The City of Orlando has had an ongoing transformation in the Downtown Orlando area over the last couple of years. The city has partnered with Creative Village, a local development organization, to transform approximately 68-arces of land in the urban neighborhood. The sole purpose of Creative Village is to create a dynamic neighborhood filled with a mix of residential housing, retail stores, restaurants, hotels and live entertainment venues.
Within the last five years, this joint venture has been successful in launching multiple apartment complexes including Amelia Court Apartments, 800 North Orange, The Julian and a student housing complex Union West. Most recently, the new University of Central Florida campus opened in the heart of Downtown Orlando, and welcomed over 7,000 students, faculty and staff.
Last October, Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), an American video game company, announced it will move its headquarters to from Maitland, Florida, to Downtown Orlando’s Creative Village in 2021. This move will reposition EA’s 700 employees and could also become known as the largest corporate relocation in Orlando in decades. According to the Orlando Sentinel, EA says their number of employees could eventually grow to 1,000 by the year 2025. Ustler Development Inc., an urban development company, will fund the five-story building which is expected to have approximately 175,940 square feet.
Craig Ustler, the owner and president of Ustler Development Inc., has been an investor and developer of several different property types in Orlando for over 20 years. Ustler has invested in both residential and student housing, hotels, office spaces, restaurants and retail. Ustler’s real estate projects include Residences at Health Village Apartments, 800 North Orange, The Ivy, Eola South condominiums and Osceola Brownstones just to name a few.
The Orlando native studied economics at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Ustler received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a major in urban economics and a minor in business administration. Ustler also received his master’s degree from UF, majoring in real estate and urban analysis. Ustler has also served as a board member for Downtown Orlando Partnership and City of Orlando board of zoning adjustments.
Ustler’s development team is leading their next upcoming project, East or Park. East on Park will be a $38 million residential complex will be located near Lake Eola in downtown Orlando. For more information on Ustler Development Inc., Creative Village, or any upcoming properties in the Downtown Orlando area, visit creativevillageorlando.com.
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