ORLANDO, Fla. — New plans are giving a clearer picture of how Orange County Tourist Development Tax Dollars will be put to use.

What You Need To Know

  • Orange County recently voted to approve $75 million for 11 projects over the next five years as part of excess tourist development tax dollars

  •  Mayor Jerry Demings says the goal with these capital projects is to expand tourism in Orange County

Orange County recently voted to approve $75 million for 11 projects over the next five years as part of excess tourist development tax dollars.

Nearly $14 million of the allocation from will go to Orlando Science Center and will be used to transform the Finfrock Terrace into a 6,500 square foot terrace enclosed in glass.

The venue will have views of downtown Orlando and new exhibits for space exploration.

“Those displays will be mobile, and we’ll be able to move them out of this space to be able to hold special events in here, corporate events, and weddings,” said Jeff Stanford, vice president of marketing for Orlando Science Center.

A new terrace will sit on the roof of the enclosed venue, and new concept drawings highlight the final result.

Stanford said the goal of the project is to make the Science Center a more exciting destination, while also staying relevant with the new exhibit space.

“We know there is a strong need for engaging STEM learning in our community,” he said.

Renting out the space for private events will help raise additional funds for the Science Center, Stanford said.

“This also as a great opportunity to increase the tourism appeal, people coming to town,” he said.

The Science Center used funds from a 2022 grant to build “LIFE,” a new nature exhibit that opened earlier this year.

Stanford said the $14 million in TDT funds will allow the Science Center to continue to expand and renovate experiences, and draw more tourists on a national and international level.

“This infusion of grant money from TDT is truly transformational for all the organizations that received it," he said. "We’ve already seen an increase in attendance with the opening of the life exhibit."

The new project is expected to break ground in 2027.