In this episode: There are some important battles being waged in Orlando right now — including a pivotal local election and a tug-of-war over a vast swath of cattle pasture that could become covered in subdivisions. And at the center of both fights are Buddy Dyer, the longtime mayor of Orlando, and Tavistock, the billionaire-backed real-estate developer that has cultivated close ties with the mayor during his more than 20 years in City Hall. Beth Kassab, a former investigative reporter with the Orlando Sentinel and now the editor of the Winter Park Voice, joins the show to talk about both of those battles, the tourism lobby, housing politics, and the future of local news.
Show notes
Subscribe to the Winter Park Voice (and be sure to support local news wherever you are).
Read some of Beth’s recent work on Orange County’s District 5 commission race:
Steve Leary, with Buddy Dyer's endorsement, heads to run-off from second place
Steve Leary taps political committee for unlimited dollars in race against Kelly Semrad
For a deeper dive into a couple of the controversies discussed on the show, check out these recent Scott Maxwell columns in the Orlando Sentinel:
Irresponsible. Orlando wants to hastily annex a Baltimore-sized piece of land to sate developers
Candidates won’t reveal promises made to hotel lobby
And for even more of the history here, see this piece I wrote a few years back for Florida Trend magazine:
Ranchland to rooftops in central Florida
Questions or comments? Send ‘em to Garcia.JasonR@gmail.com
Listen to the show: Apple | Spotify
Watch the show: YouTube
Subscribe: SeekingRentsFL.com
The developer and the mayor