With the Orlando City Council’s approval today, Dr. Phillips Charities (“Dr. Phillips”) and the City of Orlando (the City”) will advance a public/private venture to create Orlando’s newest regional city park (“the Park”). The 100+ acre park will be built in concert with The Packing District (“the District”). The Park and the District combined will form a 200+ acre redevelopment plan just west of Orlando’s College Park neighborhood. The project announcement is the result of over two years of extensive planning and study.
Dr. Phillips has a rich history of legacy property development throughout Central Florida. This includes the Dr. Phillips community in southwest Orange County, multiple properties in downtown Orlando, and now the District. SC Advisors (“SCA”) is proud to have served Dr. Phillips as the District’s Development Advisor for the past two years — providing leadership to an outstanding project team that includes Perkins + Will, GAI Consultants, Kittleson Associates, Compspring, Modica & Associates, and Consensus Communications, Inc. SCA will continue in the role of Development Advisor and Manager for the District and the Park, providing oversight of the park design and construction, and all aspects of the Phase I District development plan.
The District and the Park will be developed on land currently owned, or soon-to-be acquired, by Dr. Phillips. Roughly half of the total acreage will be granted to the City for the Park while the remainder will be redeveloped as The Packing District, which derives
Its name comes from Dr. Phillips’ citrus processing and packing operations, which were located there from the early 1900’s to the 1950’sThe Park will serve as the new home for the Orlando Tennis Center and will include well-defined active and passive open spaces for recreation, concerts and other outdoor activities.
Plans for the Packing District envision a mix of old and new including adaptive reuses of warehouses and commercial buildings and new development providing unique opportunities for office, retail, and residential uses. The Park and the District will be connected by an innovative urban trail system designed for multiple active uses such as biking, running and walking. These trails will ultimately connect with the existing Orlando urban trail system and serve as an ideal anchor for the system’s northeast expansion.
In announcing the project and SC Advisors’ continued role as Development Advisor and Manager, Dr. Phillips President Ken Robinson said, “The Packing District has the unique potential to bring together our history and our passion to always build up our community. SC Advisors brings a long history of successfully managing similar large and complex projects, but more importantly shares our vision to be a community builder.”
SC Advisors Principal Jay Berlinsky said, “The Packing District and the new regional park come together for the right reasons and at the right time. Today’s businesses, retailers, and residents desire to be connected to great public spaces that promote creativity, active wellness, and health. The integration of old and new develops these rich and interesting spaces into a community. We at SCA are proud to continue our role as development advisor to Dr. Phillips, which also includes similar roles with the current development of Spring Lake Medical Campus and Harbor Chase Retirement Community at Spring Lake. “