Who’s No. 1? State passes on ranking sports-related tax incentives

For theme park lovers planning their 2025 ahead, Universal Orlando Resort has released the dates of its most popular events throughout the upcoming year. Universal is also hosting a new special ticketed after-hours event at its water park. Universal Volcano Bay Nights will launch in April and May, a time when the Summer temperatures are regularly felt in Central Florida. Universal promised to release more details later but teased online that Universal Volcano Bay Nights includes live entertainment, character meet-and-greets and a “big splash of awesomeness.” Disney World’s and SeaWorld’s water parks also offer similar events to give special access to guests at night when the sun is less intense. Meanwhile, Universal Orlando Resort announced that Universal Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnaval kicks off Feb. 1 and ends March 30. The food festival and concert series includes a special Mardi Gras parade and plenty of in-park entertainment.

Four sports franchises vying for $7 million in tax incentives cleared an initial hurdle Friday afternoon as the state’s leading jobs office forwarded their applications for review by the Florida Legislature.

However, the applicants — the City of Orlando, the City of Jacksonville, Daytona International Speedway, and South Florida Stadium LLC — have not been notified by the state Department of Economic Opportunity how they fared against each other.

The Department of Economic Opportunity sent a letter to Senate President Any Gardiner and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli on Friday advising them all four applications had met the statutory requirements for the incentive money.

DEO Press Secretary Jessica Sims said the department didn’t rank the applications because the applications were all related to projects commenced between March 1, 2013, and July 1, 2014, and therefore are exempt from the ranking process.

Kathy Russell, director of intergovernmental relations for the City of Orlando, said she was surprised at the letter she received from the state Department of Economic Opportunity at lunch time. The Orlando City Soccer Club, she said, is the only new franchise seeking grant money, which –according to the application — gave them 5 bonus points. It is requesting $2 million for the next 30 years. She noted that Section D of the application that the franchised filled out notes that the “DEO shall competitively evaluate and rank applicants …. “

“We would have preferred to be ranked,” she said.

The four groups submitted applications totaling a combined $9 million, $2 million more than what is available for the first round of grants.

Daytona International Speedway applied for $3 million, the Jacksonville Jaguars requested $1 million, and the Miami Dolphins applied for $3 million.

The DEO finished reviewing the applications and notified the Legislature one week before the February 1 deadline.

The final say on how the money is appropriated rests with the Joint Legislative Budget Commission. The commission would not have been required to adhere to the DEO’s ranking. Nevertheless, Russell said, “it would have helped.”