Orlando drops action against church, moves soccer stadium farther west

The city of Orlando announced this morning that it is dropping eminent-domain proceedings against a church that has stood in the way of Orlando's Major League Soccer stadium. Instead, the city will move the planned new stadium.

The city of Orlando on Monday dropped its eminent-domain fight against a family-owned Parramore church, the lone holdout in the way of the city's plans to build a new Major League Soccer stadium downtown.

Instead, Orlando will move the new $110 million stadium about a block west, using property the city bought last week for $2 million.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said the move avoids a costlier condemnation fight with Faith Deliverance Temple. It also ensures stadium construction starts this fall, which should allow the team to play in its new facility at the start of the 2016 season.

"This presents a better opportunity for the city," Dyer said at a news conference in City Hall.

The decision also eliminated a sensitive issue for the city as it negotiated with a black neighborhood church whose owners did not want to move.

"It's wonderful," said Jonathan Williams, whose parents founded the church. "It wasn't expected, but it was welcomed."

The city had been in negotiations with the church since last year, but the two sides remained far apart.

City officials had offered Faith Deliverance $1.5 million for the property, or more than twice the appraised value.

The church, however, initially demanded $35 million basing its price, in part, on Orlando's decision in 2007 to spend the same amount for part of First United Methodist Church's downtown property that made room for the new Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

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Orlando drops action against church, moves soccer stadium farther west