Cherokee School arts magnet plan draws cost, traffic pushback from downtown Orlando neighbors

Dated file photo of Downtown Orlando skyline viewed from I-4, shown here only as general locality context, not the Cherokee School site. Photo: Ziggymarley01 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). Resized; website wordmark added. Photo source · License

What's planned

Orange County Public Schools is moving ahead with plans to convert the long-vacant, century-old Cherokee School on South Eola Drive in downtown Orlando into a grades 9-12 magnet high school focused on film, animation, digital sound and related fields. The district and architecture firm Corgan presented a 30% design concept Sept. 28 at a meeting held at Boone High School.

Cost estimates for the project differ between outlets covering the same meeting. ClickOrlando reported the project at $75 million, made up of $51.5 million in capital funds plus a planned $25 million in private donor support. WESH reported a total cost of $92 million, with $25 million from private donations. Dr. Phillips Charities has pledged $2.5 million toward the project.

Capacity, scheduling and parking

The school is planned for up to 500 students, but reporting indicates a maximum of 250 students would be on campus at a time under a block or alternating-day schedule. OCPS has proposed a school day running noon to 6:30 p.m., a change officials say is intended to ease traffic congestion around the site.

Current design plans call for 88 on-site parking spots. Neighbors near the site say that number is too low for a campus expected to draw student drivers and after-hours events, and have asked for additional traffic studies.

Neighbor and budget concerns

The project comes as OCPS has closed seven schools and made $8.5 million in budget cuts, which some parents say raises questions about the timing of a large new capital project. Resident Adam Zywicki, who recently bought a home across from the site, questioned spending on a school capped at 500 students while larger schools nearby have been shut down.

OCPS chief communications officer Scott Howat said scheduling and traffic-flow adjustments were made in direct response to community feedback. The district says at least three more public meetings are planned before the design is finalized.

Timeline

Construction is scheduled to begin by the end of 2026, with a phased opening planned for August 2028.