Church Street Station (Orlando)

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Orlando (ACL station) redirects here. For the post-1926 ACL Orlando station, see Orlando (Amtrak station).

Church Street Station is a commercial development in downtown Orlando, Florida, spanning both sides of Church Street and both sides of CSX's A Line tracks, just east of I-4. At least one of the buildings was formerly used by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad for their Orlando station. Amtrak now stops about a mile south of downtown (see Orlando (Amtrak station)). The Seaboard Air Line Railroad station was two blocks north of Church Street, at Central Boulevard (see Orlando (SAL station)). It was an entertainment and shopping center for years, but has since largely shut down (many credit the drop in attendance to the opening of Walt Disney World's Pleasure Island in 1989).^{[citation needed]} There is, however, a relatively new improv venue in what used to be a restaurant. The area immediately around the station is slated to become downtown apartments.

Church Street Station Timeline

1972: Entrepreneur Bob Snow announces plan for a downtown Orlando entertainment complex.

1974: Snow opens Rosie O'Grady's.

1982: Cheyenne Saloon & Opera House opens.

1985: Church Street Station draws 1.7 million visitors, making it the fourth-largest tourist attraction in the state after Walt Disney World, Sea World and Busch Gardens.

1988: Snow sells 50 percent interest in Church Street Station.

1989: Snow sells remainder of his interest to a subsidiary of Baltimore Gas & Electric Co.; total cost of the two-step deal: $61 million to $82 million.

1994: Church Street Station completes major expansion with 24,000-square-foot Presidential Ballroom for $5.5 million.

1998: Church Street Station loses $1 million on revenue of $20.85 million, attracts only 550,000 visitors.

1999: Baltimore Gas & Electric sells Church Street Station to Enic PLC, a British firm, for $11.5 million.

2001: Enic PLC sells Church Street Station to F.F. South & Co. for $15.9 million.

2002: Lou Pearlman buys into Church Street Station, later becomes majority owner.

2007: Pearlman's financial troubles trigger foreclosure lawsuit against Church Street Station.[1]

2007: Camron Kuhn (Developer) purchase church street station at bankruptcy court auction due to financial issues of former owner Loe Pearlman Trans Continental Empire. The property was purchase at $34.1 million. by G.

2008: Bob Snow reopens Cheyenne Saloon & Opera House. Brick and Fire Pizza and Wine Company opens.