Update (Jan. 26, 2015)
The Orlando City Council unanimously approved on Monday the sale of nearly 12 acres of city-owned land to Orlando City SC, which will erect its privately-funded, $155 million stadium on the site.
As detailed in the story below, the $18 million sale price and additional terms were agreed to last week, then ratified by the City Council on Monday, the final step in paving the way for the club’s new downtown stadium. The stadium is currently scheduled to open in time for the start of the 2017 season.
Original Text
Orlando City SC have taken one more major step in preparing to open its new downtown stadium next year.
The club has agreed to pay the city of Orlando $18 million for the land, according to a Wednesday report by the Orlando Sentinel, where their new 25,500-capacity seat stadium is being built. The sale of the land is the final piece in Orlando City upholding the agreement with local government on the stadium plan.
“We are thrilled to have reached an agreement with the city on the property for the downtown soccer stadium," Orlando City president Phil Rawlins said in a statement to MLSsoccer.com on Wednesday. "This is another step forward in the process, and the city has been a great partner throughout. Construction on the stadium continues, with the beginning of steel installation expected in the coming weeks. Everything looks on track for 2017."
- Check out more Orlando City news at OrlandoCitySC.com
Orlando City had planned to open their new stadium during the 2016 season, but last week announced the timeframe had been pushed back to a 2017 opening. Earlier Wednesday, the club unveiled their new 3D virtual viewer to give fans a glimpse of the sightlines for the new venue along with a new "construction cam" livestream.
The city will collect about $1 million in property tax annually from the stadium. The Orlando city council is expected to approve the sale on Jan. 25, along with a development agreement for the construction project.
