The new deadline is April 15, pushed ahead from June 1. The original deadline was April 1.

In a Web-site announcement, Osceola purchasing manager Ray Palma says the project will need 3,000 parking spaces in the first phase and an additional 1,500 spaces in the second phase, probably in 10 years.

The county has received a dozen inquiries since March 1 when the letters of intent were first announced, but many of the plans aren't meeting Osceola's development requirements.

The county has notified some of the country's largest developers, architects and engineers on the convention center venture. Among them are Xentury City Development Co., Orlando; Cousins Properties Inc., Atlanta; RIDA Associates, Houston; Osceola Trace Development, Orlando; Berry Construction of Central Florida Inc.; VOA Associates, Orlando; Hunton Brady Pryor Maso Architects, Orlando; and Jones Lang LaSalle, Chicago.

However, the county isn't saying which firms have responded until the letters-of-intent deadline is passed, Osceola County public affairs director Larry White tells GlobeSt.com.

Xentury City Development applauds the new April 15 deadline. "Our Xentury team is ready to roll, so we considered that good news," Xentury City vice president Susan Lawrence tells GlobeSt.com.

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