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Universal Orlando’s new road deal with Orange County is lopsided, critics say

Originally published Oct. 3, 2019





Universal Orlando and Orange County are negotiating a final deal to split the tab for a new road to the company’s planned Epic Universe theme park.


The road, which would extend Kirkman Road south from Sand Lake Road to Universal Boulevard, is vital to Universal’s expansion plans. It would open up the undeveloped land upon which Epic Universe will be built and help connect the new theme park with Universal’s existing parks a few miles to the north.


Universal, which will build the road itself and get partially reimbursed by taxpayers, recently submitted a cost estimate to Orange County that puts the price tag for the 1.7-mile-long Kirkman extension at just over $315 million.


That works out to more than $185 million per mile -- or about 70 percent more than the estimated per-mile price of I-4 Ultimate, the years-long rebuild of Central Florida’s biggest and busiest highway.


And if the Kirkman extension comes in under that estimate, Universal -- rather than taxpayers -- would get most, if not all, of the savings.


Under a preliminary agreement between Universal and the county, taxpayers are expected to contribute $141 million to the project: $125 million from Orange County itself, plus another $16 million from the state through an economic-development grant the county obtained on Universal’s behalf. Universal will pay the remainder.


But unless the final price tag drops dramatically, the taxpayer share would remain fixed.


So if the Kirkman extension does end up costing $315 million, Universal would pay $174 million -- or about 55 percent of the total bill.


But if the road were to cost $250 million, Universal would pay $109 million -- about 44 percent of the total.


Read the rest of the story here.


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