Central Orlando Talk With Paulson Realtors
TOURISM
Orlando’s theme parks still remain some of the top tourist attractions as their signature roller coasters continue to make their debut. On the heels of Universal Orlando’s 2021 opening of its Velocicoaster are; Ice Breaker Debunking. SeaWorld Orlando in February 2022 boasts the steepest beyond-vertical drop in Florida, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opens in May. One month later, in June 2022, SeaWorld Orlando confirmed the construction of its seventh roller coaster, scheduled to open in 2023. And coming next spring to Disney’s Tomorrowland: TRON Lightcycle Run. Meanwhile, construction continues on Universal’s fourth Orlando theme park-EpicUniverse, which is expected to open by summer 2025. Universal remains tight-lipped about specific details related to the project; however, it is believed that Super Nintendo World, which is featured at Universal Studios.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY
It’s easy to think of Orlando as just a great place to vacation, but guess what? According to WalletHub, this city of 2 million-plus is also the No. 1 best place in the U.S. to start a business. Among many new firms finding homes here are:
- Checkr, a private company that leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to help companies perform background checks and get potential employees, will establish a headquarters in Orlando that is expected to create 600 jobs.
- Hoverfly Technologies, a startup that makes tethered power drone systems, is adding 50 positions to its staff of 60. The firm – a graduate of the University of Central Florida’s Business Incubation Program -recently moved its headquarters to a 20,000 sq.ft. building in Sanford.
- Texas lithium-ion battery manufacturer Microvast has purchased a 75,000 sq.ft. building in Lake Mary to use as a research and development facility. The company is expected to create 100 jobs over five years.
- Astronics Test Systems – which performs testing for a wide range of products, including military aircraft, heart monitors, and commuter trains – is moving its headquarters from Irvine, Calif., to Orlando to be closer to many of its customers. The company plans to add 60 employees to its existing staff of 125 over the next two years.
LOGISTICS & TRANSPORTATION
Companies seeking smooth connections find exactly what they need in Florida’s East Central region:
- By land: With fewer cars on the road in 2020 due to the pandemic, the road project labeled “I-4 Ultimate” was able to be completed in record time.
- By air: East Central boasts four international airports – Daytona Beach; Melbourne Orlando International; Orlando Sanford; and Orlando International Airport, which served 40.3 million passengers in 2021 and added 15 gates at its new Terminal C.
- By sea: More than two years after the pandemic brought cruising to a standstill, the industry is making a comeback, welcoming 2.4 million multiday passengers from October 1, 2021, through May 31, 2022. Likewise, cargo revenue in 2021 increased by 15.7% over the previous year and is projected to climb to a record $17.7 million in 2022.
- By rail: Construction continues on the Miami-to-Orlando leg of the fast passenger rail system Brightline, which currently serves Florida’s east coast from Miami to West Palm Beach. If all goes according to plan, Brightline will begin running trains to Orlando by Christmas 2022.
EDUCATION
Florida’s East Central region is packed with academic excellence, starting with two Brevard County high schools named among the nation’s top 200 on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best High Schools 2022”:
Westshore Junior / Senior High School in
Melbourne (No. 55) and Edgewood Junior /
Senior High School in Merritt Island (No. 113).
Among colleges, Orlando-based University of Central Florida ranked among the nation’s “Top 20 Most Innovative Universities” by U.S. News & World Report for the fifth consecutive year.
Also earning recognition:
- Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, is ranked No. 1 for online bachelor’s degree programs.
- Rollins College in Winter Park and Stetson University in DeLand, ranked No. 1 and No. 4 respectively among regional universities south by U.S. News & World Report.
- Full Sail University, building a $3-million virtual production studio on its 210-acre campus in Winter Park that will combine live-action footage and computer-rendered graphics in real-time – essentially creating a live, virtual studio set.
- Eastern Florida State College in Cocoa planning to invest $87 million – its largest investment ever – in academic buildings, student housing an,d other improvements on its Cocoa campus, including a STEM building with science classrooms and labs an,d planetariums.
HEALTH CARE
AdventHealth Orlando moved up a notch this year to take the No. 2 position among Florida’s best hospitals with top 40 rankings in six specialties on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals 2022-23”: diabetes and endocrinology
– (No. 29); cancer
– (No. 30); neurology & neurosurgery
– (No. 31); gastroenterology & Gl surgery
– (No. 41); orthopedics
– (No. 45); obstetrics & gynecology
– (No. 47). pediatric hospital – AdventHealth for Children
-ranked No. 39 in neonatology
Elsewhere in the region, Orlando Health’s Orlando Regional Medical Center was ranked
No. 8 overall among Florida’s best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, and its children’s hospital – Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children – excelled in five specialties: pediatric diabetes and endocrinology (No. 28); neonatology (No, 34); pediatric orthopedics
(No. 35); pediatric neurology and neurosurgery (No. 41) and pediatric urology (No. 49).
Also receiving honors: Nemours Children’s Hospital, which ranked No. 40 in pediatric orthopedics and No. 50 in pediatric diabetes and endocrinology.
And in other health news: AdventHealth Orlando is one of seven sites worldwide chosen by the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative to pilot a study that aims to make early detection of Alzheimer’s disease more accessible. Though there is no cure, early detection of signs and risk factors for Alzheimer’s gives patients time to participate in clinical drug trials and find medications that work for them. Home For Sale In Florida.
If you have a question or need help, click here to contact our premier agent Yariv Mizrahi