0 9 Investigates city board's concerns over larger Orlando soccer stadium

ORLANDO, Fla. - As crews pour the foundation for the new Orlando City Soccer Club stadium, Channel 9 has learned there could be a delay in the construction process.



The team wants its new stadium in the Parramore area of the city to be bigger than originally proposed. That will dramatically change the appearance of the stadium.



Investigative reporter Daralene Jones has learned a city advisory board questions whether the new design fits in with the historic neighborhood.



The Orlando City Soccer Club stadium, already under construction, was supposed to seat 19,000, but in May, with much fanfare, the city announced the privately funded stadium will seat 25,000 fans. That plan is not OK with some community members.



“You didn't think the community would fight back, and we're saying we've had enough,” said resident Lawanna Gelzer.



Orlando's Appearance Review Board is also raising concerns about how the additional seating capacity will change the look of the stadium, and expressed concerns about a canopy that would hang over Church Street. The advisory board has a say in the appearance of all city projects.



“You're trying to put a size 13 shoe in a 9 box. It doesn't fit, it's way too much. It really encroaches up against the streets, all the way around,” one board member said during a November meeting.



“I'm really concerned about what this does to the Parramore neighborhood, and as some of you said, it really doesn't. It is not a welcoming facility to be plopped right in the middle of a residential, historic neighborhood," another member said at the meeting.



The city provided a copy of a comprehensive plan from two years ago that identified opportunities for redevelopment and contains traffic and transportation studies that officials said focuses on the impact to the neighborhood.



In a September memo, the city planning division determined the project complies with city code. However, the design amendments require approval from the appearance review board. The advisory board now wonders whether its decision carries any weight with the City Council, which has the final say.



“We disapproved something on Orange Avenue , and then it was overturned by the City Council,” said one board member.



Jones was told the city is hoping to get the stadium item back on the Appearance Review Board agenda in January , in hopes it doesn't slow down construction. The stadium is expected to be finished next summer.



Orlando City Soccer Club officials said they are working with the design firm and the advisory council to incorporate Parramore’s heritage into the stadium’s design. They said they do not expect any construction delays.





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