The church the city of Orlando is trying to seize to build the new soccer stadium is fighting the eminent domain lawsuit against it.
Faith Deliverance Temple said it has been in the Parramore area since the 1970s, with the current church building situated on West Church Street since 1996. They said they built their community from the ground up and don't want to move.
The church's attorneys said they made efforts to negotiate with the city, but decided to fight the eminent domain process instead.
The city offered Faith Deliverance Temple $1.5 million for the land. The church asked for $30 million. The property is valued at around $700,000.
An Orlando spokesperson issued this statement Wednesday:
"We've tried hard to reach an amicable resolution but have had to resort to the court to resolve this on behalf of the parties, including a determination that the proposed soccer stadium will bring benefits to the community at large including activities, entertainment, jobs, tourism and economic development, that this is an appropriate public purpose under Florida law."
A judge ruled back in January that Orlando had the right to use eminent domain to seize the land for the stadium. The city filed the lawsuit in May.