Tax rebate approved for planned Orlando tower

ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Orlando's skyline will be getting a shiny, new building.  City commissioners voted to approve construction of the high-rise, which they hope will be a gateway to Downtown Orlando.

The building, developed by Lincoln Property, will be around 25 stories tall and include residential units and retail space. It will also be the new home of downtown's major SunRail station.

The city will kick-in $1.5 million in up-front costs, plus another $2.7 million in tax refunds, to get the project done.  Thomas Chatmon, executive director of Orlando's Downtown Development Board said this will boost SunRail ridership and bring more business to the city.

“You can see one day when Sunrail is connected to the Orlando International Airport, and when this particular station becomes 'the' station for people going to and coming from the airport - business travelers - back and forth,” Chatmon said.

SunRail figures show it typically gets between 70,000-80,000 riders per month. The train's so-called Phase Three plan will expand SunRail to Orlando International Airport and cost around $225 million.