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Businesses ready for boost from new soccer stadium

Orlando City Soccer to take field next month

ORLANDO, Fla. – The countdown is on until kick-off in the City Beautiful. Orlando's brand new soccer stadium is about to make its debut.

There is still a lot of construction going on at the facility on Church Street. Behind all the scaffolding and heavy machinery stands the new home of Orlando City Soccer.

As crews quickly work to finish in time for next weekend's open house, just a couple blocks away, Jeanna Malines is pouring a pint and toasting to the future.

"We've already seen the businesses and the traffic come in, so it's going to bring a lot of money to this community," Malines, the co-owner of Black Cauldron Brewing, said.

When it came to picking where Malines and her business partners with Broken Strings Brewery wanted to open their new pub, it was all about location.

Click here to see pictures of the new stadium

"As soon as the stadium finalized their plans to be downtown and to be in the Parramore district, I immediately went out and scouted out buildings here and signed a lease right away," Malines said.

She said their new brewery, which opened in June, is only 600 feet away from the stadium and just a quick four-minute walk for anyone who wants to tailgate before the games.
 
"I really wanted to kind of start showing people that it's OK to open businesses in Parramore. It's not the same Parramore it was three or five years ago," she said.

She added that the stadium will create hundreds of jobs.

"A lot of this is going to be concessions, a lot of security, a lot of just game day operations," Malines said.

But the stadium will be more than just a sports complex.
 
Brent Buffington with the non-profit Growing Orlando said there will be a weekly farmer's market.

"For those individuals that are looking to have fresh, locally, organic produce on their dinner table, they don't have to travel far," Buffington said. "It's really just a walk away."

He adds this promotes their goal to make fresh food accessible to people in Parramore.

"I think what we see with the soccer foundation and working with the city, their goal is to create the space, not just for sports, but for functions throughout the week," Buffington said. "Really seeing this as a central point within the community, as opposed to an arena to come and leave from."
 
Creating a place for everyone to come home to and to fill with pride.

"We're going to see small businesses pop up left and right to support all of the people that are going to be here," Malines said.

There are several upcoming events happening in the stadium before kick off. The 3rd Annual Purple Pride 5K and the Orlando City House Party is Feb. 25 at 9 a.m., the Kids vs. Pros soccer game is March 2 at 7 p.m., and the first game of the season is March 5 at 5 p.m.


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