orange county economic element

36

Upload: luisnvrz

Post on 07-May-2015

584 views

Category:

Documents


2 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Orange County Economic Element
Page 2: Orange County Economic Element

ECONOMIC ELEMENT

CONTENTS PAGE

Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 5 Socioeconomic Characteristics .............................................................................................. 5 Demographic Characteristics ................................................................................................ 5 Labor Force and Employment Market .................................................................................... 8 Infrastructure ............................................................................................................................... 11 Transportation .................................................................................................................. 11 Urban Service Area and Telecommunications ....................................................................... 15 Post Graduate Educational Institutions ................................................................................ 16 Policy Framework .......................................................................................................................... 16 Regional Activity Centers ................................................................................................... 18 Regional Industry Specialization ..................................................................................................... 20 Leisure and Hospitality ....................................................................................................... 21 Photonics and Electro Optics .............................................................................................. 23 Nursery and Foliage .......................................................................................................... 24 Interactive Technology ...................................................................................................... 26 Small Business .................................................................................................................. 28 Life and Medical Sciences ................................................................................................... 29 Issues ........................................................................................................................................ 30 Workforce Education .......................................................................................................... 30 Urban Growth and Land Use Patterns .................................................................................. 31 Area Affordability ............................................................................................................... 32 Workforce Support ............................................................................................................ 33 Goals, Objectives, and Policies ........................................................................................................ 35

TABLES PAGE

1 Population Change for Orange County, the Central Florida Region and Florida 1990-2000 ................... 5 2. Population Projections Scenarios for Orange County, 2000-2030 ...................................................... 6 3. Persons moving to Orange County ................................................................................................. 7 4. Top Ten Countries of Birth for Population Born Outside the United States ......................................... 7 5. Educational Attainment for Population over 25 .............................................................................. 10 6. Invest in Orange County Roadway Projects .................................................................................. 13 7. Developed and Undeveloped Acreage by Future Land Use for Unincorporated Orange County, 2006 . 17 8. Proposed Development within Horizon West Town Center ............................................................. 20 9. Location Quotients for Travel and Leisure Industries ..................................................................... 22 10. Industries that Benefit Indirectly from Tourism Activity in Orange County Photonics and Electro Optics 11. Location Quotients for Photonics and Electro Optics Groups ......................................................... 23 12. Number of Farms by Floriculture Crops Harvested in 2002 Interactive Technology ........................ 26 13. Location Quotients for Industries in Modeling & Simulation and Training ....................................... 27 14. Location Quotients for Multimedia Industries in Orange County Small Business ............................. 28 15. Location Quotients for Core Medical/Bio Medical Industries in Orange County ................................ 30

FIGURES PAGE

1. Population Distribution among Age Groups for 2005 and 2030 ......................................................... 6 2. Foreign Language Speakers and English Proficiency ........................................................................ 8 3. Number of Commuters by County of Residence, 2000 ..................................................................... 9 4. Quality of Job Structure for Florida’s MSAs, 1999 and 2004 ............................................................ 10 5. Hourly Wages for Ten Occupations Gaining the Most New Jobs in Orange County in 2006 ................ 11

2

Page 3: Orange County Economic Element

6. Active Railroad Lines in Orange County ........................................................................................ 14 7. Orange County Urban Service Area .............................................................................................. 15 8. Economic Redevelopment Districts in Unincorporated Orange County ............................................. 18 9. Travel to the Orlando MSA 2001-2005 .......................................................................................... 21 10. Nursery Activity in Northwest Orange County .............................................................................. 25 11. Year End Median Sales Prices for Single-Family Homes in Florida and Orlando MSA 2000-2007 ...........

3

Page 4: Orange County Economic Element

Introduction The Economic Element is considered an optional element under Rule 9-J5, Florida Administrative Code. However, more jurisdictions across the State are writing them to articulate their economic development policies. Orange County adopted one of the first Economic Elements in the State of Florida. This document contributed to the County’s economic diversification planning and detailed an integrated economic framework necessary for continued economic prosperity.

Writing economic development policies can be challenging because of the many organizations involved in the process. For example, Orange County outsources most of its economic development activities and provides funding to the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission (EDC). The EDC provides is the main local provider of business services including site location and scouting assistance, statistical data, permitting, workforce recruitment and training, export counsel, financial and entrepreneurial assistance. Other state and local economic development organizations include Enterprise Florida, the Disney Entrepreneur Center (also partially funded by Orange County), and the I-4 High Tech Corridor Council.

The purpose of the new Economic Element is to add a growth management/planning perspective to our economic development initiatives. As such, the document is divided into three main sections. The first part of the document discusses the three pillars of economic development: demographics and labor force, infrastructure, and government policy framework. This discussion is followed by an overview of some of the established and emerging industries in Orange County. The final part of the document lists some of the challenges that need to be addressed based on what was found in the previous two sections.

Socioeconomic Characteristics

Economic development efforts were based on attracting new corporations by spending money on new infrastructure and providing economic incentives to these industries. In the future tough, the economic vitality of a region would be driven by the skills and talent of the local workforce (Florida, 2002 and Friedman, 2005). To remain competitive in the global market, regions will need a skilled and diverse workforce.

Demographic Characteristics

Located in the heart of Central Florida, Orange County encompasses an area of over 1,000 square miles and 13 towns and cities. It is the most populous county in the region and the largest non-coastal county in the state. Between 1990 and 2000, Orange County added more than 200,000 residents (Table 1). The County’s growth rate for this period was higher than both the state and the region. According to estimates from the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR), Orange County’s population reached 1,079,524 in 2006. About sixty-five percent of the population resides within the unincorporated area.

Table 1: Population Change for Orange County, the Central Florida Region and, Florida 1990-2000 Jurisdiction 1990 2000 Absolute Change Percent Change

Orange County 677,491 896,344 218,853 24

Central Florida* 2,399,851 3,048,058 648,207 21

State of Florida 12,937,926 15,982,378 3,044,452 19

* The Central Florida Region includes Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, and Volusia counties. Source: U.S. Census Bureau

4

Page 5: Orange County Economic Element

The County’s population would continue to grow in the next thirty years. In 2003, the Planning Division prepared three series of population projections based on different assumptions about economic conditions. The three scenarios were developed by adjusting variables such as mortality, births, and migration. As depicted on Table 2, all growth scenarios project that Orange County will be adding more than 500,000 people within the next 30 years. For this Element, the moderate growth projection is assumed to be the most likely scenario.

Table 2: Population Projections Scenarios for Orange County, 2000-2030 Growth Scenario 2000 2030 Absolute Change Percent Change

Low 896,344 1,636,251 739,907 45

Moderate 896,344 1,797,582 901,238 50

High 896,344 1,974,022 1,077,678 55

Source: Orange County Planning Division, 2003

Besides number of residents, planners also use projections to determine the distribution of the future population. This helps to determine the need for new services and infrastructure. Figure 1 depicts the population distribution among 10 year cohorts for 2005 and 2030. In 2005, the County had no predominant cohort (American Community Survey, 2005). Adults (30 to 49) and children (0-10) comprised most of the population. Unlike in other Florida communities, retirees (people over the age of 60) do not comprise a significant part of Orange County’s population. Indeed, with a median age of 34.4 years, Orange County’s population is younger than the State’s.

Figure 1: Population Distribution among Age Groups for 2005 and 2030

0

4

8

12

16

20

2005 2030

0- 9 0-1920-2930-3940-4950-5960- 6970+

Sources: American Community Survey, 2005 Orange County Planning Division, 2003

The second column depicts the composition of the 2030 population. While the number of retirees would increase in the next thirty years, there will be enough young workers to substitute them. This bodes well for the County, as there will be enough workers to sustain a vibrant economy. Healthy migration rates would contribute to the increase in population. According to the Census, 212,989 people moved to Orange County between 1990 and 2000 (Table 5). Most of these new residents came from states within the Northeast and South regions of the United States.

5

Page 6: Orange County Economic Element

Table 3: Persons moving to Orange County Location Number of People

Same state 97,349

Different state 115,640

Northeast 45,161

Midwest 22,946

South 34,843

West 12,690

Puerto Rico 14,347

Other 36,036

U.S Census Bureau 2000

During that same period 36,036 persons moved to Orange County from outside the United States. Both the state and the Central Florida region have become big magnets for international migration. In 2005, the American Community Survey estimated that Orange County’s foreign born population was 184,026. As depicted in Table 6, the majority of these residents were born in Latin America. A majority of these residents were born in Caribbean and South American countries. Orange County also has a significant community of Vietnamese and Filipino residents.

Table 4: Top Ten Countries of Birth for Population Born Outside the United States Country of Origin Number of Residents

Mexico 23,805

Haiti 18,673

Jamaica 15,449

Cuba 10,126

Vietnam 9,806

Colombia 9,752

Guyana 5,760

Philippines 5,508

Venezuela 5,308

Brazil 5,190

Source: American Community Survey, 2005

International migrants often bring with them a set of skills and experiences Migration is often touted as a positive condition for economic development because it promotes entrepreneurship and innovation (Friedman, 2005). Moreover, diverse regions usually attract the most talented workers. The main skill brought by international migration is multilingualism. The importance of foreign languages would continue to increase as international trade booms. Not surprisingly, the top foreign languages spoken in Orange County are Spanish, French and Vietnamese (Figure 2).

6

Page 7: Orange County Economic Element

Figure 2: Foreign Language Speakers and English Proficiency

0

25000

50000

75000

100000

125000

150000

175000

Spanish French Creole Vietnamese

Language Spoken at Home

Speak English "Very Well" Speak English "Less than Very Well"

Source: American Community Survey, 2005

One of the main challenges faced by international migrants is learning English. Although not necessarily true on all occasions, a lack of knowledge of the language can be an impediment to success and integration to the host community. In Orange County, a large number of foreign language speakers speak English “less than very well” (Figure2). Forty-six percent of Spanish speakers do not have a good grasp of the English language. The number is not much better for French Creole (43 percent) and Vietnamese (65 percent) speakers. This sector of the population is less likely to be involved on civic affairs and fully benefit from the opportunities brought by new economic development initiatives.

Labor Force and Employment Market

Orange County’s high population growth rate is caused in part by the strength of the local job market. Indeed, Orange County can be considered the economic engine of the Central Florida region. In 2006, the County had 793,476 jobs (Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation). The number of positions is higher than the local labor force available, which was estimated at a little more than half million workers (American Community Survey, 2005). Besides migration, our workforce needs are supported by commuting workers from nearby counties. In 2000, more than 150,000 people commuted to jobs in Orange County (Figure 3). More than 70 percent of these people commuted from Osceola and Seminole Counties alone. Staff believes that the number of commuters has increased in the past five years because of the new residential developments in adjacent counties.

7

Page 8: Orange County Economic Element

Figure 3: Number of Commuters by County of Residence, 2000

6,122

20,009

80,875

34,085

11,823

11,011

0 20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000

Brevard

Lake

Osceola

Polk

Seminole

Volusia

Coun

ty o

f Orig

in

Number of Commuters

Source: US Census Bureau, 2000 The economic competitiveness of a region depends heavily on the number and type of industries located in the area. For years, Florida’s economy was strongly reliable on service jobs rather than manufacturing. Lately, the State has focused on attracting industries in high value sectors such as life sciences, information technology, aviation/aerospace, homeland security/defense and financial/professional services. To this effect, Enterprise Florida commissioned BEBR to analyze the quality of Florida’s job structure to measure the state’s economic competitiveness. The study found that most of Florida’s Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), including Orlando, had lower job quality structures than the national average (Figure 4). Moreover, between 1999 and 2004 the quality of the job structure in most MSAs declined 1.8 percent. The study attributed Florida’s low and declining job structure to the State’s high retiree population, high levels of tourism activity, and the lack of college educated workers (BEBR, 2005).

How do these three factors apply specifically to Orange County? As was explained in the previous section, retirees (people over 60) comprise less than 20 percent of Orange County’s population. Therefore, this is not a significant factor affecting the local job structure. Now, even tough Orange County’s economy is highly dependent on tourism, the leisure and hospitality sector accounts for only 19 percent of all jobs or 149, 079 positions (Florida Workforce Innovation, 2006). Professional and Business Services and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities are the next sectors with the highest number of jobs comprising 18 percent and 15 percent of all positions respectively. These numbers show that while tourism is still an important contributor to the local economy, the County has been able diversify its economy to include other industries.

8

Page 9: Orange County Economic Element

Figure 4: Quality of Job Structure for Florida’s MSAs, 1999 and 2004

Source: Bureau of Economic and Business Analysis, 2004

With two of the original factors discarded, the only available explanation for our low- value added job structure has to be the levels of education and skills of our workforce. Being home to several post graduate institutions, one would imagine that the local workforce would have high levels of education. Unfortunately, this is not really the case as can be seen on Table 5. While most of the Orange County’s workforce has at least a high school diploma, over 60 percent of the population lacks a post-secondary degree. The low skill level of the local workforce could present a problem for the recruitment of high technology industries.

Table 5: Educational Attainment for Population over 25

Education Level Total Percent of Total

Less than High School 91,406 14.2

H.S Diploma/GED 178,555 27.8

Some college, no degree 131,201 20.4

Associate's degree 64,975 10.1

Bachelor's degree 118,973 18.5

Graduate/Professional Degree 56,464 8.8

Source: American Community Survey, 2005

The low educational attainment of the workforce might be explained by the strength of the leisure and hospitality industry. The attractions and lodging fields have plentiful entry level positions that do not require high levels of education. The ability of the local economy to create a high number of entry-level jobs should be praised, and it might also explain why are region keeps attracting so many people. One downside though is that jobs in the service sector often pay low wages. Figure 5 depicts the 10 occupations gaining the most jobs in Orange County. About half of these positions pay most pay less than nine dollars and hour. This is a worrisome trend because an economy

9

Page 10: Orange County Economic Element

dominated by low wage jobs is not competitive and is more prone to suffer from economic downturns.

Figure 5: Hourly Wages for Ten Occupations Gaining the Most New Jobs in Orange County in 2006

$11.77

$8.52

$13.04

$8.95

$8.70

$8.21

$11.63

$10.71

$8.77

$24.69

0 5 10 15 20 25

Retail Salespersons

Waiters/Waitresses

Customer Service Reps.

Janitors/Cleaners

Food Preparation/Serving

Amusement Park Attendants

Office Clerks

Cooks

Registered Nurses

Maids and Housekeeping

Source: Florida Workforce Innovation, 2006

Orange County has been working hard to increase wages by diversifying the local economy. Orange County has been successful, and average household incomes have increased from 41,311 to 44,236 a year (Census Bureau 2000 and American Community Survey 2005). This has been done by attracting and facilitating expansion of industries in high wage fields, such as biomedical research, microelectronics, and defense. Some of the high technology companies that have located or expanded their operations in Orange County are: Ablation Industries, developer of semiconductor lasers; Digital Infrared Systems, developer of thermal infrared equipment; Electronics Arts, video game design company, and VaxDesign, a vaccine creator. A more comprehensive overview of these industries is provided on the second part of the Economic Element.

Infrastructure

Even though the new economy would be mainly driven by the talent and skills of the workforce, first class infrastructure is still important an important to attract new industries. Orange County’s infrastructure assets include a world-class airport, several postgraduate institutions, and a comprehensive road network. The County also has a public transportation system, access to rail and ports, and a good telecommunications infrastructure.

Transportation

Transportation infrastructure is very important for economic development purposes. A good roadway network, together with access to ports and airports, would facilitate trade and bring new businesses to the area. Businesses also benefit from a transportation system that lets them carry their workers efficiently and from and to work. Finally, mass transportation options, such as Central Florida’s commuter rail

10

Page 11: Orange County Economic Element

project, are a necessity. Being located in Central Florida, Orange County does not have direct access to major water routes. The closest ports are in the City of Tampa to the West and Brevard County to the east. Orange County’s transportation infrastructure includes roadways, mass transit and airports.

The efficiency of the local road network is of utmost importance for economic development purposes. There are three principal concepts regarding roadway systems: jurisdiction, classification and level of service. Roadway jurisdiction is used to describe the entity that owns, operates, and maintains the roadway. Generally, the roadways within Orange County are under the jurisdiction of the State, Orange County or one of the cities within the County.

Road classification describes the access level and design capacity, or amount of traffic the road can accommodate. The roadway classifications used by Orange County are described below in sequence according to their designed carrying capacity:

• Freeway/Expressway: Roadway with limited access points designed to move high volumes of traffic at high speeds and over long distances.

• Principal Arterial: A major roadway within a city whose purpose is to provide direct service between cities and towns. Generally, arterial roads are large, high capacity roads providing connectivity between collector roads and limited access freeway roads.

Collector (Major and Minor)-These roadways provide access and traffic circulation. Their main role is to distribute traffic from arterials to their final destination as well as collect traffic from local streets and channel it onto the arterial system. Major collectors serve more traffic while minor collectors provide more access points. .

According to the Transportation Element (2007??), the roads in Orange County are classified as follows: 16 percent expressways, 19 percent principal arterials, 21 percent minor arterials, and 44 percent collectors.

Finally, the level of service (LOS) of a road is determined by the total number of vehicles utilizing the roadway, with consideration given to the classification of the roadway. The letters A-F are used to represent LOS, with A representing the most favorable conditions and F representing the least favorable conditions.

Orange County’s high population growth rate has placed several constraints on the local transportation system. Travel times have been rapidly increasing in Orange County, making it not only one of the most congested metro areas in the nation, but also the third most expensive metro area for commuters (Invest in Orange County). This congestion causes financial burdens on industries that rely on freight transportation to deliver their goods and/or services. At the same time, soaring construction costs and land values, combined with slow growth in gas taxes, have limited the County’s ability to address all of the needed roadway improvements.

The County has been working aggressively to find ways alleviate road congestion. Road improvement is one of the main tasks outlined in the County’s 5 year Capital Improvements Plan. Another initiative, "Invest in Orange County - Our Children's Legacy," would allocate an additional $250 million for improvements to major county roads. This extra funding will help to meet the County’s transportation needs by accelerating 17 roadway projects over the next five years (Table 6).

11

Page 12: Orange County Economic Element

Table 6: Invest in Orange County Roadway Projects

Road Project Improved Segments

1- Boggy Creek Road Osceola County Line to SR 417

2-Clarcona-Ocoee Road Ocoee-Apopka Road to Clarke Road

3-County Road 535 Western Beltway to Ficquette Road

4-Dean Road University Boulevard to Seminole County

5-Econlockhatchee Trail Curry Ford Road to Lake Underhill Road

6-Edgewater Drive Pine Hills Road to Clarcona-Ocoee Road

7-East-West Road SR 436 to Dean Road

8-Holden Avenue John Young Parkway to Orange Blossom Trail

9-Lake Destiny Drive Lee Road to Kennedy Boulevard

10-Lake Underhill Road Dean Road to Rouse Road

11-Pine Hills Road Extension Beggs Road to Orange Blossom Trail

12-Rouse Road Lake Underhill Road to SR 50

13-Taft-Vineland Road Central Florida Parkway to John Young Parkway

14-Texas Avenue Oak Ridge Road to Holden Avenue

15-Valencia College Lane Goldenrod Road to Econlockhatchee Trail

16- Wetherbee Road Florida's Turnpike to Orange Avenue

17-Woodbury Road Lake Underhill Road to Challenger Parkway

Source: Chapter Invest in Orange County; Our Children’s Legacy 2006; Orange County Planning Division, 2007

Another way to ease traffic is by providing alternative modes of transportation. Public transportation is also an important asset to the community, because it provides mobility to those individuals that cannot afford a car. This is especially important in our region, because of the high number of service workers. The Surface Transportation Policy Partnership calculates that 19.1 percent of a household’s expenditures went to transportation costs (car payment and maintenance, insurance, and gas in 2003). Transportation is now the second highest expense for a household after housing.

Orange County’s public transportation system is called Lynx. It is a fixed-route bus service system that serves Orange, Seminole, Lake and Osceola Counties. The total weekday transit capacity for Orange County is 73,500 person trips per day. Several of Lynx’s routes serve major centers of employment, like Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, International Drive and Downtown Orlando. Another public transportation system that will be serving the Orange County area is commuter rail. The major advantage of commuter rail over a bus system is its higher capacity. When completed, the Central Florida Commuter Rail will cover 61 miles with service from Deland to Poinciana. Two stations will be located in unincorporated Orange County: Sand Lake Road and Meadow Woods.

Currently, Orange County has only 5 active rail lines, which tend to have some industrial land uses adjacent to them. Most of the tracks are owned by CSX Transportation Systems. Figure 6 shows the location of all active lines in Orange County. The Sanford Sub “A” Line Corridor is the most active rail line in Orange County and serves both Amtrak and CSX trains. It connects to Osceola County in the south, and exits to Seminole County in the north. Spur lines of this corridor (referred to as the Industrial Corridor) provides service to industrial areas of South Orange County.

Florida Central railroad leases two tracks lines from CSX to use for freight purposes. Line 1 line extends from the northwest corner of Orange County and ends in downtown Orlando. It generally follows US 441 (Orange Blossom Trail) from Lake County to Orlando, providing rail service to industrial areas along North Orange Blossom Trail.

12

Page 13: Orange County Economic Element

Line 2 runs from Winter Garden to Seminole County, crossing the Florida Central Line Corridor 1 at Overland Road. This line services scattered industrial areas in the Winter Garden area. The Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) uses its rail line to transport coal to the Stanton Energy Plant in east Orange County.

Figure 6: Active Railroad Lines in Orange County

Source: Orange County Planning Division 2007

range County also has direct access to air transportation. The Orlando International ,

st of

Executive Airport is located approximately 3 miles east of Orlando’s central

ss

re has discussed creating an airport in West Orange lish

nge

OAirport (known as MCO) is the primary airport facility serving the Central Florida regionand the third largest in the nation in land area (Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, 2005). MCO handled 34 million passengers in 2005, making it one of the busiest airports in the world. The airport is surrounded by aviation-related industries, mowhich are located in the Tradeport Industrial Park. The airport also has a Foreign TradeZone, which caters to businesses in the assembling, manufacturing, and repackaging industries.

The Orlandobusiness district. It is accessible to the County’s major north-south and east-west transportation corridors. This is a general aviation facility that serves mainly businetravelers and charter flights.

For several years, the LegislatuCounty. House Bill 1613 created the West Orange Airport Authority (WOAA) to estaban independent special district that would assist in the development of a reliever airport. This additional freight capacity provided by this new facility could help OraCounty to attract new industrial development. At the present time, there is no specific site for the development of the airport.

13

Page 14: Orange County Economic Element

Urban Service Area and Telecommunications

The extent and location of urban services, such as central water and sewer service, is determined by the Urban Service Area (USA). The USA boundary is based on the supply of usable land that is needed to accommodate the population and employment forecasted, as well as the County’s ability to provide urban services. Since 2002, there have been seven expansion of the USA. Figure 7 depicts Orange County’s Urban Service Area. The area outside the USA boundary is known as the Rural Service Area (RSA). Most of the properties within this area are agricultural and large lot residential. Since the RSA only allows well and septic tanks, high density development prohibited. In the past 15 years, Orange County’s USA has been expanded 17,651 acres to accommodate new growth (Future Land Use Element, 2007).

Figure 7: Orange County Urban Service Area

Source: Orange County Planning Division, 2006

The abundant supply of inexpensive telecommunications bandwidth has made telecommunications services available in most locations in the Orlando area. According to the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, 65 percent of the region’s residents use broad band connections. Corporations, campuses, and even municipalities are increasingly implementing Wi-Fi “hotspots” to provide wireless Internet access to their visitors and guests. These hotspots are available in major activity centers, including Downtown Orlando, the University of Central Florida area, International Drive, Orlando International Airport, and the attractions areas.

14

Page 15: Orange County Economic Element

Post Graduate Educational Institutions

While in the past and area’s economic development depended on the region’s natural resources, the economy now is built on the skills of its residents. The new “knowledge” economy requires a good education infrastructure. Probably, the most know case is the Research Triangle Area in North Carolina, which benefits from being home to several top research institutions such as Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Orange County is home to approximately 20 post secondary education institutions. Higher education is anchored by the University off Central Florida (UCF), which has over 46,000 students and is the sixth largest university in the United States. UCF offers 219 undergraduate and graduate programs in a variety of academic disciplines including anthropology, education, hospitality, and photonics. It also boasts more than $103 million in annual research dollars, many of which are matched with company dollars in joint research projects. The UCF College of Business Administration is one of the largest business schools in the nation and the university is home to one of the top Tech Incubators in the nation.

Valencia Community College is the third largest community college in the State of Florida, serves more than 28,000 students (Office of Institutional Research, 2007). It offers multiple Associate Degrees that helps students transfer to four year colleges, as well as degrees and certifications that allow students to enter the workforce quickly. Valencia has also built relationships with several corporate partners such as Florida Hospital, Lockheed Martin, NationsBank, Sea World, SmithKline/Beecham, and Universal Studios.

Other important post secondary educational institutions located in Orange County are Rollins College, the Florida A& M University School of Law, and the Barry University School of Law, the Polytechnic University of the Americas, and Ana G. Mendez University, and Full Sail.

Policy Framework

The third pillar of economic development is the policy framework. The Orange County’s 2010-2030 Comprehensive Plan (CP) provides a vision that guides the growth of the County. As noted previously, the USA is the primary determinant of the location of services as a growth management tool. The intent is to prevent urban sprawl by limiting and concentrating development within a concentrated area.

The CP’s Future Land Use Element unites the consideration of these different issues into a vision of the future built environment. A corresponding Future Land Use Map (FLU Map) implements this vision by defining the appropriate use of land, the property’s future land use designation. Future land use designations are general in nature and recognize both existing uses and potential future uses of land on a long-term basis.

Orange County currently contains 642,328.14 acres of land, of which 359,002.33 are unincorporated (EAR, 2006). Within this jurisdiction, there are 22 future land designations. Most of the parcels in unincorporated Orange County have Rural Agricultural and Low Density Residential future land use designations (Table 7). Non residential future land use designations (Commercial, Office, Institutional, and Industrial) comprise less than 20 percent of the total parcels in unincorporated Orange County.

15

Page 16: Orange County Economic Element

Table 7: Developed and Undeveloped Acreage by Future Land Use for Unincorporated Orange County, 2006

Future Land Use Density/Intensity Developed Acreage Undeveloped Acreage

Rural Agricultural 1DU/10 AC 42,821.01 111,842.99

Rural Settlement 1/5 1DU/5 AC 2,778.05 1,512.13

Rural Settlement 1/2 1DU/2 AC 1,361.72 584.75

Rural Settlement 1/1 1DU/1AC 8,699.99 3,923.85

Low-Medium Density Residential 4 DU/AC 11,387.24 3,966.67

Low Density Residential 10 DU/AC 60,288.05 8,034.23

Medium Density Residential 20 DU/AC 6,850.17 1,855.53

High Density Residential 50 DU/AC 294.82 189.53

Neighborhood Residential 20 DU/AC 0.4 FAR 73.92 9.02

Neighborhood Activity Corridor 25 DU/AC 1.0 FAR 38.64 6.15

Neighborhood Center 40 DU/AC 2.0 FAR 34.86 5.00

Office 3.0 FAR 1,143.12 516.6

Commercial 3.0 FAR 7,565.29 1,748.31

Industrial 0.5 FAR 11,061.26 1,748.31

Institutional 2.0 FAR 19,650.01 175.14

Activity Center Mixed-Use/Residential Depends on Use 4,299.95 3,029.49

Village Depends on Use 9,466.40 11,871.24

Community Village Center Depends on Use 145.06 88.23

Traditional Neighborhood Dev. Depends on Use 853.95 749.14

PD Depends on Use 6,576.07 6,254.50

TOTAL 195,389.58 158,110.81

Source: Orange County Evaluation and Appraisal Report, 2006

While future land use outlines the general use of a parcel, the property’s zoning designation provides more specificity about allowable uses and development standards, such as minimum lot sizes, setbacks, and parking requirements. Development and economic activity also are enhanced by overlay districts that address design standards, crime prevention, and restricted uses that are considered adverse to neighborhoods. Currently, there are approximately thirty-six overlays and special districts in unincorporated Orange County.

The purpose of some of these special districts is to revitalize, protect or create new economic activity by providing special incentives to businesses that locate in the area. There are two types of districts that fit this description: Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) and Enterprise Zone (EZ) program. Figure 8 shows some of the special districts within unincorporated Orange County.

16

Page 17: Orange County Economic Element

Figure 8: Economic Redevelopment Districts in Unincorporated Orange County

Source: Orange County Planning Division 2007

The CRA program was created by the Florida Legislature in 1969, with the intent to help communities revitalize downtowns, fight blight, and help the redevelopment processes. The CRA district is funded through Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and revenue bonds. Under the TIF program, tax increments paid on properties within the designated CRA district are used to fund redevelopment projects within the CRA. Unincorporated Orange County is home to two CRAS: International Drive and Orange Blossom Trail.

The Enterprise Zone Program was created by the Florida Legislature in 1994 to attract new businesses to distressed communities. The program offers a variety of state tax rebates and refunds that help businesses that invest in the area. There are two Enterprise Zones in Orange County: the Orange County EZ and the South Apopka EZ. Some of the communities within unincorporated Orange County that benefit from this program are Orlo Vista, Pine Hills, South Apopka, and Washington Shores.

Another redevelopment program is the State of Florida Brownfields Program, which provides financial and regulatory incentives to encourage voluntary clean up and redevelopment of sites. At the moment, the only approved Brownfield site in Unincorporated Orange County is located in the Holden Heights community.

Regional Activity Centers

Economic activity tends to concentrate in specific areas of the County. These employment centers areas also have high concentrations of business and residential development. These areas are often referred as regional activity centers and they share the following characteristics. First of all, these centers are located within the urban service boundary, often associated with similar intensity of activity within a local jurisdiction. They attract a high number of trips (tourist, student, and commuter) and have a high level of accessibility from several modes of travel. Finally, they have a high

17

Page 18: Orange County Economic Element

concentration of commercial uses and have some mix of daytime and nighttime uses. There are six major regional activity centers within Orange County:

International Drive/Downtown Orange County: This corridor is where tourist and hospitality-related development is concentrated and has been developing for the last thirty years. It was officially adopted as part of Orange County’s Comprehensive Plan in 1991. The Orange County Convention Center is the economic anchor of this area, which has also been shaped by its proximity to major parks like Walt Disney World, Sea World, and Universal Studios. Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando alone employ about 67,000 people in different capacities (Enterprise Florida, 2006).

Most of the uses in the corridor are tourist support activities and services, some of which need redevelopment. In 1998 the County established the International Drive Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) to support the redevelopment of old parts of the corridor. Several of the old attractions, like Skull Kingdom on the North part of the Corridor, are being demolished and replaced by mixed use buildings and condominiums. The land uses within this area include office buildings, industrial, housing and major tourist attractions. The North part of this corridor is inside the City of Orlando and is expected to go through redevelopment within the next few years, as the City commences a major redevelopment planning effort later this year for the International Drive corridor.

Central Florida Research Park/UCF/Alafava Corridor: Central Florida Research Park is home to 106 major businesses and 9,500 employees. Some of the companies stationed here include the Harris Corporation, Westinghouse, the U.S. Navy’s Training Systems Center, Martin Marietta, and Siemens. Central Florida Research Park is the center of the simulation industry in Orange County. Several of these companies and training centers are located here including the U.S Army’s Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEOSTRI). The area includes the University of Central Florida (UCF), the sixth largest university in the United States. With a student enrollment reaching almost 46,000, UCF offers valuable educational resources to support the corridor’s high tech activities.

Orlando International Airport: The Orlando International Airport Activity Center encompasses major commercial, industrial, and office development. OIA has several industrial parks and a Free Trade Zone that facilitate the use of the airport as a hub for freight distribution services. The main industrial park is Orlando Tradeport, a 1,400 acre fully integrated cargo center that has over 500,000 sq ft of cargo warehouse space, with aircraft parking available for up to 27 all-cargo aircraft.

Downtown Orlando: Downtown Orlando is the employment and cultural center of Central Florida. It has the largest concentration of government offices and office buildings.

The area is also home to several entertainment venues, such as the Amway Arena, the Citrus Bowl, and the Carr Performing Arts Center.

Maitland Center: The Maitland Center is strategically located adjacent to Interstate 4, between Orange and Seminole Counties. The Center was established in 1982 and comprises 190 acres of land. This is the dominant suburban office market in the region with over 45 office buildings in the Maitland Center Area. The entire area has approximately 400 businesses and 12,000 people working in the area. A wide range of Fortune 500 companies are located in the Center including Aetna and Delta Airlines.

Horizon West: Horizon West is a 23,000 acre planning area located in southwest Orange County. It represents the evolution of rural lands no longer suitable for agricultural use into self-contained urban environments. Its concept ensures that the new villages will contribute to the overall community and regional fabric. The Horizon

18

Page 19: Orange County Economic Element

West Town Center will include a mix of housing, office, hotel, light industrial, and civic uses and would serve as a regional anchor. The preliminary estimates for proposed development of the Horizon West Town Center at build-out are as follows:

Table 8: Proposed Development within Horizon West Town Center District Open Space D/U Office (SF) Retail (SF) Industrial (SF) Hotel

(Rooms)

Urban Residential 59 1,325

Campus Mixed Use 165 2,460 5,013,594 300,000 700

Neighborhood Center 4 13,000 127,430

Retail/Wholesale 39 20,000 1,312,267 34,000

Traditional Town Center 20 1,085 632,087 650,000 50,000 250

Golf Course NA 250

Density Bonus NA 1,540 NA NA

Total 287 6,410 5,678,681 2,089,697 384,000 1,200

Source: Miller, Sellen, Conner & Walsh, Town Center Specific Area Plan Transmittal Version, 2004

Innovation Way: The vision behind Innovation Way is the creation of a high tech corridor in east Orange County connecting the University of Central Florida to the Orlando International Airport. This “high tech/high value” corridor will stimulate the development of high technology parks and clean industries that provide a balanced range of employment opportunities and incomes, as well as promote greater economic diversity for the County and region. The concept of a high technology (high tech) corridor has already begun to take shape.

Orlando Central Park: This is an older industrial park in the vicinity of Orange Blossom Trail and Sand Lake Road. It is a mixed use campus style industrial park. Some of the uses found in this park include office, light industrial, assembly, distribution, and tourist/commercial services.

Regional Industry Specialization

The purpose of this part of the Element is to provide a profile of the local economic structure. This overview analyzes the strengths of Orange County’s economy by identifying the concentration of jobs in particular industries. Concentration is often measured with location quotients, a ratio that compares the local economy to a reference economy. A high location quotient suggests that the industry meets local demand and might export some of their surplus activity. These “export oriented” industries generate the income needed to sustain the “local serving’ industries such as grocery stores, restaurants, and other commercial and professional services. Location quotients are widely used because they are easy to calculate and understand. However, they are not designed to value the merit of one industry over another.

This analysis used the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ location quotient calculator, which is available at http://data.bls.gov. All calculations use 2005 employment figures, which were the most readily available. Since we wanted to explore our area’s competitive advantages, the reference economy used was the United States.

The level of detail used to analyze the local economy is also an important point of consideration. All industries are classified using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) coding system, which is based on the primary product or service produced by the business. The NAICS classification scheme also provides for

19

Page 20: Orange County Economic Element

different levels of detail for the data. The more digits included in the NAICS code, the finer the level of detail. High levels of detail are necessary when studying high technology industries. Therefore, this Element uses data at a four-digit level and six-digit levels of detail.

Not surprisingly, leisure and tourism industries had the highest location quotients overall. This was followed by commercial and industrial machinery, nursery production, and data processing sectors. Each of these sectors is described with more detail in the continuing section.

Leisure and Hospitality

Orange County is one of the most visited destinations in the world because of its world class attractions. According to the Orlando/Orange County Visitor’s Bureau (CVB) 49.3 million people visited Metro Orlando in 2005.This represents about 57 percent of all the visitors reported by the State of Florida during that year. The number of visitors to the area has increased steadily through the last five years. Figure 9 depicts the number of domestic and overseas visitors to the Metro Orlando area. Domestic travelers comprise about 95 percent of all visitors. While the number of domestic visitors has continued to increase steadily, the number of international visitors has basically remained flat at about 2.5 million.

Figure 9: Travel to the Orlando MSA 2001-2005

0

10,000,000

20,000,000

30,000,000

40,000,000

50,000,000

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Year

Num

ber

of V

isito

rs

Domestic International

Source: Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau

Orange County’s status as a premiere tourist destination is mainly based on popularity of the area’s theme parks. Amusement Business Magazine estimates that seven of the ten most visited theme parks in the United States are located in Orange County (2005). This group includes the Walt Disney parks (Walt Disney World, Epcot, MGM Studios, and Animal Kingdom) with 42.9 million visitors, Universal/Islands of Adventure with 11.8 million visitors, and Sea World with 5 million visitors (2005). The parks have worked hard to keep tourist experience fresh by opening new attractions. Several of the theme parks recently added new rides including: “Expedition Everest” in Animal Kingdom and the “High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride” at Islands of Adventure. The parks have also new productions and shows, including “Believe” in Sea World”, “Finding Nemo” at Animal Kingdom, “Universal 360: A Cinesphere Spectacular” and the

20

Page 21: Orange County Economic Element

“Blue Man Group” at Universal Studios. Moreover, Universal expects to open a new “Simpsons” ride in 2008 and the “Wizarding World of Harry Potter” area in 2009.

Two other important parts of the visitor infrastructure are Orlando International Airport (OIA) and the Orange County Convention Center. OIA is one of the biggest and busiest airports in the United States. It serves 50 airlines that offer non-stop scheduled flights to 86 national and 14 international destinations (OIA, 2007). The Convention Center opened its doors in 1983. Today it ranks second nationally in terms of private exhibit space with 2,053,820 square feet. It also has 492,000 square feet of meeting space consisting of 74 meeting rooms and 254 breakout rooms (CVB, 2006). The number of convention travelers and events has increased steadily throughout the years. In 2005, the Center held 290 major events that brought a more than 1.3 million attendees (CVB, 2006).

The economic impact of these visitors to Orange County’s economy is significant. The leisure and hospitality industry employed about 150,000 people and paid more than $8.2 billion in wages (Florida Workforce Innovation and CVB, 2006). Indeed, Orange County’s economy shows a high degree of specialization in Leisure and Hospitality industries. Amusement Parks and Arcades (NAICS 7131) and Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services (NAICS 5615) had the highest location quotients in Orange County (Table 11). The Amusement Parks and Arcades includes all establishments that are primarily engaged in operating a variety of attractions, such as mechanical rides, water rides, games, shows, theme exhibits, refreshment stands, and picnic grounds. The high location quotient in this sector is not surprising, since Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resorts are ranked among the top ten employers in the Central Florida Region (Orland Business Journal, 2006). Workers in the Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services (NAICS 5615) are employed in travel agencies and tour operation establishments.

Table 9: Location Quotients for Travel and Leisure Industries NAICS Category Employment Location Quotient

7131 Amusement parks and arcades 47,994 57.98

7211 Traveler accommodation 39,979 4.23

5615 Travel arrangement & reservation services 7,960 6.58

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Location Quotient Calculator, 2007 Numbers are based on 2005 employment numbers provided by BLS

The Traveler Accommodation (NAICS 7211) industry includes all establishments that provide lodging for travelers, vacationers, and temporary residents including hotels, motels, and timeshare properties. Within Unincorporated Orange County alone there are 185 properties with 53,122 units (Planning Division, 2007). Most of these properties are located on South West Orange County, very close to the International Drive area and the Orange County Convention Center. While the hotel/motel occupancy rates have stayed within 70 percent during the last years, the growth rate of time share properties has been robust. Wyndham Vacation Ownership recently announced that they will add 200 employees to their headquarters in Orlando because of high demand (Boyd, 2007).

According to the CVB, tourism generated an economic impact of $29.6 billion for the regional economy. Besides room and transportation, the average visitor spends money on food, entertainment, and shopping. These expenditures help to support and additional 156,000 indirect and induced jobs in ancillary industries and services (CBV). Table 12 shows industries with high location quotients that might be benefiting indirectly from the tourism industry. A variety of industries in such diverse sectors as transportation, financial, administrative, wholesale, and performing arts might be

21

Page 22: Orange County Economic Element

benefiting indirectly from tourism. Another way in which Orange County benefits from tourism is through the collection of the tourism development tax. All visitors that stay within a temporary accommodation property pay a 6 percent tax. In 2005, Orange County collected $122.1 million in tourist development taxes, a six percent increase from the previous year.

Table 10: Industries that Benefit Indirectly from Tourism Activity in Orange County Economic Sector NAICS Category Employment Location Quotient

Transportation 4855 Charter Bus Industry 897 5.22

Financial 5321 Automotive equipment rental & leasing 2,495 2.77

Administrative 5619 Other Support Services 3,142 2.00

Transportation 4812 Non scheduled air transportation 378 1.58

Wholesale 4232 Furniture/ furnishings merchant wholesale 943 1.56

Wholesale 4248 Alcoholic beverage merchant wholesalers 1,075 1.38

Performing Arts 7115 Independent artists, writers, and performers 394 1.67

Performing Arts 7111 Performing arts companies 892 1.46

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Location Quotient Calculator, 2007 Numbers are based on 2005 employment numbers provided by BLS

The future of tourism in Orange County is very bright. Occupancy rates remain good and new hotels and attractions will be opening in the near future. The International Drive area is also experiencing more investment. Old attractions like the Skull Kingdom and the Mercado have closed giving way to new infill projects. Furthermore, the City of Orlando also has plans to redevelop the north part of the International Drive corridor, which also includes parts of Kirkman Road, Universal Boulevard, and Grand National Drive (Boyd, 2007). These improvements would give a much needed facelift to the area.

Photonics and Electro Optics

While Leisure and Hospitality is Orange County’s dominant economic sector, the role of high technology industries in the local economy has continued to grow. The University of Central Florida (UCF) has one of the premiere programs in the field of Photonics and Electro Optics. Everyday, UCF scientists find new ways to harness the power of light and other forms of radiant energy and apply this technology to such diverse fields as telecommunications and national defense.

Currently, the College of Optics & Photonics has 26 faculty members, 61 research scientists. The College also has is home to two research centers: the Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers (CREOL) and the Florida Photonics Center of Excellence (FPCE). Both centers are now working on several applications including nanophotonics, biophotonics, 3-D imaging, and ultra-high bandwidth communications.

The Location Quotient Analysis confirms the importance of the Photonics and Electro Optics sector for our economy (Table 16). The Commercial and Service Industry Machinery sector (NAICS 33331) has the third highest location quotient for Orange County (5.33). Establishments within this sector are primarily engaged in the manufacturing of optical instruments and machinery. The Physical, Engineering and Biological Research (NAICS 541710) sector is comprised of establishments that conduct research and experimental development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences.

22

Page 23: Orange County Economic Element

Table 11: Location Quotients for Photonics and Electro Optics Groups NAICS Category Total Employment Location Quotient

33331 Commercial and Service Industry Machinery 3,170 5.33

541710 Physical, Engineering & Biological Research 3,326 1.22

541380 Testing Laboratories 627 .82

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Location Quotient Calculator, 2005

Finally, Testing Laboratories (NAICS 541380) comprises establishments primarily engaged in performing physical, chemical, and other analytical testing services, such as acoustics or vibration testing, assaying, biological testing (except medical and veterinary), calibration testing, electrical and electronic testing, geotechnical testing, mechanical testing, nondestructive testing, or thermal testing.

Both CREOL and FPCE have successful at creating new technologies and spin out industries. According to the Photonics and Electro Optics website, CREOL researchers have filed a total of 40 patents, of which 14 have been issued (2007). Several upstart companies have developed out of the new discoveries including FemtOptics, Optigrate, CoSci Technologies, Light Processing Technologies, and Raydiance. All these companies have benefited from UCF’s Technology Incubator, an office that helps startup technology companies to commercialize their discoveries. Raydiance is the most mature of these startups and in a very short time has developed into a 38 employee company. To date, it has received over $15 million in funding, including $10M in venture capital in the third quarter of 2004, which was the largest investment in North America that quarter (FPCE, 2007).

Nursery and Foliage

Orange County was originally named for the abundance of orange groves in the area, but the impact of agriculture in the local economy has been dwindling. Several factors affected the viability of agriculture viability in Orange County, including freezing weather conditions in Central Florida, economic restructuring due to trade liberalization, a high population growth rate, and escalating land values. Against all odds though, the nursery and greenhouse foliage industry remains a vibrant activity in the unincorporated areas of Zellwood and South Apopka. A recent UF study ranked Orange County among the top five producers in the State of Florida, with $374 million in nursery sales (Jackson, 2006). According to the Property Appraiser’s DOR Code, there were 111 parcels in Unincorporated Orange County dedicated to nursery activity. The highest concentration of parcels is within the intersection of Round Lake and Plymouth Sorrento Roads (Figure 10).

23

Page 24: Orange County Economic Element

Figure 10: Nursery Activity in Northwest Orange County

Source: Orange County GIS, 2007

The greenhouse, nursery, and floriculture production industry category includes establishments primarily engaged in growing nursery stock and flowers or crops of any kind under cover, which is generally defined as greenhouses, cold frames, cloth houses, and lath houses (USDA Agricultural Census 2002). This industry has several advantages over other agricultural commodities. First of all, this type of agriculture does not require large tracts of land to be successful. Most of Orange County’s nursery businesses have less than ten acres (Orange County GIS, 2007). Another advantage is that the plants are harvested in green houses that provide a climate controlled environment that protects the plants from freezing temperatures. Unlike the citrus industry, nursery plants do not require years to produce. Finally, nursery plants retain a higher sale value and do not face stiff competition from foreign markets.

Table 14 below shows the number of farms by specific floriculture products. The majority the nursery farms in Orange County are dedicated to the production of foliage plants. The local companies are also big producers of potted flowering plants and bedding and garden plants.

At 3.03, Greenhouse and Nursery Production (NAICS 1144) had the third highest location quotient among non tourism related industries in Orange County. Such a high location quotient implies that there is a lot of export activity in this industry. Several of the local nurseries ship their products all across the United States, Canada, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Another sector that benefits from the nursery activity is the Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 3253), which comprises

24

Page 25: Orange County Economic Element

establishments manufacturing nitrogenous or phosphoric fertilizer materials. The location quotient for NAICS 3253 is 1.48.

The nursery and foliage industry has been an active part of Northwest Orange County’s economy since the 1910s. This makes it one of the most mature economic sectors in Orange County. The level of development some of this industry has led to the development of several agricultural technology enterprises. The South Apopka area is home to one of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Research and Education Centers. The local office specializes in vegetable, fruit, and environmental horticulture and its facility has over 40,000 square feet of space devoted to conducting experiments on foliage growth and production (IFAS, 2007).

Table 12: Number of Farms by Floriculture Crops Harvested in 2002 Agricultural Item 2002 Farms

Bedding/Garden Plants 21

Cut Flowers and Cut Florist Greens 4

Foliage Plants 201

Potted Flowering Plants 31

Aquatic Plants 5

Bulbs, Corms, Rhizomes, And Tubers - Dry 8

Source: USDA Census of Agriculture 2002 Other local nursery businesses also work on research and development activities. Deerose Plants, a Belgian company, conducts tests to acclimatize plants that they want to introduce to the American market. The company has three subsidiaries in the area. Another agri-technology company located in north west Orange County is Agri Starts. This is a biotechnology company that produces tissue culture liners (plant clones) to sell at the wholesale level. The research activity performed by these companies contributes to the high location quotient of the Physical, Engineering and Biological Research (NAICS 541710) sector in Orange County.

The presence of these technology companies in the area shows the level of development of the local greenhouse and nursery industry. Furthermore, this agri-technology corridor extends to Lake County, which also has a strong greenhouse and nursery industry.

Interactive Technology

When talking about interactive technology industries in Orange County, we are referring to Modeling Simulation and Training (MS&T) and Digital Media. While the technologies developed by these industries often have different applications (defense for MST and entertainment for Digital Media), they share several common characteristics. MST and Digital Media are technology-intensive industry sectors that rely on state-of-the-art information and interaction technologies. Furthermore, both can be considered frontier industries with its companies performing tasks and creating technologies that defy traditional industry codes. There are no specific NAICS codes for MS&T and Digital Medial companies because they use very cutting edge technologies that can be applied across different disciplines.

The most comprehensive analysis of the impact of the MS&T companies in Florida was prepared by Innovation Insight (an economic research consulting firm), with support from the UCF High Tech Economics Center and the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council in 2003. The study estimated that MS&T impact in Metro Orlando included over 16,848 direct and indirect jobs, and over $2.5 billion in Gross Regional Product and over $1.3 billion dollar in direct and indirect sales. The ECFRPC study

25

Page 26: Orange County Economic Element

estimated that Orange County had 84 MS&T Companies that employed 5,389 people in 2003.

The ECFRPC found that 77 percent of the MS&T companies roughly correspond to the Engineering Services (NAICS 54) category. The study did mention that other subcategories that focus on Manufacturing (NAICS 31) and Wholesale Trade (NAICS 42) may also be appropriate. Our analysis shows high location quotients and employment figures for Engineering Services (NAICS 541333) and Computer Software and Merchant Wholesalers (NAICS 42343).

Table 13: Location Quotients for Industries in Modeling & Simulation and Training NAICS Category Employment Location Quotient

541333 Engineering Services 7,004 1.57

42343Computer Software and Merchant Wholesalers 1,126 0.87

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Location Quotient Calculator, 2005 The location of national MS&T organizations in Orange County’s further consolidates our status as a leader in the MS&T field. Central Florida Research Park in Unincorporated Orange County is home to the National Center for Simulation (NCS) Florida and the Institute for Simulation and Training (IST). Founded in 1993, NCS is a partnership between several branches of the military and the University of Central Florida. Since its inception the center’s mission has been to research, develop, evaluate, acquire, and support technology and techniques necessary to ensure military readiness and optimum war fighter performance (HK Base Assessment. IST is also located in Central Florida Research Park. This institute is academic unit of the UCF that provides an array of research and information services for the modeling, simulation and training community.

The increase of federal funds for homeland security and defense purposes has contributed to the relocation and expansion of MS&T companies in Orange County. Forterra Systems, which does both government and commercial simulation and training work, opened its national security division on Quadrangle Boulevard to focus on military, intelligence and homeland security contracts. (Orlando Business Journal - March 16, 2007). Other companies are opening or expanding their local operations including Carley, a military training contractor and Virtual Reality Medical Center, a virtual medicine company (Burnett, 2007). Local MS&T companies have also worked with some of the area’s theme park design firms on dozens of projects including the USS Trayer simulation project in Chicago (Burnett, 2007).

Digital Media is the integrated process of creating, packaging and delivering interactive and experiential content for entertaining, teaching, informing and marketing to the consumer and business user, across multiple digitally-enabled platforms using advanced technologies and applications (PWC, 2002). As previously discussed in this section, there is no specific NAICS code for Digital Media. Table 15 depicts the location quotients and employment figures for several industries that could be associated with the creation of multimedia applications.

Software Publishers (NAICS 511210) carry out operations necessary for producing and distributing computer software, designing, providing documentation, assisting in installation, and providing support services to software purchasers. The Electronic Arts Tiburon game development studio is located at the Maitland Office Center. Electronic Arts is the biggest independent video game producer and the local unit is responsible for developing the Madden Football franchise. Another rapidly growing independent game developer is n-Space, Inc., a major software developer for Nintendo’s Wii game system (Metro Orlando EDC, 2007).

26

Page 27: Orange County Economic Element

Table 14: Location Quotients for Multimedia Industries in Orange County NAICS Category Employment Location

Quotient

511210 Software Publishers 1,086 0.85

51222 Integrated Record Production and Distribution 76 3.17

51512 Television Broadcasting 1,106 1.59

51821 Data Processing and Related Services 2,999 2.04

541513 Computer Facilities and Management Svcs. 1,170 3.89

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Location Quotient Calculator, 2005

Integrated Record Production and Distribution (NAICS 51222) is comprised of firms primarily engaged in releasing, promoting, and distributing sound recordings. They also produce master recordings themselves, or obtain reproduction and distribution rights to master recordings produced by record production companies or other integrated record companies. Establishments within the Television Broadcasting (NAICS 51512) industry operate television broadcasting studios and facilities and produce or transmit visual programming to the public. Orange County also had a high location quotient and employment levels in the Data Processing and Related Services (NAICS 51821). Establishments within this industry provide infrastructure for hosting activities including web hosting, streaming services or application hosting, provide application service provisioning, or may provide general time-share mainframe facilities to clients. Data processing firms also provide complete processing and specialized reports from data supplied by clients or provide automated data processing and data entry services.

Finally, the Computer Facilities and Management Services sector (NAICS 541513) specializes in providing computer systems or data processing facilities support services are included in this industry.

Small Business

According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), small firms account for half of the U.S. non-farm private gross domestic product and are responsible for 60 to 80 percent of the net new jobs (Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century Conference Proceedings March 26, 2004). According to the U.S Census Bureau, between 2004 and 2005, the United States added 112,000 new business establishments that created 1.24 million new jobs (County Business Patterns, 2007).

Small businesses also play a very important role in Orange County’s economy. Professional and Business Services firms are responsible for 144,029 jobs in 2006 (Florida Workforce Innovation, 2007). This is 18 percent of all the jobs available in the County and only the Leisure and Hospitality Sector has more jobs. Moreover, Orange County was also one of the counties with the most new business locations in the United States. According to the Census Bureau, Orange County showed a 5.9 increase in the number of business (County Business Patterns, 2007). Moreover, Bizjournals recently ranked Orlando as the most conducive place to start and develop a small business. Orlando’s ratio of 2,821 small businesses per 100,000 residents is 16 percent better than the 75 other markets studied (Thomas, 2007).

The high growth of small firms in Orange County can be partially attributed to the County’s business assistance programs and organizations. The UCF Technology Incubator (a partnership between UCF, Orange County, the City of Orlando, and the Florida High Tech Corridor) helps emerging technology startups mature and become financially successful firms. Launched in October of 1999, the incubator provides rent space to emerging technology companies as well as mentoring and advice in all parts of

27

Page 28: Orange County Economic Element

business development. The Technology Incubator has two offices in Central Florida Research Park and satellite operations in Downtown Orlando and Seminole County. Over 40 businesses currently benefit from the Incubator’s programs.

The second organization that promotes business development in Orange County is the Disney Entrepreneur Center in downtown Orlando. This is a public-private partnership dedicated to the development, growth and success of small businesses in Central Florida. It provides a one-stop shop that provides small business with counseling, training, financial assistance, and a computer lab with software and databases helpful to business owners. The Center has a list of business counselors that can help entrepreneurs with writing a business plan, marketing and identify financing options.

Finally, as an additional resource to entrepreneurs, Orange County created the Networked Community of Central Florida CD-ROM. This multimedia tool provides information to entrepreneurs about the Central Florida region.

Life and Medical Sciences

The life sciences industry has become a focus of economic development efforts across the United States. California, Massachusetts, and North Carolina made life sciences a core economic development priority decades ago, which has let them to become national leaders in life sciences infrastructure. The State of Florida now intends to become a strong competitor in the life sciences industry by aggressively attracting biomedical companies through incentives and rebates. Florida has attracted three expansions of recognized research institutes: Scripps Institute, which will locate in Jupiter; Torrey Pines in Port St Lucie; and the Burnham Institute of Medical Research (Burham Institute), which will locate in the Orlando’s Lake Nona area.

The arrival of the Burnhan Institute to Orange County has been touted as the most significant economic development event since the coming of Disney in the 1970s. The comparisons are not so far from the truth. Burnham ranks fifth among all nonprofit research institutes in the nation based on funding from the National Institutes of Health. Its research has contributed directly to at least 5 cancer therapies and several diagnostic tests (Burnham, 2007). Burnham plans to create 300 research jobs in the new 175,000-square foot facility, which would help to improve its capabilities in chemistry, pharmacology, and functional genomics (Texture Vol 1. Issue 4) . Other developments that are expected to consolidate the medical research include the establishment of a new medical campus of the University of Central Florida, a new Veteran’s Administration hospital, a new branch of the Nemours Pediatric Hospital, and the Burnett College of Medical Sciences. All these new developments would be clustered into a “medical village” in the area that is to become Innovation Way.

Biomedical research might be the way of the future for Orange County, but its impact now is limited. According to the Florida High Tech Corridor Alliance, only 3.7 percent Florida’s of biotech industries are located in Orange County (2002). Table 17 shows Orange County’s location quotients for the significant Core Medicall/BioMedical industries as defined by the Florida High Tech Corridor:

28

Page 29: Orange County Economic Element

Table 15: Location Quotients for Core Medical/Bio Medical Industries in Orange County NAICS Category Employment Location Quotient

334510 Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing

339 1.12

423450 Medical equipment merchant wholesalers 729 0.78

541710 Physical, Engineering & Biological Research 3,326 1.22

621511 Medical Laboratories 705 .96

621512 Diagnostic Imaging Centers 529 1.66

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Location Quotient Calculator, 2005 Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (NAICS 334510) establishments produce magnetic resonance imaging equipment, medical ultrasound equipment, pacemakers, hearing aids, electrocardiographs, and endoscopic equipment. Medical equipment merchant wholesalers (NAICS 423450) distribute professional medical equipment, instruments, and supplies. Medical Laboratories (621511) and Diagnostic Imaging Centers (NAICS 621512) primarily engage in providing analytic or diagnostic services the medical profession.

The prospect of biomedical research in our region is promising. However, it would take years before Orange County could take full benefit from the biomedical research sector. For a jurisdiction to be successful at developing life science firms, it must possess the following: strong local universities and research institutions, good research and development infrastructure, and access to venture capital. A world class post graduate educational system is very important because the area needs to attract research funding and key scientists. UCF recently established the Burnett College of Biomedical Sciences and plans to build a 103,000 square foot facility. The new center will focus on research in cancer and cardiovascular, infectious and neurodegenerative disease. If the experience with CREOL is illustrative, Orange County could have a good opportunity to commercialize the new discoveries and create new start ups in these industries. Moreover, biological discoveries can take years to unfold. Access to venture capital is a critical to fund most of the new companies.

Issues

Unincorporated Orange County’s economy is very solid because of its capacity to create new jobs and attract talent. To keep this rate of growth, Orange County will continue to work to diversify the local economy to make it more resilient to economic downturns and to enhance infrastructure. Continued focus on the issues described below by Orange County and its many economic development partners also will be needed to enhance Orange County economy.

Workforce Education

When Walt Disney announced that their next park operation would be built in Orange County in the 1970s, the community knew that change was coming. However, likely no one could predict the impact Disney would have in the area. Today, it is almost 150,000 direct jobs significant industry expansion, and billions of dollars in real estate, as Disney transformed Orange County’s image from an agricultural to service economy. Forty years later, the announcement of the expansion of the Burnham Institute to our area is seen as a similar economic milestone.

The idea behind attracting a highly recognized medical research institute, a new medical school and two new hospital facilities is to create new biomedical cluster that would create spin off companies. There are two main challenges to this endeavor that were discussed in previous parts of this Element. First, other regions in the country like

29

Page 30: Orange County Economic Element

the Boston area, New Jersey, and Raleigh-Durham have been focused on the biomedical industry for decades. Building a strong biotech industry in our area would take a similar level of investment to compete with these other research centers for new industries and talent.

The knowledge economy is built around the skills of the labor force. Educational attainment is usually the main determinant of the labor market pool and the development of specific industries. It is thought that only 20 percent of the current workforce has the technology skills needed for the jobs of the future. The new workforce will need to adapt to the rapid changes in technology and “learn to learn” (Friedman, 2005). The important link between industry needs and workforce skills is often missed on economic development discussions. Currently our workforce does not have the skills to fill most of the new positions that the biotech sector is expected to create. Most of the new jobs are research positions that require high levels of education. Most of the workers would need to have a Master’s or, in many cases, a Doctorate degree. As discussed previously in this Element, the educational attainment of our labor force is low. Only 8.8 percent of our population had achieved a graduate/professional degree in 2005 (American Community Survey, 2005). More than half of our workforce has not earned even an Associate’s degree. The small educational attainment of our workforce could be due to the fact that our leading employers do not have high education requirements at the entry level. An employee with a high school diploma can get a job in a hotel and could, with on—the-job training, continue to advance in his or her career, which has kept our economy growing.

Could Orange County import most of the needed workforce? This is possible, as the region’s quality of life has kept attracting more people to our area. However, the County instead is partnering with the UCF, the Orange County Public School System, Workforce Central Florida, and other organizations to enhance homegrown talent. Two programs that are working toward improving our workforce skills are described here. The PRISM Project has helped eight school districts in Central Florida partner with businesses, local governments, community organizations, and higher education institutions to build a plan to strengthen math and science education in the region. PRISM includes efforts to recruit and retain highly qualified math and science teachers, to expand professional development opportunities for math and science faculty, and to provide students incentives for taking more rigorous math and science courses and participating in math and science competitive events. (Enterprise Florida, 2004). The National Academy Foundation has established the Academy of Information Technology (AoIT) programs to address the national need for increased emphasis on integrating technology into K-12 curriculum. Within Orange County, the AoITs operate at the following high schools: Apopka, Boone, Colonial, Cypress Creek, Timber Creek, University and Winter Park.

Urban Growth and Land Use Patterns

The County’s EAR noted the need to have economic policies that help to guide land use decisions. Orange County needs to have a land inventory that provides for housing, economic, and conservation needs. The challenge here is twofold. First, Orange County’s population has been growing at a constant rate, increasing the amount of land that is needed for residential developments. On the other hand, as Orange County continues its efforts to diversify the local economy, the competition for prime sites would continue to grow as well. Most often than not, industries would not wait for a site to meet planning and concurrency requirements before deciding to move to the next jurisdiction. These challenges mean the County’s proactive efforts to do large-scale sector and master planning for a mix of land uses, as seen in Horizon West and Innovation Way, must be continued to ensure a balanced land use pattern that

30

Page 31: Orange County Economic Element

accommodates industries and their corresponding needs and amenities in a compatible manner.

The need to integrate economic development concerns in land use policies also can be seen relative to industrial uses. During the past ten years, approximately 615 acres of industrial land have transition to other uses through future land use amendments (Planning Division, 2007). This creates concern, because Orange County’s zoning districts require all production activities to be located on sites with an Industrial future land use designation. This is also the only future land use designation that permits heavy or general industrial uses. The Planning Division recently completed a study of industrial land uses, which found Orange County lacks enough o large parcels of industrial land and that the existing vacant industrial acreage may not meet the 2030 demand.

The Scripps Institute move to Palm Beach County is a good example of the site location issues that Orange County is trying to avoid by proactive land use planning. The original site, Mecca Farms, was contested in court based on environmental and concurrency concerns. Two years after it was announced, the Institute finally located in Jupiter’s Abacoa development on a much smaller site than originally envisioned. Orange County’s economic diversification relies on having adequate supply of appropriately sized, located, and amenitized industrial sites

Another industry that is affected by land use decisions is the nursery-floriculture business in unincorporated Orange County. The high residential growth rate in the City of Apopka and Lake County could jeopardize the health of this industry, if adequate land use protections are not in place. Although other jurisdictions set their own growth policies, Orange County could become a regional leader in pioneering the protection of the nursery industry in Central Florida, as seen in the land use provisions adopted in its Joint Planning Area with the City of Apopka.

To address some of these issues, Orange County’s Future Land Use Element is focused on an Activity Center concept, which must be integrated with economic development policies. With proactive land use policies that promote the development of these centers, as has been done in the past with Horizon West and Innovation Way infill development and redevelopment policies would help repopulate or densify these activity corridors, creating more housing, employment, and business location options for Orange County’s residents. New development will also be encouraged in established employment centers. Live/work spaces can provide an alternative that reduces travel demand.

The County also is completing an Infill Master Plan and holding a Redevelopment Conference in March 2008 to articulate redevelopment strategies that promote these alternatives Infill is defined as the development of vacant or underutilized land within the Urban Service Area (USA) where restoration or rehabilitation of existing structures or infrastructure maintains the continuity of the original community fabric. Infill development provides many advantages, including diverse housing stock, accessibility to existing infrastructure, and heightened design standards.

Area Affordability

As discussed previously in this Element, Orange County has a strong economy and rate of job creation. However, as discussed in the Labor Force section of the Element, the fastest-growing occupations in Orange County pay less than $30,000 annually, on average. Thus, our area’s affordability should correspond with the annual wages. This has not been the case, as the cost of housing in our area has continued to rise exponentially.

31

Page 32: Orange County Economic Element

Figure 11 depicts year-end home prices for the last seven years for the State of Florida and the Orlando MSA. These numbers include the sales of housing units in Orange, Lake, Osceola, and Seminole Counties. The numbers are based on the Year End Median Sales figures compiled by the Florida Association of Realtors (FAR). Until 2004, the median sales price of single-family housing in the Orlando MSA was below the State of Florida’s median price. The high rise of property values, or “housing boom”, seems to have started in 2004 and peaked in 2005. In 2006, the prices in the local MSA surpassed those of the State. During the three-year period from 2003 to 2006, the median sales price of single-family homes in the Orlando MSA increased by 82 percent (FAR, 2007).

The spike in property values also increased the number of condominium conversions, which helped to reduce the number of apartment units available to renters. The total number of rental apartment units dipped from 151,948 in March 2004 to 140,052 in March 2006, a loss of almost 12,000 units (Cushman and Wakefield, 2006).

Figure 11: Year End Median Sales Prices for Single-Family Homes in Florida and Orlando MSA 2000-2007

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

$250,000

$300,000

Aver

age

Med

ian

Sale

s Pr

ice

Florida $115,900 $127,000 $137,800 $158,400 $182,400 $235,100 $248,300 $237,800

Orlando $109,300 $120,300 $129,000 $144,200 $164,500 $231,400 $262,900 $250,300

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Apr-07

Prices reflect the properties listed in the Multiple Listing System (MLS). Source: FAR, 2007 To help address the workforce housing issue in our area, the Orange County Workforce Housing Task Force was appointed in 2005 to develop a list of recommendations to address the loss of affordable housing in unincorporated Orange County. In May 2006, the Board of County Commissioners approved the Task Force’s recommendations, which are discussed and implemented in the Housing Element.

Workforce Support

Housing is not the only need of the local workforce, as they also require transportation and family support services. Of these items, transportation is the item most often recognized for its importance to economic development. Unincorporated Orange County has a very solid economy that continues to attract people from all over the world. Transportation costs can account for anywhere between 16 and 20 percent of a household’s budget, an percentage that may increase because of rising gas prices. An efficient public transportation network is needed to help workers get to their places of employment and would include commuter rail, bus, and work vans. Orange County continues to fund the bus and van transit provided by Lynx on an annual basis and approved partnership funding for new commuter rail service in July 2007. The challenge for the workforce is that bus transit service is in need of additional funding to even be

32

Page 33: Orange County Economic Element

able to maintain current levels of service, which may not consistently meet the needs of the workforce, such as on routes with one-hour service intervals.

Family support services include child care and adult day care facilities. Family services are not often discussed as an economic development item, but these support services are becoming more important to workers and their demand would continue to rise. The Preschool, Students, and Elderly population cohorts are projected to increase in the County, creating pressure for workers that need to have accessible services.

There are two ways in which the County can help to address some of the family support service issues. The first one is regulatory. For example, workers are trying to help their parents by keeping them close to their homes. Allowing these residents to build “granny flats” or other accessory housing on their lot could help with some care giving responsibilities.

The second way in which the County can help is by providing some type of business incentive. The importance of child care as a support system for our workers has already been recognized by the Enterprise Zone Program. All licensed child care facilities located within Orange County and South Apopka Enterprise Zones in buildings owned by the child care business owner are exempt from paying property taxes. Planning Division staff has been trying to increase awareness of this incentive for the past two yeas with a lot of success. So far, 13 businesses have benefited from the program. The County also provides a host of after-school care programs in middle schools, “The Club” youth recreational programs, and a network of eleven primary care health clinics to assist with the social service needs of the workforce.

33

Page 34: Orange County Economic Element

GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES

ECONOMIC ELEMENT

GOAL E1 Orange County shall develop and retain a globally competitive workforce that supports the needs of both present and nascent industries.

OBJ E1.1 Orange County shall promote educational opportunities in the sciences at elementary school level.

POLICIES

E1.1.1 Promote the creation of science summer camps and other experiences that could spur interest in scientific endeavors in school-aged children.

E1 1.2 Work with the Orange County School Board to create science-based curricula at the middle school level.

OBJ E1.2 Orange County shall promote continuing education efforts to foster workforce containing latest skills.

POLICIES

E1.2.1 Promote employer activities that increase English language literacy for the local workforce.

E1.2.2 Supplement existing higher education programs with more non-degree training and continuing education.

OBJ E1.3 Orange County shall work to retain post-graduate science students in Orange County or the region.

POLICIES

E1.3.1 Promote the creation of post-doctoral fellowships and internships within the private sector.

E1.3.2 Support the expansion of research centers that focus on technology commercialization and entrepreneurship.

GOAL E2 Orange County shall promote a stronger connection between land use policies and economic decisions.

OBJ E2.1 Orange County shall promote the use and protection of industrial land.

POLICIES

E2.1.1 The Future Land Use Map shall reflect appropriate locations for industrial use. Potentially incompatible land use designations, such as residential or neighborhood commercial, shall not be established adjacent to industrial land use designations. Proposed land use changes from industrial to residential or commercial shall be evaluated in the context of potential impacts to long-term viability of surrounding industrial uses. Proposed industrial land use changes shall be evaluated relative to the need to maintain adequate industrial sites to serve the projected market demand and corresponding needs for job creation and economic development, consistent with FLU1.4.16 (Amended 10/10, Ord. 2010-13)

E2.1.2 Orange County seeks to retain an adequate supply of Industrial lands, especially larger tracts that support new research and/or industrial parks and employment centers, during

34

Page 35: Orange County Economic Element

the 2030 planning horizon, consistent with the findings of the County’s most current Industrial Capacity Analysis and the desire to maintain a positive jobs to housing balance within the County. Further, amendments to DRIs or PDs that have the effect of reducing industrial lands in these submarkets should be discouraged, consistent with FLU1.4.17. (Amended 10/10, Ord. 2010-13).

E2.1.3 The Future Land Use Map shall reflect a distribution of industrial areas throughout the Urban Service Area to reduce the journey to work, create more of a jobs/housing balance, avoid large concentrations of industrial traffic, provide adequate and sufficient locations for industrial uses-particularly in existing corridors and areas in proximity to Activity Centers – and provide a variety of locations with different transportation accessibility opportunities (such as arterials and highways, airports and railroads), consistent with FLU1.4.18. (Amended 10/10, Ord. 2010-13)

E2.1.4 Orange County will continue to work with METROPLAN ORLANDO to evaluate the freight village concept and potential locations in the metropolitan area that are consistent and compatible with the County’s Comprehensive Plan, based on needs identified in the METROPLAN ORLANDO Freight, Goods, and Services Mobility Study, consistent with FLU1.4.20. (Added 10/10, Ord. 2010-13)

OBJ E2.2 Orange County shall protect and promote the vitality of the nursery industry in Northwest Orange County.

POLICIES

E2.2.1 Use Enterprise Zone incentives to promote the nursery business in Orange County.

E2.2.2 Discourage the expansion of utilities in this area to prevent suburbanization.

OBJ E2.3 Orange County shall use the Activity Center concept to promote the efficient use of land.

POLICIES

E2.3.1 Promote infill development in distressed areas of the County.

E2.3.2 Promote changes to land use and zoning to address the economic development needs of the County.

E2.2.3 Discuss with the Metro Orlando EDC the possibility of expanding the agri-technology district to include northwest Orange County.

GOAL E3 Orange County shall support housing and transportation policies that support the local workforce.

OBJ E3.1 Orange County shall continue to support the efforts of the Workforce Housing Task Force.

POLICIES

E3.1.1 Promote the development of workforce housing close to transportation centers.

E3.1.2 Promote the development of affordable housing on brownfield and greyfield sites.

E3.1.3 Promote initiatives of major employers to fund housing developments for employees near worksites.

OBJ E3.2 Promote mobility in Orange County by continuing to fund public transportation.

35

Page 36: Orange County Economic Element

36

POLICIES

E3.2.1 Support the expansion of commuter rail stations to major employment centers such as OIA, International Drive, and Central Florida Research Park.

E3.2.2 Work with Lynx to promote the use of express routes between major employment and living centers.

GOAL E4 Orange County shall promote policies that support the quality of life of our workforce.

OBJ E4.1 Promote the development of family childcare facilities.

POLICIES

E4.1.1 Facilitate the development of childcare facilities within the County, including employer based child care centers.

OBJ E4.2 Promote the development of accessory housing in Orange County.

POLICIES

E4.2.1 Allow accessory housing as of right in residential districts to permit people to take care of family members.

GOAL E5 Orange County will promote economic diversification and the strengthening of industry specializations. (Added 10/10, Ord. 2010-13)

OBJ E5.1 Orange County shall promote the economic diversification of the County’s economic base by attracting and expanding new industries. (Added 10/10, Ord. 2010-13)

POLICIES

E5.1.1 Orange County shall support the attraction and expansion of industries in cutting-edge fields important to the County’s economic diversification, as determined by economic research and industry studies commissioned by the Board of County Commissioners from time to time. (Added 10/10, Ord. 2010-13)

OBJ E5.2 Orange County shall promote the competitiveness of industries that comprise Orange County’s economic base. (Added 10/10, Ord. 2010-13)

POLICIES

E5.2.1 Orange County shall support the growth of the industries that comprise Orange County’s economic base, such as tourism and hospitality; photonics, lasers, and electro optics; nursery and foliage; modeling, simulation, and training; and life and medical sciences. (Added 10/10, Ord. 2010-13)

E5.2.2 Orange County shall support the creation and expansion of economic clusters within economic base industries by attracting suppliers and other related industries. (Added 10/10, Ord. 2010-13)