Earlier this week, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and the City of Orlando Commissioners held a unanimous (7-0) vote in favor of providing funding for a downtown, multipurpose soccer stadium. The approval from the City of Orlando moved the club one step closer to becoming a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise, as a vote from Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs and the County Commissioners is the last remaining step to secure stadium funding. The vote is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 22, at the Orange County Administration Building in downtown Orlando.
In light of the City’s approval, OrlandoCitySoccer.com caught up with Mayor Buddy Dyer and the City Commissioners to take a look at what led to their decision and the potential impact of a second Major League franchise.
Mayor Buddy Dyer:
OC: Mayor, we know that you’ve been a supporter of the club’s efforts for some time now, but what do you think led to the other Commissioners voting yes?
“Well, we have a good Commission that has vision and understands what building a soccer stadium will mean to our community. We know that the MLS is looking very favorably on Orlando if we have that stadium, so today was the second to last big step toward that.”
OC: What do you think a second Major League franchise would bring to the City of Orlando?
“There’s the intangible of being a ‘Major League City’ and I think soccer will continue to be the major growth sport for the next decade or so. I think Orlando can become the franchise looked at from around the world for MLS.”
OC: Why do you believe in MLS in Orlando?
“Orlando is a great community and soccer is a sport that is enjoyed by more active participants in Orlando than anywhere in country, except one, and we have a diverse population that is very supportive of soccer. The Brazilian ownership of the team helps with international tourism, so I think Orlando City will be widely successful as a Major League Soccer team.”
Commissioner Sheehan:
OC: What led to your decision to vote yes to support funding for the downtown stadium?
“I think that soccer is a growing sport; it makes sense, especially since this facility will be able to be used for multiple reasons. I think the club has already shown, with their attendance figures, that they can draw a crowd. The Championship game showed that we certainly can draw 20,000 people in downtown Orlando. The MLS has their rules and we want to make sure that we have a proper venue for that purpose.”
OC: What do you think a second Major League franchise would bring to the City of Orlando?
“I think it’s going to be amazing. What the Orlando Magic has done for our city has really put us on the map, and I think this is a tremendous opportunity that we have here. This is part of an entire package of venues that are really going to change the face of downtown Orlando. People are so proud of the Amway Center, but wait until they go into this new MLS stadium. It’s going to be incredible.”
“I believe in MLS in Orlando because it’s a growing sport and it’s a lot of fun!”
Commissioner Stuart:
OC: What led to your decision to vote yes to support funding for the downtown stadium?
“When you look at the entire picture, we have a chance to take additional tax revenue and do some things that we just don’t have the opportunity to do every day. The soccer stadium comes to us in a way that creates an idea for the City to own it, an investor to build a soccer team, but also a chance for us to look at it as an economic development engine that could impact our community.”
“I think it’s great. I mean we’ve already seen it (the attendance) go from 7,000 to 20,000 but mainly the amount of enthusiasm that we saw in the championship game is what bonds our community together. The fact is that events bring our community together, unlike anything else that we do in our society. And soccer is one of those things that allows us to do that but also joins Orlando to the international community.”
“I think it’s great because we get to be a part of something that will change our entire area and country because of its popularity.”
Commissioner Gray:
OC: What led to your decision to vote yes to support funding for the downtown stadium?
“I support it certainly for the economic reasons and also for the quality of life, but to me as a business person in town it’s important that we continue to offer those options to companies and individuals looking to relocate to Central Florida. We need to continue to grow our city and attract the right kind of people, but to do that you have to offer some venues for recreation as well as culture”
OC: What do you think a second Major League franchise would bring to the City of Orlando?
“The main thing for me is that it provides a great amount of exposure to Central Florida. It’s a great way for us to showcase Central Florida to folks who are maybe looking to move or relocating their companies to the area.
OC: Why do you believe in MLS in Orlando?
“The statistics speak for themselves. It’s a growing sport and I think the club has shown us that people will come out to support them, and the other reason is quite frankly they are putting their money where their mouth is. They’re putting their own money at risk. They’re investors and if they’re willing to put their own money up, then I think that we should match them and put our own money up as well.”
