Source: http://www.wftv.com, July 18, 2016
The Orlando City Soccer Club has purchased the land for its new stadium from the City of Orlando.
The city sold the land for about $19 million, and the club will have the next 15 years to pay off the mortgage.
In the post-closing agreement, the city agreed to subtract money from the selling price to help the team clean up contamination on the site; up to $3.5 million to clean up contamination on a portion of the land, just east of the stadium.
And the city will credit the team 50 percent of anything over that cost, up to $5.7 million.
“We’ve given more than enough for the soccer stadium, to a private entity, a billionaire and the citizens are still on the hook for this private entity. It’s not right,” community activist Lawanna Gelzer said.
Gelzer argued the city would’ve had to sell the land at a reduced cost, without the credits, because of the contamination.
But 9 Investigates has monitored spending at the site since 2014, when the city paid $27 million to move a fire station, work on nearby ponds and close Parramore Avenue.
Gelzer has long been against using any public money for the private project.
“You’ve done so many things for this soccer team,” she said.
Orlando City had no one available who could speak to Channel 9 about the project.
A spokesperson said they are actively working with environmental engineers to first test and gather information about the property. The second part of their analysis involves the intended use of the property.
There is no timeline provided in the agreement as to how long the team has to clean up the contamination.
The team also still has to pay the city $3.1 million for expansion of the storm water pond.
Any costs for additional remediation, covered under the agreement, will simply be deducted from the outstanding mortgage for the property.