ORLANDO, Fla. – Orange County’s tourist development tax is at the center of conversation again as the board tasked with making spending recommendations prepares to meet for the first time in three years.
Among the 24 applicants vying for a piece of the revenue: the Orlando Dreamers, a group hoping to bring Major League Baseball to Central Florida.
The tourist development tax, often called a ‘bed tax,’ is the 6% that is collected when people stay in hotels and short-term rentals when visiting the county.
State law requires that the revenue be used to promote tourism. Orange County draws more than 76 million visitors annually, making the fund a significant source of potential public investment.
This is not the first time the Dreamers have come before the board. In 2023, the group struck out in its bid for tourist tax dollars. Now, they are back with a renewed push.
The Dreamers are asking for $975 million in tourist tax funding from the Citizens Advisory Task Force to build a new 45,000-seat venue. The proposed stadium would be located just north of Aquatica on International Drive.
Barry Larkin, the Orlando Dreamers’ Major League Baseball Ambassador, made the case for why Orlando is the right market.
“I feel like the infrastructure in Orlando supports major sports, very large media market, 15th in the country right now without a major league or minor league team. A lot of different reasons why Orlando,” Larkin said.
The Dreamers claim the stadium would generate $32 million in tourist development tax revenue annually and support 52,000 year-round jobs.
The group says it has secured more than $2 billion in private funding for team acquisition and stadium financing, but still needs nearly $1 billion from the county to make it happen.
The task force is now beginning its review of all 24 applications, including the Dreamers’ proposal. Not every application is guaranteed to be considered, however — each must first meet specific criteria before moving forward.
Monday’s task force is set to meet at 9 a.m.
You can see the list of all the applicants in the media player below.
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