ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Orange County Convention Center, which is home to hundreds of events that contribute more than $3 billion to the Central Florida economy, is getting a $560 million expansion.

What You Need To Know

  • Known as the second-largest convention center in the United States, the Orange County Convention Center plans a $560 million expansion over the next year

  • The project — called 5A — will be split into two phases and will include a meeting space, a ballroom and a new entrance for the North-South building on Convention Way

  • Owners of locally owned restaurants say they’re looking forward to the convention center project because it will boost business

The new project will be called 5A, and it will be split into two phases. The first phase of the project is focused on adding a new meeting space, a ballroom and a new entrance to the North-South building on Convention Way.

The second part of the project is called Phase 5B.

"Once approved, Phase 5B would bring an additional 200,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space to the building, while also incorporating connectivity between the North and South Concourses. When completed, both phases will provide a grand total of 1.15 million square feet of exhibit space in the North-South Building," stated the convention center.

Requests regarding proposals for management and construction services working on the facility closed at the end of June and are currently under review.

The funding for this expansion comes from Tourist Development Tax collections, the 6% fee that Orange County hotel and other short-term guests pay at the end of their stays.

Owners of locally owned restaurants said they’re looking forward to the business that the expansion of the Orange County Convention Center will bring in the upcoming year.

It’s not always easy getting customers to come eat dinner on a Monday night, and it’s even harder when it’s pouring outside.

Makani Mediterranean Cuisine is among many locally owned businesses on International Drive that says it will benefit from the Orange County Convention Center’s expansion this upcoming year. (Spectrum News /Sasha Teman)

Despite being in the heart of the entertainment district at Orlando’s ICON Park, Makani Mediterranean Cuisine is a locally owned restaurant that gets most of its customers from tourism or during the weekends.

The owner of the Egyptian restaurant, Ahmed Elsabagh, recognizes that having the Orange County Convention Center nearby is a major driver for business.

But Elsabagh said that the facility’s future expansion will without a doubt bring more business his way.  

“Expanding is going to literally affect a lot in a good way. Increasing jobs, increasing opportunities for all the local businesses around it and inside of it,” he said.

The impact can also be felt when there aren’t conventions happening. It’s usually during those periods that Elsabagh admits business can be tough.

“Outside of holidays or weekends and stuff, definitely you can see the difference when there is any meetings or the convention has, you know, any large groups, you can see the impact,” he said.  

But when things are in full swing, he said his restaurant can be packed with large groups of up to 30 people at a time.

Elsabagh also prides himself on being the owner of a restaurant that serves Egyptian-style cuisine, which he admits isn’t common in Orlando.

Whether it’s for business or for pleasure, Elsabagh welcomes customers coming to him from all over the world.

Among his clientele are Egyptian nationals who simply miss the food and are looking for that taste of home.

Others include tourists from other states looking for a unique dining experience.

According to the Orange County Convention Center, the design of Project 5A is expected to be completed by the start of 2025.