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Just a short Orlando Update for you this week. Hi, I’m Richard, The Orlando Guy.
Brightline has begun high speed testing of it’s trains in preparation for its arrival in Orlando! Currently, Brightline is testing its fleet at 110 miles an hour on the Atlantic coast. This high-speed testing is part of the process to receive Federal Railroad Administration approval for Brightline’s revenue operation to Orlando. Brightline high speed testing will continue throughout the 129-mile corridor between West Palm Beach and Cocoa over the upcoming months. Testing will be done in segments along the corridor and communications will be made in advance as each segment is planned. Brightline’s maximum authorized speed to Orlando will be 110 miles per hour between West Palm Beach to Cocoa, then increase to 125 miles per hour on the final stretch down the Beachline Expressway to the station at Orlando International Airport. Brightline has announced construction is 90 percent complete and expects a 2nd quarter grand opening in Orlando. I’ll be filming a full episode of The Orlando Guy for Brightline’s inaugural trip to Miami – be sure you are subscribed so you don’t miss it.
Fans of Disney need not be too worried about the theme park giant. Walt Disney World is not expected to challenge the new legislation dissolving the Reedy Creek Improvement District which has served the entertainment giant for 50 years. The newly christened Central Florida Tourism Oversight District shouldn’t hinder the ability for Disney to get permitting approval or other functions that Reedy Creek provides to the cities of Bay Lake or Lake Buena Vista which reside within the district. Chad Emerson, author of the book Project Future: The Inside Story Behind the Creation of Disney World says, “The key remains [in] the two cities created by the original legislation. They are not affected by this new legislation so their powers to govern have not been affected. Many departments could be created in the individual cities to handle any actions Disney may need,” Emerson continued. “There still would be some interaction with the district — such as infrastructure and drainage needs — but the rest could be taken away from the district and put back into the hands of the cities that Disney relatively controls.” The new law recently passed by the Florida legislature is expected to be signed by Governor Ron Desantis at any time.
There is an update to an earlier story I shared concerning Downtown Orlando and a proposal by the city to impose a new permit required by establishments that serve alcohol after midnight and provide additional security protocols based on the size of the club. The proposal also puts a six-month moratorium on any new clubs in the downtown area. The Orlando Hospitality Alliance, a local nightlife-advocacy group, is unsurprisingly against the new regulations and has put forth their own proposal. They suggest putting a 5 percent surcharge on downtown purchases to defray the expense of more police and security measures. They estimate that it would bring in 3 million dollars to secure increased Orlando Police Department presence downtown. The group has so far not reached out to the city with its new proposal. They are however, circulating an online survey to gather community feedback. The new regulations will be voted on by the City Council on March 20th.
That’s your Orlando update for this week, click the like button, subscribe to my channel and set the notification bell so you don’t miss a single update. I’m Richard – The Orlando Guy. See you next time.