Dr. P Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center [Phase 2 Under Construction]

[spenser1058]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vVE-mZAJ9I

 

 

DPAC has updated their video.

[spenser1058]

And now we know why this little bit of fluff = because, once again, Buddy has chosen to leave DPAC half-finished while he spends $4 million of city funds to buy a lot for a soccer stadium. Let's be clear - in every poll done, the completion of DPAC consistently has rated above arenas, football stadiums and I am sure would blow a minor-league soccer stadium off the map. DPAC was supposed to be first - the Orlando Phil and Ballet will continue to be stuck in an 86-year old barn with only prayers for completion. The DPAC board keeps having to say it will find a way to complete the project because, since 1978, the city has dropped the ball, especially with Buddy's continuous case of ADD. Meanwhile, not one minor league sport in this community has managed to survive and here we go again. Effective today, I have joined the opposition - henceforth, I will oppose anything west of I4 until all of DPAC is completed. This, in a word, is absurd. 

 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-soccer-stadium-land-20130225,0,6144335.story

Edited February 26, 2013 by spenser1058

[prahaboheme]

Has Buddy stated that he is not committed to Phase II of DPAC?

[spenser1058]

Has Buddy stated that he is not committed to Phase II of DPAC?

 Of course not - today's disinformation video reminds me of repainting the barn in "Animal Farm." However, as they always like to say about Watergate, "follow the money." First, money got diverted to the Citrus Bowl even though the agreement was DPAC would come first. Now, more money from the city is being diverted. Meanwhile, the DPAC board is privately fuming that the goalposts keep being moved, even though publicly they have to pretend all is well for fear of scaring off the contributors they are ever more desperate for because of Buddy's ADD. Again, let me remind everyone: EVERY poll taken on the topic put DPAC at the head of the list and a minor league soccer stadium was never even on it.

 

As far as I'm concerned, they may build stadia for everything from croquet to lacrosse, but first, do what you agreed to do and the citizens wanted you to do and finish DPAC.

[prahaboheme]

Where does Phase 2 charitable donations currently stand?

[spenser1058]

Where does Phase 2 charitable donations currently stand?

 

I don't have an exact number - I'll try to call tomorrow and get one. But United Arts is in trouble with their fund-raising and most of the smaller groups are all behind at the moment, and the last time I heard a number from a board member they were still quite a few million dollars off. Boomer, if you're online, do you know? Suffice it to say, the fact no one has said anything for months does not bode well. If they were close, they'd be trumpeting the fact to get over the finish line.

[FLClarkKent]

Don't disagree with you. But I give Teresa Jacobs a healthy chunk of blame for the state of DPAC, too. Her quest to look like a fiscal conservative and keep her phoney no-nonsense bonafides is what ultimately split the project into two phases. Wish she had just stuck to texting her Disney and Darden lobbyist pals.

The demands placed on the DPAC board are absurd. And the longer construction is dragged out, the more expensive it will become. Buddy needs to put the money towards DPAC and get the whole thing built.

Not sure about this soccer thing. But I assume that there's state money involved that's likely to cone through, and that the city thinks it's a deal they can't refuse. That neighborhood definitely needs a shot in the arm.

[prahaboheme]

I agree with FLClarkKent -- this isn't a one or the other scenerio.  $4 million to buy land in Parramore to bring in a MLS team and stadium, and all the revenue that comes along with it, isn't something to refuse.  This could be big for the city.

 

Let's remember, despite those who seem down on Buddy right now, he has delivered on his promises all along.  He may not be "into the details" like Glenda or Bill;  we aren't going to get ruby slippers in Lake Eola Park. 

 

I guess we are going to have to settle on a movie theater, a soccer stadium, a performing arts center, a renovated Citrus Bowl, and a commuter train.

[sunshine]

Lets build a Rugby stadium next and then baseball...and what happend when Solar Bear get back into NHL?

[aent]

I don't think we have any other potential pro sports that need a new stadium coming up anytime soon after this MLS stadium...

 

and don't we need the donations before we can build the next phase of DPAC? I thought Buddy said he'll be ready to start immediately once the private donations were raised, and the public funding would be in place by the time it is needed.

 

If OCSC doesn't have the private funds in place, I'm sure the city/state won't be contributing anymore to the stadium either.

[jack]

Looking at the breakdown for the MLS, the City's portion is minuscule  Same with the County. So if the City did spend the money on DPAC, it would cover what, 1/10 of it. Doesn't phase II need $200 million? This stadium is half of that and $85 million of the funds cannot be used for DPAC. 

 

This isn't an either or scenario.

[FLClarkKent]

Looking at the breakdown for the MLS, the City's portion is minuscule  Same with the County. So if the City did spend the money on DPAC, it would cover what, 1/10 of it. Doesn't phase II need $200 million? This stadium is half of that and $85 million of the funds cannot be used for DPAC. 

 

This isn't an either or scenario.

I agree, but understand the frustrations of DPAC supporters. My perception is that they are fearful that the Citrus Bowl reno and a new soccer stadium will push Phase II onto the back burner (perhaps permanently). They are also having to fund a daunting portion of Phase II. They need a champion to push it across the finish line.

 

The soccer stadium appears to have a great ROI for the city. A few million for the land with a few million more in infrastructure (which probably don't require actual hard cash) will yield hefty county, state and private funds for the stadium. And a new stadium will be a big boost to a moribund block of downtown, with potential to spur even more development in the area. It's a no-brainer for the city.

[spenser1058]

I agree with FLClark about Teresa - if Bill Segal or Linda Stewart were OC mayor we wouldn't be in this predicament. But Buddy's has not been helping since day one. When this all started, the only one of the three venues that got over the hump in public support according to the polling was a performing arts center. There was virtually no support for building a billionaire homophobe a new arena and the last time the Citrus Bowl had asked for money all they wanted was <$50 mill for a small redo. But then, before the crash, the tourist tax was generating gobs of money and everyone knew if they didn't do something soon would be trying to put in gold-plated fixtures at OCCC to make sure no one got a shot at it off of I-Drive (the next time someone down there tells you it's "their" money, ask them if Walmart gets to decide how sales taxes are used.)

 

Anyway, knowing how unpopular a new arena was, someone (I've heard Jake Stuart but that's just a rumor) got the bright idea of chaining the arena together with the PAC. Before long (and this supports the Stuart theory as they have been involved with FCSA going back to their daddy), someone told the guys in the Green Jackets to "go big" and ask for a lot more money for the Citrus Bowl and tie it in to the other two.

 

Although it was a stretch, it would have been fine. And, frankly, I, like many other supporters, were fine with other projects as long as the performing arts finally came first. But then the shell game started (remember how the Legislature was going to use the Lottery to "enhance" education but ended up just using it to replace general fund dollars?) and, before you know it, the DeVoses had been whispering sweet nothings in the ears of the powerful and, magically, the arena was in first place.

 

Then the bottom fell out. With the tourist tax plummeting due to the recession and DPAC realizing it had been had, all they could do was go for what they could get (they always were required to put more skin in the game, even though the community wanted a new PAC, with the Citrus Bowl behind and the arena off the charts.) In any event, now that the money has returned, one expected DPAC to be completed. Silly us. All of a sudden, the Citrus Bowl jumped ahead in line. And now, Buddy's spending general funds for a soccer stadium. Foul ball! I'll talk about Jack's point in a moment and answer praha's question as best I can. For now, let's just say DPAC went gold mining with the downtown crowd, and while they got the gold, DPAC got the shaft. Finish DPAC and then build as many stadiums as you like and we'll even get out there and support it (heck, I even sold season tickets to get Orlando an NBA franchise in the first place way back when.)

[nite owℓ]

DPAC uploaded another fly thru video on youtube - it's basically the same but with a few updates. They have been responding to questions left by viewers in the comment section. Someone inquired about the material covering the cantilevered roof which is something we were all wondering about. DPAC's response: "Metal deck with high performance metallic paint on underside and roof membrane on top."

 

http://youtu.be/-vVE-mZAJ9I

[prahaboheme]

Hopefully Dyer will reaffirm his commitment to Phase 2 today during the State of the City address.

[truebluecfl]

Devos Family room? I do hope aswell that things continue on plan. This thing is going to amazing.

[jack]

As far as i can tell and i could be wrong, there is no MLS stadium vs DPAC. I think if the funding sources were different, there would be big problems. I am sure once the DPAC supporters see that this does not impact them, everything will be okay. 

 

Build the dang stadium! 

[prahaboheme]

Does anyone know if the final plans for the CNL Plaza are represented accurately in that fly-through video?  

[sunshine]

 

 

 

[prahaboheme]

What a monster!

[spenser1058]

I agree with FLClark about Teresa - if Bill Segal or Linda Stewart were OC mayor we wouldn't be in this predicament. But Buddy's has not been helping since day one. When this all started, the only one of the three venues that got over the hump in public support according to the polling was a performing arts center. There was virtually no support for building a billionaire homophobe a new arena and the last time the Citrus Bowl had asked for money all they wanted was <$50 mill for a small redo. But then, before the crash, the tourist tax was generating gobs of money and everyone knew if they didn't do something soon would be trying to put in gold-plated fixtures at OCCC to make sure no one got a shot at it off of I-Drive (the next time someone down there tells you it's "their" money, ask them if Walmart gets to decide how sales taxes are used.)

 

Anyway, knowing how unpopular a new arena was, someone (I've heard Jake Stuart but that's just a rumor) got the bright idea of chaining the arena together with the PAC. Before long (and this supports the Stuart theory as they have been involved with FCSA going back to their daddy), someone told the guys in the Green Jackets to "go big" and ask for a lot more money for the Citrus Bowl and tie it in to the other two.

 

Although it was a stretch, it would have been fine. And, frankly, I, like many other supporters, were fine with other projects as long as the performing arts finally came first. But then the shell game started (remember how the Legislature was going to use the Lottery to "enhance" education but ended up just using it to replace general fund dollars?) and, before you know it, the DeVoses had been whispering sweet nothings in the ears of the powerful and, magically, the arena was in first place.

 

Then the bottom fell out. With the tourist tax plummeting due to the recession and DPAC realizing it had been had, all they could do was go for what they could get (they always were required to put more skin in the game, even though the community wanted a new PAC, with the Citrus Bowl behind and the arena off the charts.) In any event, now that the money has returned, one expected DPAC to be completed. Silly us. All of a sudden, the Citrus Bowl jumped ahead in line. And now, Buddy's spending general funds for a soccer stadium. Foul ball! I'll talk about Jack's point in a moment and answer praha's question as best I can. For now, let's just say DPAC went gold mining with the downtown crowd, and while they got the gold, DPAC got the shaft. Finish DPAC and then build as many stadiums as you like and we'll even get out there and support it (heck, I even sold season tickets to get Orlando an NBA franchise in the first place way back when.)

 

I FINALLY have several pieces of info to respond with, but as the discussion has moved on I just wish to drop in a couple. First, for praha, fundraising on Phase II seems to be stalled at about 60-65% of the funds required to break ground. In short, don't hold your breath about the Orlando Phil leaving the Bob Carr barn anytime soon. For Jack, I will forego the discussion about how the "dedicated" funds for the tourist tax can, with a vote of the Orange County Commission be reconfigured (for example, how the last penny which was supposed to go for a baseball stadium now seems to be finding its way to soccer - I'd LOVE to have a discussion with Harris Rosen about that one day - but that is truly an arcane discussion which would take us deep into MEGO* territory. Let's just note that there has been discussion of up to $29 million coming from City reserves for soccer. Since we were promised DPAC before anything else, why is the $29 million in play for soccer before ground is broken for DPAC Phase II? What we are seeing is just another of the broken promises going back to the 1970's. Jack may be right that all will be well, but if that's the case, why not complete the project the citizens wanted in the first place before moving on to one for which there is no consensus, no track record and, based on the history of sports in Florida (we can't even support one of our football teams in a football-crazy state nor either of our baseball teams, and you think soccer is going to lead us to the promised land?), a small likelihood of success. Folks, soccer has been America's sport of the future since I was a lad and it still is. Does it outdraw the #1 sport in the country. American football, where Floridians are only supporting two of our three franchises? No. Does it outdraw our second sport, baseball, which Floridians ignore in droves, with two of the least-attended major league teams? No. Perhaps there is a case here and I'm willing to entertain it just as soon as DPAC is complete. That's what the citizens of Orlando and Orange County agreed to. Remember the Chamber's rallying cry? "Build them all? Build them right? Build them now!" Half-finished is right? When did "all" ever include a soccer stadium? "Now" is when we get around to it?                                 *my eyes glaze over

 

Finally, for those who could not attend Buddy's speech, there was not so much as a sentence regarding the completion of DPAC (in fact, it seemed as though, come 2014, DPAC would be this great economic engine, apparently in its not quite half-finished state) but a much longer discussion about Buddy's newest toy, a soccer field. This was not dissimilar from the endorsement of downtown as a great entertainment metropolis and not so much as a word about the fact it's going to blossom in the midst of a retail desert. 

[cwetteland]

Just not sure why all the whining about DPAC II and soccar.  The city's share of DPAC II is in place.   DPAC II is waiting on donor share.  Soccer does not affect DPAC.

[spenser1058]

It's very simple - DPAC was supposed to go first, when the money was readily available. Without DPAC tied to it, there was ZERO support for an arena and next to none for the Citrus Bowl. But then Buddy pulled a switch and put an arena that wasn't supported by the community ahead in line. Then the money dried up. If DPAC had gone first, we wouldn't be having this discussion. It would be completed. The only reason we're "waiting on donor share" is because DPAC had to go back out hat in hand because of a shell game played by Buddy. Also: specific wording was included in the agreement that the Citrus Bowl was not to be started until DPAC was done. Buddy has already spent money on the Citrus Bowl, with millions more about to be committed and DPAC is not done.

 

Morally, this is an epic failure to do what was promised.

 

Supposedly, there was no money to follow the original agreement. Now there seems to be plenty of money to pay for a soccer stadium but none to finish DPAC. Finish DPAC as the city has been saying was going to happen going back to 1978 (before arenas or soccer stadiums ever danced in Buddy's head) and then build anything you want.  Let's repeat: "Build them all. Build them right. Build them now." But remember, a soccer stadium was never a part of "all."

Edited March 1, 2013 by spenser1058

[jack]

The 6th cent is for sports and tourism advertising. Baseball, football, etc. As long as it is major sports. As for the City's $29 million, we will see what they actually spend. It would be great if they do spend $29, but i do not know where it is coming from. They are supposed to contribute the land. Land does not cost that much. Maybe a capitalized interest fund but that is just bond interest, not general fund. 

 

Can someone point in the direction that said they will spend $29 million? 

[jack]

Technically, you are right. The City could have expanded the tdt to include DPAC for the 6th cent and had the arena use CRA funds (not sure that is legal but they could have figured it out) and the 1st through 5th penny. The two projects would be reversed right now. So I would be a little salty about that if I was a DPAC supporter. 

 

But I think this is an arena/ citrus bowl vs DPAC. Not soccer. 

 

And on another note, the Citrus Bowl has the best by far ROI of the three venues. The other two lose money (DPAC) or maybe break even (Arena). But both are beneficial to different degrees. DPAC has community support and is a gift to residents for putting up with tourists all these years. The arena is transformative to the neighborhood.