Magic Officials Meet with Local Minority Leaders; Discuss Progress of Events Center Construction
ORLANDO, Fla. – Days after the first structural piles were driven into the Events Center site, Orlando Magic officials met with local community leaders from various civic, business, and faith-based organizations to discuss the progress of the Events Center construction.
Minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBE) have been awarded an estimated $28 million for work on the Orlando Events Center. Contracts have been awarded to 39 MWBE firms, accounting for more than 42 percent of awarded work, exceeding the city charter of 24 percent MWBE inclusion.
The 39 MWBE firms include: 11 African-American-male-owned enterprises, three African-American-female-owned firms, 11 Caucasian-female-owned businesses, nine Hispanic-male-owned corporations, and five Asian-male-owned companies.
“This proves again, the commitment of the organization,” said Dr. Robert M. Spooney, Executive Director of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida. “I remember when Alex Martins spoke to the Chamber and he made a commitment. It appears to me now that it wasn’t just rhetoric.”
Within the forthcoming weeks, a substantial percentage of Events Center construction packages will be up for bidding. Orlando Magic Chief Operating Officer Alex Martins encouraged the leaders in attendance to echo the message of economic opportunity that the Events Center construction presents to each of their respective constituents, in hopes that an even greater number of MWBE firms will be able to participate in future construction packages.
“I will tell you that from my perspective and the perspective of our team, we are not sitting on what you may term as, ‘some success to date,’” said Martins. “But we need to make sure that we are reaching out to all of our constituent groups to inform them about the opportunities that exist with this Events Center. Our goal is simple: to get as much participation from minority and women owned businesses in those packages as we possibly can.”
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Ramon Ojeda commended the Events Center construction team saying, “We are not just building a building, we are building a community.”
In an effort to do just that, the Magic is focused on revitalization efforts in the neighboring Parramore community.
“Our commitment to the Parramore community is real,” stressed Martins. “It is our neighborhood; we are going to be situated at the corner of Church St. and Hughey for the next 30 years, if not longer. We are very serious about making sure that we utilize [the Events Center construction] as an opportunity to revitalize that segment of our downtown; to help nurture it and to help it to continue to grow.”
Recent Orlando Magic efforts have included:
* Pledging $250,000 to the Parramore Kidz Zone and After School All-Stars to provide positive programs for local youth vulnerable to drugs, gangs and violence.
* Refurbishing Parramore’s New Image Youth Center. Once moldy and rat-infested, the new education center now features flat-screen televisions, freshly painted walls, desktop computers, new carpeting, a Nintendo Wii and central air conditioning.
* Renovating the Downtown Boys and Girls Club.
* Providing school supplies to the Bridge To Independence School and sponsoring a trip for kids from the Parramore Kidz Zone to New York City.
* When Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu received the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award presented by Kia Motors, he donated a brand-new 2009 Kia Borrego seven-passenger SUV to Parramore Kidz Zone.
* Dwight Howard presented 300 pairs of adidas shoes to the students at Orange Center Elementary for their hard work towards improving their FCATs.
* Orlando Magic center Adonal Foyle delivered healthy snacks, Magic backpacks and a meaningful message on making healthy lifestyle choices to the elementary students at Nap Ford Community School in Parramore. The visit coincided with the school’s commencement of the “Junk Free Zone,” which focuses on eliminating bad language, unhealthy foods and unproductive habits, while encouraging a healthy lifestyle.
* Equipped with paint brushes, drills, hammers, gloves and garbage bags, the Orlando Magic’s staff volunteer program (MVP) helped renovate a Parramore area home. Last year the Magic employees totaled 5,858 hours of community service.
For more information on construction opportunities, call: Deloris Batson at (407) 719-1918, Vernice Atkins-Bradley at (407) 210-2554, or Joshua Kirven at (407) 608-5280.
The Orlando Magic’s construction managers also have held a series of forums that helped educate local and minority and women business enterprises about construction opportunities for the new Orlando Events Center, while allowing participants to network and have a chance to learn about the subcontractor and supplier bid process.
Minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBE) have been awarded an estimated $28 million for work on the Orlando Events Center. Contracts have been awarded to 39 MWBE firms, accounting for more than 42 percent of awarded work, exceeding the city charter of 24 percent MWBE inclusion.
The 39 MWBE firms include: 11 African-American-male-owned enterprises, three African-American-female-owned firms, 11 Caucasian-female-owned businesses, nine Hispanic-male-owned corporations, and five Asian-male-owned companies.
“This proves again, the commitment of the organization,” said Dr. Robert M. Spooney, Executive Director of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida. “I remember when Alex Martins spoke to the Chamber and he made a commitment. It appears to me now that it wasn’t just rhetoric.”
Within the forthcoming weeks, a substantial percentage of Events Center construction packages will be up for bidding. Orlando Magic Chief Operating Officer Alex Martins encouraged the leaders in attendance to echo the message of economic opportunity that the Events Center construction presents to each of their respective constituents, in hopes that an even greater number of MWBE firms will be able to participate in future construction packages.
“I will tell you that from my perspective and the perspective of our team, we are not sitting on what you may term as, ‘some success to date,’” said Martins. “But we need to make sure that we are reaching out to all of our constituent groups to inform them about the opportunities that exist with this Events Center. Our goal is simple: to get as much participation from minority and women owned businesses in those packages as we possibly can.”
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Ramon Ojeda commended the Events Center construction team saying, “We are not just building a building, we are building a community.”
In an effort to do just that, the Magic is focused on revitalization efforts in the neighboring Parramore community.
“Our commitment to the Parramore community is real,” stressed Martins. “It is our neighborhood; we are going to be situated at the corner of Church St. and Hughey for the next 30 years, if not longer. We are very serious about making sure that we utilize [the Events Center construction] as an opportunity to revitalize that segment of our downtown; to help nurture it and to help it to continue to grow.”
Recent Orlando Magic efforts have included:
* Pledging $250,000 to the Parramore Kidz Zone and After School All-Stars to provide positive programs for local youth vulnerable to drugs, gangs and violence.
* Refurbishing Parramore’s New Image Youth Center. Once moldy and rat-infested, the new education center now features flat-screen televisions, freshly painted walls, desktop computers, new carpeting, a Nintendo Wii and central air conditioning.
* Renovating the Downtown Boys and Girls Club.
* Providing school supplies to the Bridge To Independence School and sponsoring a trip for kids from the Parramore Kidz Zone to New York City.
* When Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu received the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award presented by Kia Motors, he donated a brand-new 2009 Kia Borrego seven-passenger SUV to Parramore Kidz Zone.
* Dwight Howard presented 300 pairs of adidas shoes to the students at Orange Center Elementary for their hard work towards improving their FCATs.
* Orlando Magic center Adonal Foyle delivered healthy snacks, Magic backpacks and a meaningful message on making healthy lifestyle choices to the elementary students at Nap Ford Community School in Parramore. The visit coincided with the school’s commencement of the “Junk Free Zone,” which focuses on eliminating bad language, unhealthy foods and unproductive habits, while encouraging a healthy lifestyle.
* Equipped with paint brushes, drills, hammers, gloves and garbage bags, the Orlando Magic’s staff volunteer program (MVP) helped renovate a Parramore area home. Last year the Magic employees totaled 5,858 hours of community service.
For more information on construction opportunities, call: Deloris Batson at (407) 719-1918, Vernice Atkins-Bradley at (407) 210-2554, or Joshua Kirven at (407) 608-5280.
The Orlando Magic’s construction managers also have held a series of forums that helped educate local and minority and women business enterprises about construction opportunities for the new Orlando Events Center, while allowing participants to network and have a chance to learn about the subcontractor and supplier bid process.
