Church Street is about to feel a lot less like a cut-through and a lot more like a hangout spot. Orlando city commissioners are poised to approve the second phase of a downtown overhaul that will turn a key stretch of the street into a curbless "festival street," with narrower traffic lanes, wider sidewalks for cafes and events, and upgraded pavers, lighting, and landscaping aimed at drawing people to linger instead of just driving through. City staff says work on the first phase will kick off this spring, with additional stages rolling out into 2027.
Commissioners set to clear second phase
Orlando city commissioners were expected to sign off on the project's second phase at a meeting this week, according to ClickOrlando. That vote would authorize the next round of design and construction steps needed to lock in the permanent curbless layout along Church Street. City planners have pitched the makeover as a highly visible piece of the DTO Action Plan to rework downtown streets and public spaces into more pedestrian-friendly territory.
What phase one will include
The first construction segment focuses on Church Street between Garland Avenue and the railroad tracks. That corridor will be rebuilt as a flush, curbless street finished with brick pavers, festoon and catenary lighting overhead, wider pedestrian walkways, and a narrower loading cartway for vehicles that still need access. The city's bid documents call for two 11-foot travel lanes, trench drainage, tree planters with Silva cells, and integrated DMX lighting and media controls to support events. Those technical details are laid out in the project's Invitation for Bid and 90% design plans, which the city has made available online for public review.
Funding and schedule
The Church Street conversion is bundled into a broader slate of downtown work funded by a $160 million tax-increment bond package approved in February by the city and the Community Redevelopment Agency, according to Bungalower. That same bond package is paying for The Canopy under I-4 and a gateway entrance at Lake Eola as part of the DTO Action Plan. City budget and capital improvement program documents list the Church Street project as a 2026-27 capital effort tied to those bond funds, according to the City of Orlando.
Business owners hope for a boost
Merchants along Church Street told reporters they are eager for the long-discussed changes and are banking on wider sidewalks and regular programming to bring in more daytime and weeknight traffic, as reported by MyNews13. David Barilla, executive director of the Downtown Development Board, has described the push as an effort to restore Church Street's role as a central gathering spot for festivals, outdoor dining, and nightlife. City staff says Phase 1 is slated to wrap up later this year, with Phase 2 scheduled for 2027.
Construction impacts and bidding
During construction, the roadway within the project limits will be shut to general vehicular traffic, although pedestrian access will stay open, according to reporting and the bid plans. The Invitation for Bid outlines extensive utility relocations, paver removal and reinstallations, drainage upgrades, and an event-ready lighting and AV system. Project listings and plan summaries appear on industry sites such as ConstructConnect and in public procurement postings. Contractors were instructed to submit bids through the city's portal and attend pre-bid meetings earlier this year, setting off the permitting, staging, and outreach timeline.
What’s next
If commissioners approve the second phase, city staff will move to finalize contracts, release detailed phasing maps, and start notifying the community about upcoming closures and detours, as reported by ClickOrlando. Officials say they will post construction schedules, key contact information, and detour routes on city project pages as contracts are awarded and work gets underway. Neighbors and nearby businesses are being encouraged to follow official city channels for day-by-day construction updates once crews are on site.
Residents who want to dig into the drawings or permitting details can find the DTO Action Plan and the Phase I bid documents on the City of Orlando's project and procurement pages. Downtown partners say the festival street is intended to function as a durable, everyday public venue that can comfortably host markets, concerts and routine street life in the heart of the city.
