It looks like the Central Florida region’s transit systems may get a speedy timeline for their ongoing project completions if Amazon’s second headquarters is built here.
MetroPlan Orlando, the metropolitan planning organization for Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties, submitted a letter to the Amazon.com Inc. (NYSE: AMZN) HQ2 site selection team stating how it will work with the e-commerce giant in its transportation requirements for the four sites the Central Florida region is pitching.
“We have provided the Orlando Economic Partnership with information on existing transportation facilities near each of the sites, improvements that are funded over the next five years and future plans,” a letter sent by Commissioner Bob Dallari on Oct.16 stated.
“We understand that transportation is expected to be a major factor in making the location decision for Amazon HQ2. Please know that if one of the prospective sites in Orlando is chosen, we are open to modifying our priorities and our long-range plans to meet the needs of Amazon’s employees and your customers.”
The four sites, confirmed by the Orlando Economic Partnership, include NeoCity, the 500-acre tech campus in Osceola County; land adjacent to the SunRail Tupperware Station; Creative Village; and Lake Nona, which is where an Amazon fulfillment center is under construction.
Here are some of the transportation projects taking place near or at the four sites:
- The SunRail Tupperware Station has the 100 pad-ready acres Amazon is looking for and it’s close to Florida’s Turnpike and State Road 417. It’s a roughly 20-minute drive from the airport, and next year, the SunRail commuter rail is expected to begin running in early 2018 on a route that will travel from Poinciana in Osceola County through downtown Orlando and all the way north to DeBary in Volusia County.
- NeoCity is testing sensors and with that, there’s the possibility of testing autonomous vehicles.
- Lake Nona has proximity to Orlando International Airport.
- Creative Village will have a new downtown Lymmo bus service that will connect people in Creative Village to the area’s downtown core. In downtown Orlando, there are SunRail stations as well. A $12 million grant was awarded this year to the Florida Department of Transportation, UCF and MetroPlan Orlando to test smart transportation technologies, which includes autonomous shuttles. The technologies will be tested and deployed at the existing UCF main campus and Creative Village in UCF Downtown that will be open in 2019.
The letter continues to say that “our track record demonstrates our commitment to investing in critical infrastructure projects.
In addressing mobility needs in our fast-growing region, these projects also have contributed to our economic prosperity.”
Orlando Business Journal reached out to Seminole County and FDOT for comments, but both offices are closed in honor of Veteran’s Day.
The Orlando bid, put together by the Orlando economic Partnership and the city of Orlando, was submitted along with the other Florida cities’ bids in the state in a package sent through Enterprise Florida, the state’s economic development agency.
If the second headquarters were to be built here, it would create 50,000 jobs that pay $100,000 annually and bring a $5 billion investment with HQ2, which will duplicate its Seattle headquarters.
Orlando, along with the other dozens of cities vying for the headquarters, all will be waiting for 2018 when Amazon announces the site it selected from the proposals.
By Veronica Brezina Staff Writer, Orlando Business Journal
This post originally appeared on bizjournals.com
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