ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando city staff are hoping city council members renew the Targeted Revitalization Site Redevelopment Pilot Program. 

It first launched five years ago as a way to encourage private investment across the city.

What You Need To Know

  •  The Targeted Revitalization Site Redevelopment Pilot Program was approved by the Orlando City Council in 2018

  •  The five-year program is up for renewal this week 

  •  City of Orlando staff say the goal is to encourage private investment in under-utilized areas in the city or on International Drive

  • The city council will discuss the item during a meeting on Monday

Under city-wide requirements, the lot must be a minimum site size of nine acres. The redevelopment plan must include mixed-use development, with at least 10% of housing  reserved for households earning 80-120 percent of the Area Median Income. The project must also increase taxable value by at least 400 percent.

The International Drive requirements are slightly different. The minimum site size must be 1.5 acres within the designated I-Drive area. The project should have a high-quality urban design and increase taxable value by at least 200 percent.

“This is a strategic initiative by the city to really get some private investment in under-utilized, blighted, or abandoned areas. We’re really looking to not only incentivize the development of those areas, we want to provide potentially workforce housing in those areas for our citizens,” said Eric Ushkowitz.

Ushkowitz is the Business Development Division Manager for the city of Orlando. He says no one applied in the first five years of the program, so his team made adjustments to encourage people to use it.

There are incentives for both the city-wide and international drive focuses of the program, which are performance based.

He adds surrounding areas, businesses, and residents would benefit as well.

“We’re really looking to create, especially in the greater city of Orlando area, mixed-used projects that create a vibrant community, a walkable community, and provide affordable housing to folks,” said Ushkowitz.

City staff say there is no specific funding allowed for the program. The rebate will be against the tax increment that is created by the new projects.

Applications will open if this redevelopment program gets renewed by city leaders. It will be discussed during the Orlando City Council meeting Monday afternoon.