news and updates
May 2024
UCF, EA Sports create a partnership built for the future
The innovative partnership between UCF and EA Sports is featured in this Orlando Sentinel article from May 2, 2024. The Electronic Arts Orlando Studio in Creative Village has advanced local talent through its relationship with UCF's Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA) and ...
April 2024
Chef Norman Van Aken partners with Valencia College Downtown campus for “Get Cooking”
As highlighted by the Orlando Sentinel on April 1, 2024, Orlando's new "Get Cooking" program, a collaboration between the legendary Norman Van Aken and successful food blogger Stacie Archer, teaches under-resourced families how to prepare healthy, home-cooked meals for less than $20. This ...
April 2024
UCF’s FIEA Ranks as World’s No. 1 Graduate Game Design Program for the 4th Time in 5 Years
As of March 2024, UCF's Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA), housed at UCF Downtown in Creative Village, has been crowned the world's top graduate game design program for the fourth time in five years. This prestigious recognition underscores FIEA's unmatched excellence ...
March 2024
EA Orlando Creates Madden NFL, NBA Live and PGA Tour In The Heart of Creative Village
Orlando Magazine, March 2024 Issue – Electronic Arts Orlando is creating some of the world's most popular video games in the heart of Creative Village with its 1,000+ team members. EA Orlando was featured as a top tech leader by Orlando Magazine.
To ...
August 2023
UCF to EA pipeline stronger after headquarters move
The Community Paper, August 2023 Issue – Learn how the partnership between FIEA and EA amplified following the relocation of the Electronic Arts Orlando Studio to Creative Village....
May 2023
Creative Village Developers Win Golden Brick Awards
On May 2, 2023, developers Craig Ustler and Brooke Myers were named Downtowners of the Year by the Downtown Orlando Partnership for their more than a decade of work in completing the first phase of Creative Village.
To read the full ...
September 2022
ORLANDO OPENS LUMINARY GREEN, A PARK AT THE CENTER OF CREATIVE VILLAGE
On August 30, 2022, Mayor Buddy Dyer and District 5 City Commissioner Regina Hill officially opened Orlando’s newest gathering place, Luminary Green Park. The 2.3-acre park located in the center of Creative Village in Downtown Orlando is a unique and special gathering ...
June 2022
Creative Village and Lake Eola plan win Golden Brick awards
On May 3, 2022, the new EA Sports Orlando Studio, completed in 2021 by Ustler Development, was named the Commercial Development of the year by the Downtown Orlando Partnership. The 176,000 square-foot building is now home to the creative teams that produce some of ...
May 2022
Mill Creek Announces Start of Preleasing at Modera Creative Village Apartments
On May 2, 2022, Mill Creek Residential announced the start of preleasing at Modera Creative Village, a contemporary mixed-use apartment community at Creative Village....
November 2021
UCF Pegasus Magazine: How UCF’s Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy is Changing the Game
Pegasus, The Magazine of the University of Central Florida, Fall 2021 Issue – Learn how FIEA has blossomed into the anchor of Creative Village in Downtown Orlando and delivered on its promise to develop a pipeline of talent to fuel Florida’s ...
April 2021
UCF Graduate Video Game Design Ranked #1 in the World
Creative Village is home to the UCF Downtown Campus which includes the top-ranked graduate video game design program in the world. Creative Village is also home to the new Electronic Arts Orlando Studio opening in Fourth Quarter 2021 with over 700 team ...
October 2020
Creative Village Park Construction Moves Forward
On October 5, 2020, the Orlando City Council approved a $5.3 million agreement with Collage Companies for the construction of the Creative Village park. The 2.3-acre park will provide opportunities for students, residents and visitors of Creative Village to gather, play and enjoy ...
August 2020
The Julian Apartments at Creative Village Opened in July 2020
The first market-rate apartment project in Creative Village, The Julian, opened in July 2020. The Julian is a 14-story building with 409 contemporary residences accompanied by 6,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor and an integrated parking garage.
The Julian ...
June 2020
Creative Village Featured in Florida Trend Magazine Cover Story
Amy Keller, Associate Editor at Florida Trend, published a cover story “Out of the Ivory Tower” about urban universities, the Innovation District emerging in Creative Village and the synergies with the UCF/Valencia Downtown Campus and economic development.
“Beyond growing ...
April 2020
Ustler Development, Inc. Breaks Ground on New Office Building for Electronic Arts
On April 30, 2020, Ustler Development, Inc. acquired the site and broke ground on a 175,940 rentable square foot office building that is leased to EA Tiberon, Inc. (NASDAQ: EA). In October 2021, EA will relocate over 700 personnel from their existing location in Maitland ...
December 2019
Mill Creek Residential Purchases Land for Modera Creative Village
On December 18, 2019, Mill Creek Residential Trust purchased a 1.75-acre site from the City of Orlando for development of a 292-unit market rate apartment project, Modera Creative Village. The $75 million project faces Creative Village Central Park and includes a structured parking ...
October 2019
ELECTRONIC ARTS MOVING TO CREATIVE VILLAGE
EA Tiberon, Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) will move its Florida headquarters and more than 700 high-wage jobs to Downtown Orlando’s Creative Village in 2021, representing the largest corporate relocation in Orlando in several decades. With over 300 million customers around the world, Electronic ...
July 2019
UCF Downtown and Valencia College Downtown Campus Opens in August 2019!
Excitement is building at Creative Village! The Amelia Court mixed-income project opened in July 2019 and UCF, Valencia College and Ustler/DEVEN are putting the finishing touches on the Dr. Phillips Academic Commons (DPAC) and UnionWest at Creative Village to welcome ...
July 2019
Community Celebrates Amelia Court Opening
Mayor Dyer, Commissioner Hill, Commissioner Stuart and Commissioner Ortiz attended the ribbon cutting for Amelia Court, celebrating the first building to open at Creative Village. Amelia Court is a 256-unit, $56 million mixed-income apartment community, developed by Atlantic Housing and Banc ...
July 2019
UnionWest announces 5th Retail Tenant
Ustler Development, Inc. and Development Ventures Group, Inc. announced that Vera Asian has signed a lease at UnionWest at Creative Village in Downtown Orlando. UnionWest is the privately developed 15-story mixed-use student housing building located directly across from the new ...
July 2017, Updated January 2019
Phase I Development in Creative Village Valued Over $550 million; Total Phase I Investment is $625 million
As part of the UCF/Valencia Downtown Campus, Ustler Development, Inc. and DEVEN Development Ventures Group (formerly known as KUD International, LLC) are developing a $105 million student housing project on Parcel J. The project is under construction and will open ...
November 2018
The Allen Morris Company and Ustler Development, Inc. Break Ground on the First Market Rate Apartment Project at Creative Village
The Allen Morris Company and Ustler Development, Inc. are co-developing a 14-story, 409 unit, $108 million market rate apartment project at Creative Village in Downtown Orlando. The project broke ground in November 2018 and is scheduled to be completed in Summer 2020. This site ...
April 2018
Mill Creek Under Contract to Acquire Site in Creative Village
Mill Creek Residential is under contract to purchase a 1.7-acre parcel of land in Creative Village. Mill Creek Residential was selected as the buyer for the site as part of the land brokerage process at Creative Village. The Purchaser is ...
May 2017, Updated February 2018
UCF/Valencia Downtown Campus Broke Ground on May 11, 2017
The University of Central Florida, Valencia College, City of Orlando and Creative Village Development, LLC broke ground on the new Downtown Campus on May 11, 2017. The first phase of the Downtown Campus includes:
A $60 million, 148,000-square foot academic building named the ...
October 2017
Work Underway on $105 million mixed-use Student Housing Project by Ustler/DEVEN
Ustler Development, Inc. and DEVEN (formerly known as KUD International, LLC) are co-developing Parcel J at Creative Village and construction began in October 2017 on the $105 million mixed-use Student Housing Project with approximately 600 student housing beds, 105,000 SF of education space leased ...
October 2016, Updated September 2017
Master Development and Third-Party Parcels
In order to further the mission and vision of Creative Village as an urban infill, mixed-use transit oriented development, the Master Developer is collaborating with various project partners and consultants on planning efforts that will shape future development at Creative ...
April 2017
UCF Downtown at Creative Village
University of Central Florida (UCF) is moving forward with their plan for a significant Downtown Orlando campus, located at Creative Village. Between UCF and its partner, Valencia College, Phase I of the campus is expected to bring over 7,700 students to ...
April 2017
Construction Completed on LYNX LYMMO Lime Line
Construction was completed in early 2017 for the LYMMO Lime Line. This project marked the beginning of road, utility and infrastructure work at Creative Village. The LYMMO expansion provides Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service connecting Creative Village and the Parramore community ...
October 2016
JLL to Market Select Parcels at Creative Village
JLL has been retained by Creative Village Development, LLC (CVD) to oversee the marketing of select sites available for sale at Creative Village. Pursuant to the Master Development Agreement, select parcels will be marketed to third-party buyers in multiple phases. ...
February 2016
Orlando is a world class city
2014 was a banner year for our City Beautiful. In addition to the UCF and Valencia announcement, we opened SunRail commuter rail service and the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, completely overhauled the Citrus Bowl and broke ground on ...
January 2015
Orange County Public Schools announces new Downtown PS-8 School
In January 2015, Orange County Public Schools announced a new PS-8 school to be built in the Parramore neighborhood, adjacent to Creative Village. The $60 million school, serving preschool through 8th grade, is scheduled to open in Fall of 2017 and is being ...
December 2014
Project DTO – the next decade
Quickly after taking office in 2003, Mayor Dyer acknowledged that great cities have great downtowns, so he commissioned the Downtown Strategic Transition Team (DSTT) to create a strategic roadmap for Downtown Orlando. The DSTT delivered recommendations, including large-scale projects like SunRail ...
September 2012
From the Magic Kingdom to a medical city: How a culture of collaboration is fueling a new Orlando
September 2011
Civic Urbanism Students Bring Portland Design Ideas Back to Orlando’s Creative Village
August 2011
Orlando’s Creative Village and Tampa’s ENCORE! Project Have Designs on Reviving Their Local Economies
Orlando: Where Business, Tech and Culture Collide
- WalletHub ranks Orlando as the No. 1 Best City to Start a Business. Click here.
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- Privacy Journal ranks Orlando No. 2 among the Top Gaming Cities. Click here.
- WalletHub names Orlando as the Best Foodie City in America. Click here.