Innovation Way
Encyclopedia
The Innovation Way Corridor is a development area planned for Orlando, Florida
. The planned corridor is to stretch south from the University of Central Florida
to International Corporate Park, then West towards the Lake Nona area and finally ending at the Orlando International Airport
. At the heart of this development plan is the expansion and extension of Alafaya Trail (SR 434
) south from Avalon Park to SR 528
running between the county landfill and the OUC
Curtis H. Stanton Energy Center, then continuing through International Corporate Park before it curves west towards the Lake Nona area and the airport. The entire corridor is planned to be approximately 17 miles (27 km) long. The heart of the planned project is to create a technological and business corridor linking the University of Central Florida to the Orlando International Airport.
It is currently unknown how the Innovation Way project will continue if the International Corporate Park developers back out of the plans. The developers expect to make a final decision in early January 2007.
canceled funding to an interchange on SR-528 which would have connected to the Innovation Way developments. The Expressway Authority has suggested toll increases to pay for this and other projects but has been unable to do so due to recent scandals and inconsistencies with the agency's handling of toll revenue.
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. The planned corridor is to stretch south from the University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
to International Corporate Park, then West towards the Lake Nona area and finally ending at the Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport is a major international airport located southeast of the central business district of Orlando. It is the second busiest airport in Florida, after Miami International Airport...
. At the heart of this development plan is the expansion and extension of Alafaya Trail (SR 434
State Road 434 (Florida)
State Road 434 is a major roadway in the Central Florida area. Starting at SR 424 just north of Orlando city limits, the road runs north as Forest City Road through Forest City before dropping the name at the Seminole County line...
) south from Avalon Park to SR 528
State Road 528 (Florida)
State Road 528 , the Martin Andersen Beachline Expressway , is a long state highway in the U.S. state of Florida. It is a mostly-tolled expressway connecting Interstate 4 in southwest Orlando with Cape Canaveral...
running between the county landfill and the OUC
Orlando Utilities Commission
The Orlando Utilities Commission is a municipally-owned public utility providing water and electric service to the citizens of Orlando, Florida and portions of adjacent unincorporated areas of Orange County, as well as St. Cloud, Florida, in Osceola County...
Curtis H. Stanton Energy Center, then continuing through International Corporate Park before it curves west towards the Lake Nona area and the airport. The entire corridor is planned to be approximately 17 miles (27 km) long. The heart of the planned project is to create a technological and business corridor linking the University of Central Florida to the Orlando International Airport.
Phase 1
Phase I of the Innovation Way project is the extension of Alafaya Trail from Avalon Park to SR 528. The project as designed will include a 4-lane roadway complete with sidewalks and an on-road bike path and will cover a total distance of 4.81 miles (7.74 km). The total projected cost is $30,098,953.25 and is set to begin in August 2006 with a completion date of December 2008. Phase 1 has been completed just under 1.5 years over scheduleInternational Corporate Park
A key cornerstone to the Innovation Way plan was to bring the UCF Medical Institute and the Burnham Institute to the International Corporate Park development, but both of those facilities have decided to move closer to the Lake Nona area. Due to the loss of these two facilities, the developers of the Internal Corporate Park have floated the idea that warehouses and corporate distribution centers would generate more profit than High Tech jobs, 3,500 homes, and town center, as originally planned. The International Corporate Park area is already zoned for 20000000 square feet (1,858,060.8 m²) of industrial warehouses, which according to the developers would now be much more profitable than building the residential sections of the plan in a declining housing market. In late November 2006 the International Corporate Park developers sent a letter to Orange County canceling a planned meeting on how to move forward with the Innovation Way plans and they have claimed there is a waiting list of industrial buyers to purchase warehouse space on their property.It is currently unknown how the Innovation Way project will continue if the International Corporate Park developers back out of the plans. The developers expect to make a final decision in early January 2007.
Orange County Expressway Authority
In mid 2006 the Orlando-Orange County Expressway AuthorityOrlando-Orange County Expressway Authority
The Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority is an expressway authority responsible for construction, maintenance and operation of toll roads in Orange County, Florida, United States, which includes the city of Orlando. It was founded in 1963 for the purpose of building the Bee Line Expressway,...
canceled funding to an interchange on SR-528 which would have connected to the Innovation Way developments. The Expressway Authority has suggested toll increases to pay for this and other projects but has been unable to do so due to recent scandals and inconsistencies with the agency's handling of toll revenue.
See also
- Avalon Park, Florida
- Orange County, FloridaOrange County, FloridaOrange County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida and is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 1,145,956....
- University of Central FloridaUniversity of Central FloridaThe University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
- Central Florida Research ParkCentral Florida Research ParkThe Central Florida Research Park, is a research park abutting the main campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, United States...
- Orlando International AirportOrlando International AirportOrlando International Airport is a major international airport located southeast of the central business district of Orlando. It is the second busiest airport in Florida, after Miami International Airport...