Developers of the Westcourt Sports + Entertainment District in downtown Orlando are aiming for a spring groundbreaking after the city’s Appearance Review Board blessed the project last week.

Scheduled to open in early 2027, the project will serve as the home of the Orlando Magic, a luxury Kimpton hotel, housing, a Live Nation entertainment venue and retail space. Machete Group is co-developing the Westcourt district with  JMA Ventures.

The developers had initially announced plans to start construction in late 2024 but had to get approval this month for a community development district — a special legal designation that will assist in financing $66 million of infrastructure — and an ARB certificate first before final permits could be issued, GrowthSpotter reported.

“We’re really excited to be here today. This is another big step in our process, ”  JMA Principal Michael McManus said at the Thursday review board meeting. “Our plans, our drawings, are being packaged up for pricing this week in the market with our contractor. Our hope is that we would be in a position to break ground sometime in the spring. Lot of activities need to fall into place to make that happen. But we are here, we are fully committed.”

Westcourt is a massive mixed-use plan, which includes 200,000 square feet of office space, 125,000 square feet of retail, 16,000 square feet of meeting space, a 3,500 person live events venue, 260 hotel rooms and 273 apartments. The DeVos family, owners of the Orlando Magic, have a 20% stake in the venture.

Wayne Dunkelberger, creative director for Baker Barrios, gave the review board a detailed presentation of the design, building architecture, landscaping and materials. He said the team had made some design tweaks in recent months — including moving the residents’ pool and amenity deck to the roof of the 28-story mixed-use tower to separate it from the hotel amenities and capitalize on the downtown views.

He said the outdoor courtyard paseo would function as an extension of the retail and entertainment space, with its own stage and programming. It would also double as a fire lane for emergency use.

While the board lauded the overall design, there were a few sticking points to the conditional approval. Board member John Griffin said he worried that the paseo wouldn’t provide enough shade or protection from the elements to make it a year-round destination.

“It looks like a hot space,” he said. “I realize you’ve got fire lanes and a lot of constraints, but I would like to see more canopy in there.”

Dunkelberger said their shade studies indicated that the office and hotel towers would shade the paseo starting at about 3 pm. The large oak tree in the center of the paseo also casts a large shadow. They also used a lighter palette for the pavers and hardscape so it wouldn’t retain heat.

The board also asked for revisions to the north side of the parking garage that faces Central Boulevard. The proposed design included murals on each corner of the structure with additional metal mesh screening, banners and art panels to break up the elevation. The plan also shows four mock storefronts with windows and awnings to create a pedestrian-friendly experience.

The board wanted to see even more enhancement on the street level, possibly using the same stone veneer as on the base of the hotel, so the garage would complement the district. The revised design will have to come back to the board for final approval, but board director Richard Forbes said this wouldn’t put a hold on the construction permits.

Other items that still must come back for staff approval include the public art components and sign package.

The plan calls for eight LED signs. The phase 1 LED signs will adorn the Church Street entrance to the paseo, the entertainment venue, the east elevation of the office building and the mixed-use tower.

McManus said the development team has engaged an art curator to work with local and national artists. “We’re taking it seriously,” he said. “We think that artwork just doesn’t belong only in the hotel. We’ll find it throughout the rest of the project.”

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