EAVE THE EVERYDAY WORLD FAR, FAR BEHIND - Orlando Economic ...
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E AV E T H E E V E R Y D AY
W O R L D FA R , FA R B E H I N D.
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From world-class accommodations to award-winning
dining to VIP treatment at our legendary theme
parks, Orlando invites you to explore our unrivaled
collection of unforgettable experiences.
Discover Orlandoluxury.com
t h e N e v e r E n d i n g S t o r y®
INTRODUCTION
UNEXPECTED ORLANDO
Welcome to
tomorrow land.
The future is now in Orlando, home to
one of the top incubation systems and
research parks in the country. Here,
forward-thinking researchers are on the
cutting edge of discovery in specialized
fields like diabetes and obesity,
D
advanced manufacturing, the Internet
of Things, and more. So, if you still think
Orlando is all just fun and games, it’s
time for more research.
OrlandoEDC.com o you recognize the picture above? Perhaps not, if you don’t live in Orlando. That’s Lake
Eola, with the skyline of Orlando’s downtown in the background. You might not have known
that Orlando has a downtown, much less one with a beautiful lake smack in the middle of
it. Orlando, which has quietly but steadily become one of the country's most diverse and
vibrant cities, is full of such surprises.
Orlando is internationally famous for having seven of the world’s top theme parks,
in particular SeaWorld Orlando, Universal Orlando and the Walt Disney World Resort.
Marvels of creativity, imagination and engineering, the parks are constantly innovating,
investing billions in new rides and attractions like Mako at SeaWorld, the Wizarding World
of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort, Star Wars Land and Pandora: the World of
Avatar at Walt Disney World. Visitors to Orlando will also discover top-notch hotels, a
range of cultural options suitable for travelers of any demographic, some of the world's best
golf courses and tennis facilities, and a dynamic food scene. And it’s becoming increasingly
clear that, in addition to these tourism attractions, Orlando has a robust technology-centric
economy, industry-leading medical, educational and scientific institutions, and great places
to live and raise a family.
Orlando’s broad-based growth stems from a genuine and pervasive spirit of collaboration.
Led by two mayors, Mayor Buddy Dyer of the City of Orlando and Mayor Teresa Jacobs
of Orange County, Orlando's communities work closely and well together. “The business
community works with local governments and the philanthropic community,” Dyer says.
“We’ve figured out how to follow a vision together.” Adds Jacobs, “We have grown into a
more eclectic, more diversified, more metropolitan community.” Orlando also has the signif-
icant advantage of being located in Florida, a state known for promoting economic growth
through pro-business tax, regulatory and economic policies.
You can learn more about the people and places featured on these pages at visitorlando.com
and orlandoedc.com. The stories there and in these pages show an Orlando that might
surprise you.
C APA
This Spanish-influenced restaurant known for its tapas-style dishes on
the 17th floor of Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort
offers inventive cooking with surprising touches—entrees include halibut
E AST END MARKET
with sunchoke and thyme and lamb with bulgur and smoked yogurt—as
Venture east to Downtown Orlando or north to well as perfectly cooked steaks. The view alone is worth a visit.
Winter Park to find Orlando’s blossoming foodie
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scene, with great local haunts such as East End
F OUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO AT WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT Market and the award-winning Ravenous Pig.
This impeccably run hotel does double duty: It’s a perfect launching point for
exploring Orlando, but it’s also a wonderful place to linger and enjoy first-class
amenities. The spa provides a rejuvenating escape from the hurly-burly of daily life,
and multiple pools offer relaxation for both adults and children.
ays in Orlando can be busy, Other luxury hotels Inn without leaving your
so where you stay matters. include the Waldorf Astoria hotel. Other options
You need a hotel that pro- Orlando and the Ritz- include Canvas, a New
vides rest and relaxation, Carlton Orlando, Grande American restaurant in
sophisticated food and Lakes. Both offer a standard Lake Nona; the East End
drink, and things to do. of luxury appropriate for the Market, a neighborhood
The natural candidate most discerning travelers, spot in the Audubon Park
is Four Seasons Resort from businesspeople to Garden District; and Cask EMERIL’S TCHOUP CHOP
Orlando at Walt Disney parents who are traveling & Larder, one of several
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with children but still want restaurants from James
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World, the only 5 Dia- “Orlando truly has evolved and now celebrates some of the best restaurants
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mond awarded resort in excellence from their hotel. Beard Award nominees and dining experiences you can imagine,” says Emeril Lagasse. “I’m proud
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Central Florida. This Four Visitors to Orlando will James and Julie Petrakis. ER
IL to be a part of this with two restaurants, Emeril’s Orlando, in the heart of
On top of all that, Orlando EM
Seasons features not only also find a burgeoning Universal CityWalk, and Emeril’s Tchoup Chop located on the first floor of
an adult-only pool, Disney food scene. You can ex- is attracting a wave of ce- the Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando.”
Character breakfast, perience some incredible lebrity chefs, including Rick
Tom Fazio golf course restaurants, like Bayless, Emeril Lagasse,
and super luxe spa, but Capa at Four Seasons, Masaharu Morimoto,
also a five-acre water park Victoria & Albert’s at Wolfgang Puck and Art
and complimentary kids Walt Disney World Smith. The only challenge,
camp exclusively for Resort, or Hamilton’s really, is finding the time to
overnight guests. Kitchen at the Alfond try them all.
O
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V ICTORIA & ALBERT’S
C ELEBRITY CHEFS
The restaurant in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, a repeat winner
Two of the world’s most admired of AAA’s Five Diamond Award, is not only one of the finest in Orlando,
chefs, Emeril Lagasse and Masaharu it’s one of the finest you’ll ever visit. With just one seating each evening,
Morimoto, have brought their distinctive guests enjoy a remarkable meal of modern American food, prepared by
cooking to Orlando with Emeril’s chef Scott Hunnel, that incorporates the freshest offerings with the finest
Orlando and Morimoto Asia. fish, vegetables and meats from around the world.
FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO WALDORF ASTORIA ORLANDO
THE MALL AT MILLENIA
One could easily spend a day
at The Mall at Millenia with
150 stores and restaurants
presented in a beautifully
designed space. Luxury
boutiques such as Chanel,
Louis Vuitton and Bulgari are
paired with in-demand brands LA NOUBA
like Apple and Tory Burch for a
A Cirque du Soleil production, La Nouba comes from the French phrase faire
THE MALL AT MILLENIA superb shopping experience.
la nouba, meaning, roughly, “live it up.” This fantastical production depicts
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the meeting of two worlds, the color-filled one of the Cirques (circus people)
La Nouba, which is presented in its vast skylights and infused with and the more monochrome one of the Urbains.
a custom-built theater at Disney sunlight, is an experience in itself.
Springs, a collection of stores, It’s an invigorating place to shop.
eateries and distinctive experiences And for sports lovers, Orlando
at Walt Disney World Resort. offers the NBA’s Orlando Magic,
or visitors seeking culture, enter- Orlando’s museums are another Orlando City Soccer Club of the
tainment and shopping, Orlando sign of the city’s cultural diversity. MLS (primed to move into a new
has an impressive diversity of You could easily spend days touring downtown stadium in 2017) and
choices. One of its most recent the Orlando Museum of Art, which Orlando Pride of the NWSL.
additions is the stunning new Dr. features some 2,400 pieces ranging Plus, the NFL recently an-
Phillips Center for the Performing from contemporary art to art of the nounced that, starting in 2017,
Arts, which has quickly become ancient Americas, and the Charles it will bring its Pro Bowl game,
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one of the country’s leading cultural Hosmer Morse Museum of Amer- along with a week of festivities, to
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centers for symphonies, Broadway ican Art, renowned for its unsur- Orlando’s Camping World Stadium, BO
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shows and smaller scale produc- passed collection of Tiffany glass. which also hosts three collegiate
tions. The Dr. Phillips Center seam- Those with a taste for finer bowl games annually. The Pro Bowl
PARK AVENUE IN WINTER PARK
lessly blends artistic excellence things will want to visit The Mall joins the Arnold Palmer Invita-
with modern theater technology at Millenia, which hosts expertly tional, one of the world’s most This signature shopping street boasts more than 140 boutiques, sidewalk
and design. Other dramatic options curated upscale brands like Bulgari, revered golf tournaments, as part cafés and museums. And it's bordered by oak-canopied Central Park, which
include imaginative shows like Blue Louis Vuitton and Tiffany. Archi- of the city’s growing roster of iconic hosts seasonal art shows, concerts, exotic car shows and fashion events.
Man Group and Cirque du Soleil’s tecturally, The Mall at Millenia, with sports events.
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ORLAN
DR. PHILLIPS CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS DISNEY SPRINGS THE ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL
Only two years old, this striking facility has become an anchor Combining entertainment, dining and shopping, Disney Presented by MasterCard, this tournament has been played at Bay Hill
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for Orlando’s performing arts scene and the city’s thriving Springs has over 100 shops. It’s also an excellent spot for since 1979, when local resident Arnold Palmer brought it to town. The
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downtown. Its venues include the 2,700 seat Walt Disney Disney-related gifts, from Disney’s Candy Cauldron to the ND
O prestigious tournament is one way in which Orlando, with more than 170
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Theater and the more intimate Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater. Art of Disney, a hot spot for collectors. courses and training academies, has become a golfer's paradise.
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here are many different ways
to experience Orlando’s theme
parks, and all of them ensure a
memorable visit. But travelers
who wish to make the most of
their time here would do well to
consider the VIP experiences
that the parks offer. They cost
more, of course. But in return,
they give visitors a chance to ex-
perience the theme parks in new experts as one of the best parts of
and inspiring ways and to make their visit, helping them to better
your visit especially memorable. understand the wonders and DISCOVERY COVE
The experiences on these innovations of the theme parks. key. VIP experiences help to
pages begin with a guide. These A valuable benefit of several of ensure that the time you have At this all-inclusive resort limited to 1,000 visitors
specially trained men and women these VIP experiences is exclu- is filled with as much activity daily, you can swim with bottlenose dolphins, feed
will take you through their parks, sive ride access, which is exactly as you want. They help you tropical birds and snorkel through a saltwater
providing behind-the-scenes what it sounds like: the ability to to experience the parks more reef. Appealing upgrades include being a
insights and answering your experience rides and adventures deeply and create particularly trainer for a day, renting a private cabana or an
questions. Whether they’re without having to wait in line. special memories. And they also underwater walking tour of the Grand Reef.
sharing information about the For parents of impatient children help give you the time to see
conservation efforts at SeaWorld, or any visitors who wish to more of Orlando—to experience
the natural behaviors of wildlife maximize their time in the parks, the city’s restaurants, theater,
at Disney’s Animal Kingdom or this advantage is a game-changer. museums, professional sports
behind-the-scenes looks at the You’ll not only experience more and shopping. Or to relax with
inner workings of Harry Potter rides, but you’ll be seeing more a round of golf or an afternoon
and the Escape from Gringotts, of them—from private rooms poolside at your hotel.
these guides really know what to up close and personal animal The VIP experiences at
they’re talking about—and that encounters. Orlando theme parks aren’t just
knowledge adds another layer of For most of us, vacations are about how you experience your
richness to the experience. Vis- never as long as we’d like them vacation. They’re about how you
itors invariably cite these park to be, and maximizing time is live your life.
DISNEY EXCLUSIVE EXPERIENCES
VIP EXPERIENCE, UNIVERSAL Disney offers a range of exclusive experiences.
ORLANDO RESORT You could, for example, take the Wild Africa Trek, a
three-hour guided experience that gives participants
The private tour at Universal Orlando the chance to view rhinos, crocodiles, cheetahs and
Resort begins with special parking more in an environment that replicates their natural
and a VIP lounge, then continues with habitat. You’ll walk along a grassland path, cross a
a personal escort through Universal rope bridge and ride in a rugged safari vehicle over an
Studios Florida and Universal’s open savanna. Or charter the Disney Grand 1 yacht,
Islands of Adventure. Your VIP tour SEAWORLD PRIVATE ELITE VIP TOUR a 52-foot Sea Ray Sedan Bridge yacht that sails from
grants you front-of-line access to all the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Motoring over Bay
rides and adventures, including the At SeaWorld, VIP status brings you preferred parking, your Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon, you and up to 13 friends
astonishing Wizarding World of Harry own tour guide, front-of-line status, reserved seating at will experience Disney, including Wishes, the nightly
Potter–Hogsmeade and Wizarding your choice of shows, fine dining at Sharks Underwater fireworks show, from the water.
World of Harry Potter–Diagon Alley. Grill, and the chance to feed stingrays and sea lions.
W hat does it take to create a
region in which entrepreneurs
want to start businesses and
companies want to locate? The
answer is simple, but hard: It
takes the support of the entire
community, from private-sector
organizations to political fig-
ures to the educational system
and more. It takes an abun-
dance of developable real estate
and high-quality infrastructure.
The best-known business-
es in Orlando are, of course, make use of those skills. And
LOCKHEED MARTIN
ELECTRONIC ARTS
This Orlando outpost of the gaming powerhouse, consistently
one of the most cutting-edge companies in the space, oversees
the production of Madden NFL Football, PGA Tour and NBA
Live. EA both draws on and contributes to the thriving local
community of technology programmers and innovators.
It takes an educated, skilled theme parks. They foster and Orlando has one of the coun- The global security and aerospace company
labor force of people who work sustain a community of high- try’s most active tech commu- employs approximately 7,000 people at two different
in the community because— tech workers who help imagine, nities, manifest in companies facilities in the area. Part of a network of some
thanks to an outstanding quality build and run the parks. The like app developer Echo Inter- 2,000 aerospace and aviation companies in central
of life in areas like culture, skills the parks require—en- action Group, located adjacent Florida, Lockheed Martin helps support world-
food, schools, recreation and gineering, coding, creativity, to coworking space Canvs, competitive STEM education throughout the region.
weather—they want to live in originality, risk-taking, among where over 100 tech companies
the community. It’s even better others—are the staples of an are clustered.
when all these elements come advanced economy. Orlando is also home to
together in a state whose tax Other industries the region multinational firms like Deloitte,
and regulatory policies aggres- focuses on—including ad- Lockheed Martin and Verizon.
sively promote a pro-business vanced manufacturing, life sci- Some, like Lockheed, began
climate. It’s hard to think of a ences and healthcare, aviation/ operations there because of the
region that fits this description aerospace and defense, and world-leading community of
better than Orlando. innovative technologies—also aerospace and aviation experts
supported by nearby NASA. Oth-
ers, like Deloitte and Verizon,
launched facilities here because
of the ecosystem of support they ICAMR
find. Additional corporate and
divisional headquarters include The International Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing
the American Automobile Research (ICAMR) is the world’s first industry-led consortium
Association, Darden Restau- for manufacturing smart sensors, the technology that helps
rants, Golf Channel, Mitsubishi connect the “internet of everything.” By 2020, an estimated 50
Hitachi Power Systems Americas, billion devices are going to rely on them.
Siemens Energy and Tupperware
Brands Corporation.
Perhaps the newest example
of this spirit of enterprise is
the International Consortium
for Advanced Manufacturing
RPORATION
Research, which represents VERIZON
an ambitious effort to lead the
With support from Florida governor Rick Scott
market in products like smart
(above) and a coalition of public and private
TAVARES sensor and photonics-based
CO
organizations, Verizon opened its $63 million Lake
devices. This is a community
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The City of Tavares, located in Lake County, has created a unique environment Mary Center of Excellence finance hub in 2014.
where big ideas can be realized
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accessible to all things seaplanes, including a deliberate focus on recruiting The telecom giant employs some 1,100 people in
and business gets serious.
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seaplane manufacturers to the area known as “America’s Seaplane City.” finance and back-office operations there. A RE
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TUPPE
Almost everyone knows that
Orlando is a great place to visit.
And more and more people
are learning that Orlando is
also a great place to start or
locate a business. But many
visitors never get the chance
to discover what it’s like to
actually live in Orlando—how
Orlando communities foster UNITED STATES TENNIS ASSOCIATION
LOCAL MOTIVE TOURS
This Orlando company offers bike- and train-based tours of the city that
not only help spotlight local businesses but also raise awareness of Juice,
an outstanding quality of life Orlando’s bike-share program, and SunRail, the city’s commuter rail line.
while its medical facilities Center, the first new veterans’
are breaking new ground in from townhomes to apartments to hospital in the state in nearly 20
research and care. single-family homes and estates, years. The University of Central
A key to health and longevity, designed to incorporate smart Florida College of Medicine
after all, is environment. Do home technology and amenities offers first-rank training, while
you have space, light, access to like gigabit internet access. Lake some 50,000 physicians come to
nature, room to exercise, a com- Nona also hosts the new division- the Nicholson Center at Florida
munity that engages you? al headquarters of the United Hospital to study leading-edge
Orlando communities like the States Tennis Association, includ- clinical techniques. Facilities like
ones on these pages do just that. ing over 100 tennis courts. the GuideWell UST Global Inno-
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Isleworth and Heathrow blend Healthcare is woven into the vation Center and the University HO
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smartly designed residences with fabric of daily life in Orlando. of Florida Research and Aca- FLORI
outdoor activities (golf in partic- It might begin at Nemours Chil- demic Center promote research
ular). Golden Oak at Walt Disney dren’s Hospital, designed around into healthcare pharmaceuticals
World Resort is the perfect envi- the philosophy that when you’re and technology. And Orlando GOLDEN OAK
ronment for bringing generations taking care of a child, you’re tak- Health is home to state of the art
of family together. And Lake ing care of the whole family. Vet- cancer treatment at the Marjorie
Nona, developed by the Tavistock erans can get care at the new Or- and Leonard Williams Center for
Group, offers housing options lando Veterans Affairs Medical Proton Therapy.
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LAKE NONA MEDICAL CITY OF
IT Y
UNIVERS
From research to treatment, Lake
Nona offers a remarkable range of
medical facilities at its Medical City hub,
including the GuideWell UST Global
Innovation Center, an innovation hub for LAKE NONA
healthcare technology; the UCF Health
Sciences Campus; Nemours Children’s LUXURY NEIGHBORHOODS
Hospital; the Orlando Veterans Affairs
ITAL
Medical Center, the first new veterans’ Every city rises or falls on the strength and vitality of its communities, and
hospital in Florida since the 1990s; and these are among Orlando's pillars. All have different emphases, ranging from
the University of Florida Research and SP golf (Isleworth and Heathrow) to a connection with Walt Disney World (Golden
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Academic Center at Lake Nona, intended Oak) to integration within a mixed-use community (Lake Nona). What they have
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to promote research into new drugs and in common is an outstanding quality of life and the feel of a small town that
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participation in clinical trials. IL happens to have all the benefits of a big city.
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NEMO URS
GUIDEWELL INNOVATION
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he economic vitality of any
city is proportional to the
caliber of its workforce. Are
the people who live in your
city well educated? Have they
been immersed from an early
age in curricula and, later,
career training that prepared
them to stay in the area and
work at highly skilled jobs?
Has your city invested in the
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
infrastructure needed to get DOWNTOWN CAMPUS—2019
people to and from those jobs
quickly and safely?
In Orlando, this kind of include small, private liberal College and Valencia College,
preparation for adult eco- arts colleges, like the widely which has been named the na-
nomic life begins early, in respected Rollins College, and tion's top community college.
the city’s progressive K–12 the technology-oriented Full Orlando residents ben-
school system. The four Sail University, which offers efit from a transportation
school districts in the Orlando degrees in technology, arts, infrastructure that balances
region are known for their media and entertainment. private and public modes of
magnet schools that focus on Founded in 1963 to train grad- transportation with an eye
Advanced Placement and dual uates for work in aerospace to integrating future growth.
enrollment, along with STEM and aviation, the University Orlando is also a leader in
and robotics—as early as kin- of Central Florida has since using public-private partner-
dergarten—and a commitment broadened its focus and is ship to advance transportation
to the arts and customized now, in terms of enrollment, initiatives and make big ideas
learning approaches. Orlan- the second largest university a reality.
do’s K–12 schools are routinely in the country. UCF offers It’s all about helping
ranked among the country’s the groundbreaking Direct residents who want to live in
most innovative. Connect program, which guar- Orlando and work in highly
With more than 500,000 antees admission to students skilled industries by giving
higher ed students within who earn an associate degree them the means to do so. The
100 miles, Orlando also has from a participating communi- path to long-term economic
flourishing educational insti- ty college. There are also state growth begins with the kind
tutions at the undergraduate colleges like Seminole State of education and planning at
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and graduate levels. They College, Lake Sumter State which Orlando excels.
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$15 BILLION IN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT
Transportation infrastructure is critical to a city’s success, so
Orlando is investing some $15 billion in its infrastructure, including
Orlando International Airport and Orlando Sanford International
Airport, which offer over 175 direct flights worldwide daily; SunRail,
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Central Florida’s commuter rail line; Port Canaveral, which
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handles 4 million passengers and 4 million tons of cargo annually;
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Brightline, a new regional high speed train connecting Orlando
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IL -1 and Miami; and the central artery highway I-4, in the process of
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HO receiving significant upgrades.
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