PHOTO BY JON BUSDEKER
In his State of the City address at The Plaza Live on August 19, Mayor Buddy Dyer used the city’s sesquicentennial (say that five times fast) to frame a forward-looking agenda: keep growth on track while improving day-to-day life for residents.
And we listened, so you don’t have to, but you can watch the 40-minute address on YouTube below if you’re into that sort of thing. Here are some of the things we gleaned from the speech.
- Housing, unblocked: Dyer put housing at center stage, touting “Orlando Unlocked” to remove barriers and modernize zoning so builders can deliver more townhomes and apartments across emerging districts like the Packing District to help meet the needs of more than 1,500 people moving to the area each week.
- Safety and core services: He paired the growth message with a focus on public safety and reliable city services, themes echoed in same-day coverage. According to Dyer, homicides are down more than 50%.
- Civic momentum: The event doubled as a citywide milestone moment, with community groups and employees participating in the program and anniversary activities.
- Future projects: Dyer wants to keep thinking big with projects like Lake Nona and Creative Village in his belt. He dropped a wishlist of transit connections to OIA, Brightline, and SunRail extensions, and connecting to Tampa. And yes, he brought up flying cars again.
