by Sara Bridget A u and Noah Schwarzfeld

Most residents and businesses in the communities along the southern end of Alafaya Trail in East Orlando are eagerly awaiting the day when they can simply drive south and access the 528 or get to Lake Nona without having to go miles north, out of their way, to get on the 417 and then double-back. The connecting road will be named Innovation Way, but the concept of the Innovation Way Corridor is about more than just a road, say community leaders, it’s about the vision for East Orlando’s significance within the emerging high-tech community in the area between UCF and the Medical City in Lake Nona.

After a long wait, it now looks like all the necessary steps are in place to build the road to connect Alafaya Trail to the Beachline by mid-2010, according to James Harrison, director of Growth Management for Orange County. He says three organizations share responsibility for construction: Orange County, the Orlando- Orange County Expressway Authority, and Suburban Land Reserve, which owns the land. District 4 County Commissioner Linda Stewart states, “The Alafaya Trail [extension] is on its way to being constructed.”

Central to Community’s Vision

A coalition of East Orange County leaders, including business owners led by the East Orlando Chamber of Commerce, says they will be watching to ensure this 2010 timeline sticks. Maritza Martinez, Chair of the Chamber, says, “The Chamber envisions this Corridor as a fertile crescent of creativity, commerce and community...when seen in the context of this broad vision for East Orlando, connecting this roadway in a timely manner is crucial.” The creation of Innovation Way will not only ease traffic concerns on Alafaya Trail, it will be central to the participation of the East Orlando community in the much touted High Tech Corridor. The road will allow access to the Lake Nona area and the thousands of high-paying jobs at the soon-to-be-built Burnham Medical Research Institute and the UCF Burnett College of Medicine. “My wife and I moved to Avalon Park in March 2003 and I distinctly remember hearing from community leaders at the time that the project was two years away from completion,” recalls Ed Alexander, a local attorney and past Chair of the East Orlando Chamber of Commerce. “It has been constantly two years away and here we are in 2008 and it’s still two years away.” Harrison understands how much this road is anticipated, “We are all anxious to get that Innovation Way connection to the Beachline made as soon as possible.”

History of the Land

The 2,000 acres of land which constitute the southern reach of the Innovation Way Corridor, and on which the 528 Interchange will be built, is called the International Corporate Park (ICP). In 2004, this land parcel was purchased by Grosse Pointe Development Co. for $41.5 million, but was never developed. One potential deal fell apart in April of last year. Then in September, Suburban Land Reserve, a subsidiary of the Mormon Church and sister company to Deseret Ranch, which owns vast amounts of land across Brevard, Orange and Osceola counties, purchased ICP for an undisclosed price.

Joe Wallace, executive director of the Central Florida Research Park, which was once in a partnership agreement with Grosse Pointe Development Co. to develop a second Research Park with a potential of 10,000 high paying jobs in ICP, says he would still consider a potential deal with the new owners, but that the interchange is “absolutely, 100% critical.” Scott Dean, vice president of Suburban Land Reserve(SLR), which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, said in an emailed statement: “Suburban Land Reserve continues to work on its plans for the International Corporate Park area. We want to appropriately position the property to meet regional transportation needs and to preserve transit corridors that are important to the future of Central Florida. As such, we continue to work with Orange County and other agencies on the plans for the 528/Alafaya interchange as well as Innovation Way.” Harrison credits SLR with getting the project back on track, “They are pursuing the design and are committed to providing all the land.”

Timeline of the Project

Juan Curi, Orange County Senior Engineer and Project Manager for this improvement, explains the road and interchange is still at least two years out from completion. “We’re moving towards 30% plans by April,” Curi stated, and then clarified, “Basically, this means about 1/3 of the construction plans showing preliminary alignment of the road and bridge maps will be completed next month.” The next step will be to get those plans to 60% completion, which would include drainage plans – a big, complex part of any road building project. When design plans are 100% completed, the project is ready to go out to bid. Curi says the county’s current timetable plans for the start of construction in summer of 2009, with completion sometime in the winter of 2010, but includes the caveat that the schedule is subject to change. Harrison tells Insight county officials and property owners are also discussing interim solutions so the community doesn’t have to wait until middle of 2010 to get to the Beachline from Alafaya Trail, but specifics are not as yet determined.

Funding Already Allocated

Aside from design plans and potential development partners, the Alafaya Trail extension, Innovation Way, and 528 Interchange project must be fully funded in order to stick to any proposed timeline. Harrison states, “The money is absolutely in place for construction.” This is a key point, paving the way for construction to start as soon as design plans are completed in summer of 2009. Funding for the project comes from a combination of contributions from the Expressway Authority, Orange County, and Suburban Land Reserve. The Expressway Authority’s share, $12 million, comes from toll revenues or associated bonds, and is already allocated, says Lindsay Hodges, Expressway Authority spokesperson. She assures, “The money is already set aside and waiting for when it’s needed.” Orange County’s contribution is $5.5 million, according to Harrison. Previously, the county spent $26 million on expanding Alafaya Trail in anticipation of this extension to the Beachline. ICP owner, SLR, agreed to contribute the cost of building the flyover (the portion of Innovation Way that will be elevated over the Beachline) less the county’s contribution, plus the interest on the balance; no less than $4 million and no more than $12.5 million. Harrison believes it will be the full $12.5 million, but SLR could not confirm a specific number. “We recognize the importance of this interchange to those who call East Orlando and East Orange County home,” says SLR’s Dean. “In fact, regional connectivity is an essential part of good growth principles and we are committed to work in the best interest of the region’s long term growth and infrastructure needs.”