Orlando Launches $130M Downtown Infrastructure Push — Bids Due June 4

Orlando isn't tiptoeing around its downtown overhaul anymore. The city just issued a formal request for proposals for the next round of work under its Downtown Orlando Action Plan — a $130M-plus package tied to a larger $750M vision for the core of the city. The scope is substantial: Orange and Rosalind avenues each getting converted from one-way cut-throughs to two-way corridors (roughly a mile each, running Colonial Drive to South Street), a second phase of work on Magnolia Avenue, improvements through the North Quarter corridor, and a second phase of Church Street work. Bids are due June 4 under RFP26-0408.

The timeline rolls out in waves. Orange and Rosalind construction starts in 2027 and wraps in 2028, lasting 16 to 18 months per corridor. Magnolia's second phase runs 2027 to 2028 across 0.6 miles and includes Livingston Corner Park. North Quarter work also starts in 2027 with a 16-month run. Church Street Phase 2 targets completion by end of 2027. For contractors and subs already working downtown, this isn't one project — it's a sustained construction environment through the end of the decade. And that's before accounting for additional work like the pocket park at 30 S. Orange Ave., the southwest Lake Eola Park gateway, and The Canopy — a covered public space under I-4 that breaks ground this summer and is targeting a 2027 open.

The practical impact on leasing and development is real. A local real estate broker explained it plainly: street parking matters, not just in aggregate but in proximity to where businesses want to be. Two-way conversions add hundreds of on-street parking spaces — a major factor for office and retail tenants evaluating walkable urban space. Phase 1 of Magnolia is already open to traffic, and the first phase of Church Street begins construction this summer. The city is moving, and the RFP signals the next wave is ready to procure. Contractors should be watching the procurement portal closely.