To address Orlando's mounting housing crisis, city commissioners have greenlit a transformation for the Best Western Hotel on West Colonial Drive, pivoting the establishment towards affordable housing. Slated to consist of 110 units, this project seeks to ease the accommodation bottleneck in a locale clamoring for such options, according to a ClickOrlando report.

Orlando's District 5 Commissioner, Shan Rose, emphasized in an interview that "…For us, this is creating more units that people can rent and be more sustainable," pointing out the stability anticipated by transitioning from hotel turnover to long-term residential tenancies. These units, reported to be between 300-350 square feet, will cater to individuals earning less than 60% of the area's median income. Despite the conversion, no incentives are attached to the master plan, nor are rent caps imposed, as per documents detailed by ClickOrlando.

This initiative forms part of a burgeoning trend in Central Florida, repurposing outdated hotels into much-needed affordable housing. Earlier in May, the city heralded the inauguration of Palm Gardens Orlando, the novel identity for the erstwhile Ambassador Hotel, which now provides 95 affordable living spaces. With an expansive vision for 150 units, the effort received a substantial $4 million in fiscal support from the city, tying into the larger Accelerate Orlando scheme fueled by American Rescue Plan Act funds, as reported by CF Public.

While the Taste of Chengdu restaurant, also situated on the property, will remain unaffected by the hotel's renovation, the adaptive reuse of such commercial spaces may represent a compelling approach for cities grappling with similar affordability crunches. The Best Western, a longstanding establishment since 1967 with expansions tracing back to 1972, is still operational while the plans to repurpose it gradually take shape.