Fan and market response to Orlando City home matches has led Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and the Orlando City Soccer Club to announce an increased capacity to the Lions’ new stadium, as well as additional amenities to improve guest experiences.
Expanded seating plans will accommodate 25-28 thousand fans, up from the previous capacity of 19,500, adding to the already large economic impact that the venue anticipates to provide. Orlando City has opted to buy the property, develop the project, and finance its construction, making the soccer club the sole owners and operators of the stadium.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer makes the case for the upgrade with benefits to the local communities. The property sale saves the City of Orlando $15 million and saves Orange County $20 million in allocated funds for the project.
“Strong partnerships are the foundation of Central Florida’s success and today’s announcement with Orlando City is another win for our entire community,” said Dyer. “A new soccer stadium in Downtown Orlando brings significant economic impact not just to Orlando but the entire region. Another benefit for the city is a privately owned stadium will generate property taxes that we can reinvest in our Parramore and downtown neighborhoods.”
New stadium renderings will be released prior to construction once other upgrades and amenities become available. The original plan of having the stadium open before the Lions take to the field in 2016’s season will be pushed back. Completion and opening of the venue will occur in summer of 2016, according to officials.
“Orlando is an incredible market for professional soccer and attendance at our matches clearly demonstrates that demand,” said Majority Owner Flavio Augusto da Silva. “Before deciding to invest in Orlando City, I researched several markets around the country for professional soccer but Orlando became the ideal vision for the future of this great city, which is why we are investing even more into this project today. I am very excited for the future and very grateful for the wonderful partnership with Mayor Dyer and the City of Orlando.”
The first seven games of the Lions’ season brought in nearly 250,000 fans, including 52,000 from out of state, making the average attendance the second highest in the MLS at 37,400 per game. Orlando City matches held at the Orlando Citrus Bowl also attracted fans from 49 different states and 64 different countries, according to Orlando City Soccer Club.
“We have repeatedly called Orlando the ‘Soccer Capital of the South,’ and our fans continue to strengthen that reputation each and every week,” President and Founder Phil Rawlins stated. “The incredible response from our fans and partners has led us to pursue a larger facility with enhanced amenities. We didn’t come here to be average, we came here to continually defy expectations, and our vision for the new stadium will rank us among the top three clubs in Major League Soccer.”
