Orlando files suit to take church land for soccer stadium

Orlando Sentinel's Mark Schlueb speaks with FOX35 about Orlando filing a lawsuit to force a church to sell its land for the new Major League Soccer stadium. (Video by FOX35)

After a year of failed talks, Orlando has filed suit in court to force a family-owned church in Parramore to sell its land to make way for a new Major League Soccer stadium.

If successful, the eminent domain action filed Thursday in Orange Circuit Court would allow Orlando to take the last of 20 parcels needed for the $115 million stadium being built for the Orlando City Lions, an MLS expansion franchise.

Newly released records show the city more than doubled its initial offer for the small, African-American-owned Faith Deliverance Temple, to $4 million.

Members of the family that owns the church reduced their initial selling price from $35 million to $15 million. Even so, the two sides remained far apart.

City Attorney Mayanne Downs characterized the church's asking price as essentially "a blank check."

"We've got a duty to safeguard the assets of the city," Downs said. "While we were certainly willing to pay the Williams family a substantial amount of money much more than the property is worth by any estimate there comes a point where we have to go to court."

Asked for comment, church representative Jonathan Williams referred questions to the church's lawyer, who did not return a call Tuesday.

The process of eminent domain, or condemnation, has two phases.

First, a judge will decide whether the purpose of taking the land building a soccer stadium fits the law's definition of a legitimate public use.

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Orlando files suit to take church land for soccer stadium