The season is underway for the Orlando City Lions, but the streets surrounding the team's new stadium are a work in progress.

At its last meeting Feb. 27, the Orlando City Council approved $4.2 million in funding for streetscape improvements, such as curbing, sidewalks, landscaping and lighting along Central Boulevard and Pine and Church streets downtown.

“I think that the people in the neighborhood could embrace the change and work together," said J. Henry, whose barbershop sits next to the towering stadium.

For months, the area has been a construction zone, rife with "road closed" signs, chain-link fences and diggers. That construction can, at times, be frustrating for those who live and work in the Parramore neighborhood.

“You have to get involved. You have to let the people know this is truly having a major impact on my business, my family life and my future," said Henry, who sits on the Orlando City soccer advisory board, sharing his thoughts on club operations as they relate to his nearby business.

“I think that Orlando City soccer have invaded the neighborhood, if you will, in a good way," he said. “I’ve seen a lot of changes take place with the streets, with the lighting, with cameras in the neighborhood, to make a cleaner, safer environment for everybody.”

Down Parramore Avenue, Catherine Wilson crafts an Italian sub for a customer at sandwich and ice cream shop Ma'Belle. Wilson, the manager of the small store that opened five months ago, said the new stadium has helped to spur business.


Catherine Wilson, who manages a sandwich shop on Parramore Avenue, says business has improved since the new Orlando City stadium opened. (News 13)

“We got a lot of people that came in, got ice cream, sandwiches. They say they’ll come back," she said. "It’s getting better. It’s going to get much better once the stadium starts going.”

According to the city of Orlando, the streetscape work will take six months to complete. The project also includes construction of a monument to Orlando civil-rights icon Father Pinder, to be located on the northwest corner of Terry Avenue and West Church Street, and a 20 foot-by-20 foot, brick-paver plaza.

Cassandra Lafser, the city's public information officer, said that the streetscape project, while newly launched, was planned and funded for "quite a while." The funding is from multiple sources, including Community Redevelopment Agency, or CRA, funds.

Documents show the CRA contributed a total of $1,237,975 toward the streetsape and Father Pinder monument.

Barbershop owner Henry said he doesn't mind waiting for construction crews to wrap up, preferring that the job be done right.

“There’s no need to be in a hurry. We want to have a good investment in the neighborhood that can benefit all of us as a whole," Henry said. "As long as we in the community can embrace the change and recognize that the time that it’s taking for the stadium to get done and finished, it’s for the people. Haste makes waste.”

Wilson said she knows that not everyone likes change, but she is hopeful.

“I hear a lot of people around the area, they’re happy, they’re excited. Excited to see that the place surrounding the area will be better," she said. “I feel like one day they were going to do it eventually, whether the soccer stadium came or not. It was something that had to be done.”


The city of Orlando's revitalization plans for the area around the new Orlando City stadium includes a monument to civil-rights pioneer Father Pinder. (City of Orlando)