Fire officials routinely began an arson probe today but suspect the Saturday blaze was started by vagrants cooking a meal in the dilapidated, long-vacant, 100,000-sf property. The city owns the property after buying a 1.6-acre tract for $770,000 in 1994.
The land was part of a long-delayed redevelopment plan for the poor, one-square-mile Parramore district nearby. Bryan Hotel is at 330 W. Church St., not far from the first-phase $53 million, mixed-use venture Charlotte-based Bank of America is developing on West Church Street between Division and Terry Avenues.
Under construction is a seven-story, 254-unit apartment house and Hughes Supply Inc.'s new headquarters building, a five-story, 200,000-sf, $25 million building expected to be completed in September. Also planned is a 1,000-acre parking garage and 25,000 sf of ground-floor retail in the apartment building.
The current construction wave is three blocks south from a planned $60 million, eight-story new federal courthouse building and a proposed $30 million Florida A&M University law school.
In the center of this building maelstrom was a long-discussed $500 million new arena for Orlando Magic. That discussion is moot since the city, Orange County and billionaire Magic owner Richard DeVos couldn't agree on who should pay for most of the project.
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