Orlando's $100 Million Bet

Osceola County are betting $100 million that a Florida developer can finance the World Expo Center near Disney by October. 2001.

1 minute read

April 9, 2001, 6:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"The project is gargantuan in size by any standard. The first phase will comprise a 1.2 million-sf World Expo Center; 1,200 hotel rooms; and a 140,000-sf Osceola Convention Center. The final phase will entail a 3.6 million-sf Expo Center; 9,000 hotel rooms; 900 time share units; 1.2 million sf of office; and 1.1 million sf of retail." If developer Rob Miller can find financing for the long-planned, $1.1 billion World Expo Center near Disney in Orlando, Osceola County commissioners will finance the infrastructure development to the tune of roughly $100 million.

Thanks to GlobeSt.com

Sunday, April 8, 2001 in GlobeSt.com

Young Professional

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban and Environmental Planner

Get top-rated, practical training for planners

Passengers board an Amtrak train under a cloudy sky.

Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement

The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.

September 18, 2026 - Mass Transit

An Airo train driving towards the camera on a track. There is a forest behind it.

Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet

Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.

September 22, 2026 - Washington State Standard

The Gross Reservoir, a large body of water surrounded by trees and mountains.

Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion

Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.

September 18, 2026 - Inside Climate News

A rendering of the proposed building, which is tall and highlighted in yellow to stand out from the surrounding buildings.

NYC to turn city-owned property into thousands of homes

The city has scheduled a public hearing regarding the development for October.

September 29 - Gothamist

The new busway. The pavement is painted red, indicating it as a bus-only lane.

Buses travel at 5mph along this route in NYC. The Bronx's first-ever busway looks to change that

Prior to the busway, buses on the Bx36 route traveled as slowly as 5 miles per hour.

September 29 - Mass Transit

People cross the street in downtown Pittsburg.

Pittsburg launches 'EZ permits,' aims for one-day turnaround for low-risk permits

The pilot ‘fast lane’ for permits is part of a bundle of modernization efforts for Pittsburg’s permitting process.

September 29 - Smart Cities Dive

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Senior Planner

City of Thousand Oaks

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design