Commissioner Stuart – January 2017
Commissioner Robert Stuart
Sometimes January can be anti-climatic…but not here in Orlando! There are lots of fun activities happening as well as economic development projects being completed that will be a great boost to our economy, while also providing more reasons why our community is a great place to live, work and play.
On January 13, get ready for the Dinosaur Invasion at Leu Gardens! Like last year’s amazing bug sculptures, the property will host an unforgettable collection of 14 sculptures created by Guy Darrough. The dinosaurs are amazing, realistic replicas that range in size from 14 inches to more than 33 feet. Bring your family to the Gardens through April 30 to experience this new invasion first hand. A free, self-guided adventure brochure will be available at the Garden House throughout the exhibition’s run, giving clues for amateur paleontologists of all ages to follow as they discover the dinosaurs taking over all parts of the acreage.
To celebrate the arrival of their new super-sized friends, join them for Dino Day on January 28th from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. throughout the Gardens. This event is part of your regular admission and will include themed games, crafts, and more. Visit leugardens.org for all of the details.
Right down the street from the Gardens, enjoy all of the great partners that make up Loch Haven Park. From the Bo Bartlett, American Artist Exhibition, which opens on January 27th at the Mennello Museum to the newly opened, fully renovated 11,000 square foot KidsTown at the Orlando Science Center, the district has something for everyone.
For those in our community who have a passion for video games and technology, another event that is coming January 13-16 at the science center is Otronicon. This event is the most interactive technology experience around, which takes the world of video games and simulation, and transforms them into in-depth immersive experiences. Classes will also be held on topics such as video game creation and patrons will get an exclusive glimpse at working simulators created by experts in the field.
Also in Loch Haven Park, check out the City’s own fire museum, recently dedicated and renamed the Randall R. Tuten Fire Museum after one of our Orlando Fire Department retired deputy fire chiefs, who recently passed away. His passion to bring this museum, whose building was the original Fire Station 3 on Orlando Avenue, to Loch Haven Park to serve as a way to remember and teach will not soon be forgotten. For those who haven’t had a chance to visit, the museum is open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays or groups can call 407-246-3648 to schedule a private tour.
We are also excited about all of the progress being made in the Lake Nona area of the city, evidenced by this month’s opening of the United States Tennis Association’s National Campus (usta.com). This 64-acre, state-of-the-art complex will be for everyone. It will be home to 100 lit courts, the UCF tennis team, a 50,000 square foot welcome center, a full service café, and much more. It is already set to host College MatchDays beginning January 21st with the men’s tennis teams of Alabama and Michigan squaring off at 6 p.m. College matches will run through March, with Florida versus FSU men playing on March 10th at 6 p.m. Following their lead, the USTA Florida campus will also be moving to Lake Nona from Daytona Beach as well as the United States Professional Tennis Association from Houston.
We also passed an exciting incentive agreement for KPMG, one of the big four accounting firms as they are proposing to build their 800,000 square foot national training facility also in Lake Nona, making a $430,000,000 capital investment in the project, creating 80 full-time jobs at an average salary of $66,098 and training an average of 48,000 employees at the center each year. We are hopeful that they realize what we already know; that investing in our community would be a smart decision.
Also this month, Orange County School Board Member Nancy Robbinson will be hosting the 100% plans meeting for the new Audubon Park K-8 school on January 11th at 6 p.m. in the Audubon Park Elementary (1750 Common Way Road) School cafeteria. The meeting will allow the public a chance to view the final plans and hear more about the school construction.
As always, thanks for your support of our Great City and I look forward to all of the great things to come in 2017!
Robert
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