ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer gave his annual State of Downtown Address on Tuesday and it included a lot of plans directly affecting local neighborhoods.
Dyer said he wants to revitalize downtown, and that starts with making changes in Parramore.
The mayor said he wants to make Parramore a neighborhood in which residents can be proud.
Dyer said juvenile crime is down in Parramore by 61 percent, and he believes that increasing educational opportunities will make a huge impact.
When a new community school opens next year, Dyer said 900 students will have access to after school activities and athletic fields, and preschool will be free to Parramore students.
Dyer said the city is also working on providing safer options for students walking or biking to school.
He said the "Cradle to Career" pipeline continues with a new college campus for the University of Central Florida and Valencia College, which will serve 8,000 students when it opens.
Dyer said next-generation employers will then have a built-in pool of homegrown graduates from Parramore and all of Orlando to choose from.
"We want Parramore to be a place where someone can grow up, have immediate and long-lasting access to a great education, and can apply that education to a modern career, all without ever leaving downtown Orlando," Dyer said.
Dyer also talked about plans for a new entertainment district from the Dr. Phillips Center to Camping World Stadium.
You can watch the State of Downtown address below:
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