Senator Bill Nelson Encourages Progress of Orlando and Florida
Dear Friends & Neighbors,
(Please click on red links and note Magenta)
Senior Senator Bill Nelson’s attendance in Mayor Buddy Dyer’s Climate and Energy Summit of 2014 was not disclosed until minutes before his introduction by Mayor Dyer. It is certainly a wonderful treat for all of us present. Being a great friend to City of Orlando and fierce advocate for infrastructure improvement and transit enhancement and economic development projects, Senator Nelson has enabled many projects to become reality. One of these project that holds special meaning to Mayor Dyer personally is the Creative Village Orlando (expected to be the largest LEED certified neighborhood development in Florida). This project, in excess of $10 million, builds on the success of Orlando’s digital media industry by transforming the former site of the Amway Arena in Downtown Orlando into a 68-acre mixed-use, transit-oriented, urban infill neighborhood that will be home to leading higher education providers, high-tech, digital media and creative companies. It is expected to service a diverse mix of students, employees, and residents. It will foster a “live, work, learn, and play” lifestyle in the heart of Downtown Orlando while bringing exciting opportunities to the area. Upon completion, this high quality, sustainable neighborhood development will support a diverse and dynamic mix of uses:
- 900,000-1,000,000 square feet of office/creative space
- 300,000-500,000 square feet of higher education space
- 25,000 square feet of K-12 education space
- 1,200-1,500 residential units, 125,000-150,000 square feet of retail/commercial sapce
- 150-200 hotel rooms
Senator Nelson is poised and considerate in starting his talk with the explanation of Green House Effect in its impact on global warming, adding that greater than 99% of the scientists agree that Climate Change is occurring. He further reported that during a Senate Hearing from few months ago in Miami Beach, a former NASA astronaut and scientist has presented the fifty-year measurement of 5-8 inches of sea level rise of Southeast Florida. At times of high tides, streets of Miami Beach would be flooding. Therefore, millions of dollars are being spent on infrastructure in dealing with drainage of water system. For the first time, he is seeing local governments of Southeast Florida coming together, cooperatively supporting applications for grants for Miami Beach to meet this problem.
Senator Nelson praises Mayor Dyer’s effort in energy efficiency projects in reducing energy needs and costs. He then mentions the uncertainty of tax codes with regard to renewable energy. For on the federal level, the archaic tax codes are designed to give oil industry incentives (such as pollution allowances, oil depreciation-exemptions-deductions) to find more oil. This leads to the inability of Energy Efficiency Bill to get passed, (explanation of this bill), or bill for permanent deductions for renewable energy not to get passed. (Allow me to digress, at this point, to share a related article. ) These are reasons why it is particularly crucial for local conservation and energy efficiency to be implemented. We should thank and praise Mayor Dyer and his team for his and their effort. We should all try our best to conserve in all cities and at all levels: be it in energy, water, food, etc. For despite each of us may seem to represent such a small cog in the huge machine, ultimately, we will be able to add up to very significant force to create the change that we need to see during this transitional age toward the renewable energy future.
~Let’s Help One Another~
Gathered, written, edited, and posted by Windermere Sun-Susan Sun Nunamaker
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