| Orange County Takes A Huge Step To Providing A New Arena Authored by Trey Flynn - July 26, 2006 - 2:29 am
On the same day a NBA franchise is sold to a group of investors who will almost certainly move the team, another franchise who many thought would be the team moving, took another step to assuring a long term relationship with its current city. On Tuesday July 18, the Orange County Commissioners voted 6 to 1 to pass the 1% increase in the Tourist Development Tax, a fund believed by many to be the source of the new arena for the Orlando/Orange County area.
While nothing is set in stone, don't believe for one minute that the suits that be at 2 Magic Place aren't rolling with anticipation of the next several weeks, which will include meetings with City and County planners to decide where, when, and how much the new venue will cost, which culminates with a presentation before the Orange County Commissioners on September 12th.
City and county leaders are optimistic that something will be worked out in the next few weeks to help make the Magic a permanent fixture in the community for years to come. While there is some opposition, the majority of commissioners have said in one way or another, the region needs the Magic, not just for notoriety, but for community support. Nothing draws as city together like a winning sports franchise and area leaders know, for Orlando to be viewed with the big boys they need a national presence outside tourism.
It wasn't long ago that the name Magic was being used after cities such as Oklahoma City, Kansas City, and Louisville. It seemed inevitable to many that the area just was a tourist town and wouldn't have the commitment of a big time city to their team. During which the team had done it's best to squash the rumors and maintain their support for the Orlando area. For awhile it looked grim, but now the darkness has turned to light and there is suddenly a whole new feeling about this.
While we still have the hardest part of the process to go, I look at what is going on in Seattle. How without a miracle they will most assuredly lose a team that has some of the most consistent support around the league. I know that many of their best fans would love to be in the situation that Orlando is in now, while the funding might not be definite, when the increase of the tourist development tax is mentioned two things come immediately after it, Orlando Performing Arts Center and New Events Center to replace the aging TD Waterhouse Centre. On Tuesday July 18, 2006 Orlando/Orange County took their first step to saying we're not just a destination, we're a community.
For more coverage on the push for a new arena for the Orlando Magic, please visit http://orlando-arena.com
|
