← The Roadmap Reckoner: scorecard and every promise

Will downtown Orlando's Westcourt district be complete by March 2027, as its developers promised in 2024?

The Roadmap Reckoner · Downtown Orlando, Florida (the block beside the Kia Center) · last checked 2026-10-23

Verdict	PENDING, OVERDUE
Promiser	SED Development, JMA Ventures and Machete Group (the developers), with the Orlando Magic
Place	Downtown Orlando, Florida (the block beside the Kia Center)
Promised	Groundbreaking late 2024; completion by March 2027 (developers' April 2024 release)
Delivered / status	Not started: none of six City of Orlando permit applications issued (all Open); a developer now cites 2028 delivery
Last checked	2026-10-23

Verdict: PENDING, OVERDUE, by about 22 months. In April 2024 the developers said that construction "is set to break ground in late 2024" and that the district "is scheduled for completion by March 2027" [C1, C2]. Reading "late 2024" as by the end of 2024, the start is about 1 year and 10 months late at this entry's last check. At that check, none of the project's six building, foundation and engineering applications had been issued on the City of Orlando's permit records: each is "Open", with no issue date [C10, C11, C12, C13, C14, C15]. The completion date has not arrived. One of the developers now gives "our projected 2028 delivery", in a statement quoted by Spectrum News 13 [C17].

In April 2024 three developers announced that their sports and entertainment district "to be developed on the 8.5-acre block adjacent to the Kia Center in downtown Orlando has been given final approval by the City of Orlando" [C1]. The developers were "SED Development, LLC, JMA Ventures, LLC, and Machete Group, Inc." [C1]. The block is "bounded by W. Church Street, Division Avenue, W. Central Boulevard, and S. Hughey Avenue" [C4]. The release carried a statement from the Orlando Magic's CEO that speaks of "this joint venture with the DeVos Family and the Orlando Magic" [C1]. The district is now called Westcourt Orlando [C6, C8].

Last checked: October 23, 2026.

Re-checked October 23, 2026. The City's permit records still show none of the project's six applications issued: each reads "Open", with no issue date [C27]. The same records' search for the SED Development parcels and the two project addresses still returns 359 records, the newest issued on May 12, 2021 [C28]. The contractor's release still says "Early site activity is underway as the team moves toward full mobilization." [C30], and JMA Ventures' project page still says "The project received land use entitlements in April 2024" [C31]. ENR reported on May 6, 2026 that leasing and development materials it reviewed describe "groundbreaking targeted for the second quarter of 2026 and opening projected for late 2028" [C29]. That quarter ended on June 30, 2026, and the six applications are still unissued [C27]. A web search on October 23 found no report of a groundbreaking. The verdict is unchanged; the delay is counted to this check.

The promise. Groundbreaking "in late 2024" and "completion by March 2027", in the developers' release [C1, C2, C5].
The start. None of the project's building, foundation or engineering permits had been issued at the last check [C10, C11, C12, C13, C14, C15].
- In March 2026, Machete Group's founder told GrowthSpotter that the developers are "in a position to break ground this year" [C18].
- In May 2026, the release naming the general contractor said: "Early site activity is underway as the team moves toward full mobilization." [C7] This entry does not count that as the groundbreaking the developers promised, because the foundation and building permits had not been issued at the last check [C10, C11, C12, C15].
The finish. One of the developers, Machete Group, gave "our projected 2028 delivery" in February 2026 [C17]. The Downtown Development Board's 2026 report still gives "COMPLETION 2nd Half 2027" [C19].
The cost. The 2024 release gave none [C1, C2, C3]. The 2026 records give "$500 million" [C6, C19].

The promise

The developers' release, issued by JMA Ventures through GlobeNewswire, is dated April 22, 2024 [C1, C5]. It said:

"Construction of the 900,000 square-foot mixed-use project is set to break ground in late 2024." [C1]

"The sports and entertainment district is scheduled for completion by March 2027 and projected to create 3,400 jobs." [C2]

The release described the project as "featuring a full-service 260-key hotel, 270 residential units, a 3,500-capacity live entertainment venue, Class-A office space, and a variety of dining and shopping options" [C3]. It also listed "a 1,140-stall parking garage" and a 1.5-acre outdoor green space [C3].

Timeline

April 22, 2024. The developers announced the City's "final approval" and the two dates [C1, C2, C5]. JMA Ventures' project page says: "The project received land use entitlements in April 2024" [C8].
October 2024. A foundation permit application for 125 S Division Ave, BLD2024-19688, was processed [C10].
- Its owner is "SED DEVELOPMENT LLC", its contractor "TURNER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY", and its estimated cost $16,500,000 [C10].
- It went under review the next day and has been through 10 review cycles [C10].
- It is still "Open", with no issue date [C10].
March 2025. A "New" building permit application for 140 S Hughey Ave, BLD2025-12349, was processed, at an estimated $22,800,728 [C11]. It is still open, with no issue date [C11].
March 13, 2025. Spectrum News 13 reported that "the developers behind Westcourt Orlando recently shared a plan to break ground as soon as this fall" and that "Developers hope Westcourt will be operational in early 2028." [C25] This is a news report, not a developer record.
April 2025.
- In March 2026, Machete Group's founder told GrowthSpotter what happened that month: "We were planning to close on our construction loan in April (2025), then our lender said to hold off." [C18]
- Two more "New" building applications for 125 S Division Ave were processed that month, three days apart [C12, C15].
- BLD2025-14104 carries an estimated cost of $100, and is still open, with no issue date [C15].
- BLD2025-14301, the largest of the project's applications, carries an estimated $131,579,843 [C12]. It went under review in January 2026 and has been through 4 review cycles. It is still open, with no issue date [C12].
August 27, 2025. A budget amendment on the agenda of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Advisory Board "proposes the transfer of $1,700,000 from the Capital Improvement Fund to the CRA Operating Fund to be used towards the SED Conference Center obligation" [C21].
October 22, 2025. Another budget amendment on the CRA Advisory Board's agenda lists "SED Conference Center" at "$800,000" among its priority projects [C22].
October 2025. The next day, an engineering application for 125 S Division Ave, ENG2024-12923, was processed [C13]. It is still open, with no issue date [C13].
2026. The Downtown Development Board's 2026 report lists Westcourt as "PROPOSED", with "START 2nd Half 2025", "COMPLETION 2nd Half 2027" and "INVESTMENT $500 million" [C19].
February 27, 2026. Spectrum News 13 published a statement from Machete Group: "Key operating partners are in place, permitting continues to advance, and our construction pricing is nearly finalized. We remain on track toward meeting our projected 2028 delivery and look forward to sharing more as the project advances." [C17]
March 2, 2026. GrowthSpotter reported that Machete Group's founder said the developers are "in a position to break ground this year". It quoted him: "The tariffs set us back a year." [C18]
May 7, 2026. A release on the ACS group's press site announced that Turner Construction Company "was selected by JMA Ventures to serve as the general contractor for Westcourt Orlando" [C6].
- It called Westcourt "The $500 million development" [C6].
- It said: "Early site activity is underway as the team moves toward full mobilization." [C7]
- It gives no date for the start or the finish [C7].
Now. None of the six applications has been issued [C10, C11, C12, C13, C14, C15].
- That includes a second engineering application, ENG2026-10233, which also carries no issue date [C14].
- The City's permit data holds 359 records for property listed under SED Development LLC and for the project's two addresses. The most recent permit issued among them dates from May 2021 [C16].

What changed, and why, in the record's own words

The start moved later.
- The 2024 release said "late 2024" [C1].
- A March 2025 news report said "as soon as this fall" [C25].
- The Downtown Development Board's 2026 report says "START 2nd Half 2025" [C19].
- Machete Group's founder said in March 2026 that the developers are "in a position to break ground this year" [C18].
- The May 2026 contractor release said "Early site activity is underway as the team moves toward full mobilization." [C7]
The finish moved later.
- The release said "by March 2027" [C2].
- The March 2025 news report said "operational in early 2028" [C25].
- Machete Group's February 2026 statement said "our projected 2028 delivery" [C17].
- The Downtown Development Board's 2026 report still says "COMPLETION 2nd Half 2027" [C19]. The report also says that "no representation as to accuracy is offered" [C19].
Why. No primary record read here states why the dates moved. The reasons found are in news reports.
- Machete Group's founder told GrowthSpotter: "The tariffs set us back a year." [C18] He added: "We were planning to close on our construction loan in April (2025), then our lender said to hold off." [C18]
- Spectrum News 13 quoted the executive director of Downtown Orlando: "The debt markets have been shifting, and they want to make sure that they move forward in a way that sets the project up for long-term success." [C17]
- Machete Group's February 2026 statement says that "permitting continues to advance, and our construction pricing is nearly finalized" [C17].
The size and contents differ from record to record.
- The 2024 release gave a "900,000 square-foot" project with a "260-key hotel" and "270 residential units" [C1, C3].
- The May 2026 contractor release gives "900,000-square-foot" [C6].
- JMA Ventures' page gives "1,000,000+/- SF", a "265-key lifestyle hotel" and "269 high-rise residential units" [C8, C9].
- The Downtown Development Board's report gives "273 apartments" and "2,300 integrated smart parking spaces" on "8.43 acres" [C20].

What it costs

The 2024 release gave no cost [C1, C2, C3].
"$500 million" is the figure in the 2026 records: the contractor release and the Downtown Development Board's report [C6, C19].
The building permits. The foundation application and the two larger "New" building applications give estimated costs of $16,500,000, $22,800,728 and $131,579,843, $170,880,571 in all [C10, C11, C12, C26]. A permit estimate covers only the permitted work, so this is not a cost for the whole project.
Public money. Two budget amendments on the CRA Advisory Board's agendas proposed money for the "SED Conference Center": $1,700,000 in August 2025 and $800,000 in October 2025, $2,500,000 in all [C21, C22, C23]. In both agendas, staff asked the Advisory Board to recommend that the CRA adopt the amendment [C21, C22]. This entry did not read whether the CRA adopted either.

What to watch

The permits. Whether the City issues the foundation permit, BLD2024-19688, and the largest building permit, BLD2025-14301 [C10, C12].
The start. Machete Group's founder said in March 2026 that the developers are "in a position to break ground this year" [C18].
The finish. The developer's "projected 2028 delivery" [C17], against the promised "completion by March 2027" [C2].

What this entry did not check

The City Council's April 2024 approval record (agenda, minutes and any development agreement) was not read. The approval rests on the developers' release [C1] and JMA's "received land use entitlements in April 2024" [C8].
Whether the CRA adopted the two budget amendments, and what the "SED Conference Center obligation" requires. Only the Advisory Board agendas were read [C21, C22].
What "Early site activity" means on the ground [C7]. The permit records show only that the building, foundation and engineering permits have not been issued [C10, C11, C12, C13, C14, C15]. Whether any site work runs under another approval was not established.
A developer record with today's dates. None was found. JMA's page gives no dates [C8]. The 2028 date is a developer statement as quoted by Spectrum News 13 [C17].
An EB-5 release (BusinessWire, February 2026) was not read, because the fetch timed out.
News coverage was used to find records and, where no record exists, to quote the developers and Downtown Orlando's executive director. Each news source is named in the line that uses it [C17, C18, C25].

Sources

← All Reckoner entries