ORLANDO, Fla. — 9 Investigates found out that Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer hasn't handed over land for youth soccer fields that he promised to the county back in 2013.
Dyer promised the land near Barber Park in the Conway area in an effort to get funding for the city's new soccer stadium. The county wanted to add at least two more youth soccer fields with the land.
Around 1,000 children are currently able to play soccer at Barber Park.
"Every day during normal seasons, we have to turn away kids because we don't have the capacity to create additional teams," said Kathy McCoy, volunteer for the South Orlando Soccer Club.
In 2013, Orange County Commissioner Pete Clarke found a solution to the soccer problem in an exchange with Dyer.
"I will make a public offer right now, if you want us to give you the land, we'll do that," Dyer said.
The deal persuaded Clarke to vote in favor of the county giving $20 million to build the soccer stadium.
"If you want to offer us the land, I would enjoy making that motion," Clarke said in 2013.
But as construction on the soccer stadium begins, there's been no progress on the youth soccer fields.
"It's a long long wait. It's been a little frustrating at times," Clarke said.
Officials said the main issue is that the land is still tainted with arsenic from the 1960s.
"They want us to take the whole thing. Our position is we want the 19 acres now, and we'll negotiate the rest once the samples come back that we're happy with," Clarke said.
Clarke said all the county needs to build the fields and park is for the city to sign the agreement. A city spokesperson said they expect the agreement to go before city council in May.