition permit for what was then known as the Jaymont Block — the site where the Plaza Building now stands.
“Within hours of that demolition permit being issued, demolition began on those historic buildings,” Parker said. “Within just a few days the Orlando Sentinel had a front page picture of the developer of the plaza project standing in front of a pile of rubble with his arms raised in the victory position.”
City officials say $5 million is dedicated to a revitalization plan, which may or may not involve demolition. Some residents raised concerns about what could happen to buildings that have stood since the early 1900s, including the Tinker Building, the Kress Building, and the Nicholson-Colyer Building, which was once a milestone for Black entrepreneurship in 1911.
Supporters of the moratorium argued the pause could create room for a better plan and a more workable path toward redevelopment.
“Perhaps this proposal offers a new and better way forward to allow progress to move at the speed conducive with the development we so desperately need,” said Scott Sideler, who supported the moratorium.
Orlando Commissioner Shan Rose also voiced support, saying the move is aimed at attracting investment and addressing barriers to redevelopment.
“My support for the moratorium is rooted in a broader goal — accelerating downtown revitalization and removing barriers that may be preventing investment, redevelopment, and housing opportunities in our urban core,” Rose said.
The moratorium passed in a 4-2 vote.