ORLANDO, Fla. – Construction crews have now started tearing down the former Holy Land Experience in Orange County.
The attraction at Vineland and Conroy Roads near The Mall at Millenia closed in 2021 following mass layoffs and a short-lived restructuring the year prior.
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider | Here’s why the weather has been so active in Florida | DeSantis-Disney battle continues]
Central Florida health care system AdventHealth purchased the former theme park for a reported $32 million, with plans to redevelop it into an all-new emergency room.
“We are thrilled to start the process of construction on the property. We look forward to providing a convenient option for area residents to access emergency care close to home and offering more services based on the health care needs of this community,” said Kari Vargas, CEO of AdventHealth’s Northwest Market, which includes Seminole, West Orange and South Lake counties.
The roughly 15-acre park first opened in Feb. 2001, by pastor Marvin Rosenthal. Rosenthal was the founder of the missionary organization Zion’s Hope, which bought land in Orlando in 1989. In 2007, the park was sold to Trinity Broadcasting Network, which owned the park till it began to struggle and eventually close in 2021.
During its run, the biblical park brought in hundreds of people every year for its annual free admission day. The free admission day would allow the organization to keep its tax-exempt status.
AdventHealth has not given a completion date for its all-new emergency room.
Use the form below to sign up for the ClickOrlando.com In the Loop: Theme Park Scoops newsletter, sent every Friday morning.