ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Tourist Development Tax Citizen Advisory Task Force has begun reviewing more than $3 billion in funding requests for tourism-related projects across the county.
The group will make recommendations to the Tourist Development Council and, ultimately, the Orange County Commission.
The requests range from museums and cultural attractions to a freshwater aquarium and a proposed baseball stadium.
Among the applicants is the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community, which is seeking $53 million to help fund the proposed Zora Neale Hurston International Museum of Art, Heritage and Culture in historic Eatonville.
“We are so excited about seeing historic Eatonville, the entire town as the living museum,” said N.Y. Nathiri, the Executive Director of the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community.
Nathiri said the project would preserve and showcase the history and culture of the nation’s oldest incorporated African American municipalities and celebrate one of its most famous residents, author Zora Neale Hurston.
“There will be a Zora Neale Hurston International Museum of Art, Heritage, and Culture, and that is because we want to maintain the daily presence of visitors being able to come and experience, and there are two key words here, experience and authenticity,” Nathiri said.
Orange County has approximately $430 million in Tourist Development Tax reserves, but county officials say much of that money has already been designated for specific purposes, including bond requirements and previously approved commitments such as the NBA All-Star Game and Olympic qualifier events. The county has not yet determined how much funding will ultimately be available for new projects.
Applicants are scheduled to make presentations to the task force next week.
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