Downtown Orlando’s momentum as a center for innovation and opportunity continues with plans to bring the National Entrepreneur Center (NEC) to Creative Village.
For more than 20 years, the NEC, operated by the University of Central Florida Board of Trustees, has served as a trusted resource for entrepreneurs and small business owners across Central Florida. Now, the organization is preparing to relocate from Fashion Square Mall to a new approximately 16,000-square-foot facility on the first floor of the UCF parking structure at 325 N. Parramore Avenue.
Currently the NEC houses more than 20 resource partners with the new state-of-the-art space designed to support those partners as well as the next generation of business leaders and innovators. Planned features include hybrid workshop and training rooms, collaborative huddle spaces, and flexible co-working environments that will create opportunities for learning, networking, and growth.
The City of Orlando’s Community Redevelopment Agency received approval for a one-time $1 million contribution toward construction of the new facility, further demonstrating the city’s commitment to economic development, job creation, and supporting small businesses in downtown Orlando.
The relocation also strengthens Creative Village’s role as downtown Orlando’s Innovation District, where education, technology, and digital media come together to create new opportunities. It supports the goals of the downtown Orlando Community Redevelopment Area Plan, including business recruitment, retention, and the growth of entrepreneurial resources within the urban core.
Creative Village continues to evolve as a place where residents, students, businesses, and innovators can connect and thrive. The addition of the National Entrepreneur Center represents another major step forward in building a vibrant, future-focused downtown economy.
Construction is expected to begin within six months with completion anticipated within 18 months.