Ribbon-cutting delayed for Orlando affordable housing project at site of former hotel

New apartments take over former Ambassador Hotel

ORLANDO, Fla. – It’s a project News 6 has been following since 2022.

What used to be the Ambassador Hotel on Westmoreland Drive and W. Colonial Drive will soon be the home to dozens of people.

The hotel is being turned into the Palm Garden Apartments, which is currently under construction.

It’s part of a $15 million project set to bring affordable housing to the city in hopes of cutting down homelessness.

In late 2023, News 6 spoke to Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer about the project and the partnership with the developer, One Stop Housing.

“The Ambassador has been a target for the city of Orlando for a long time, so we got the right partner at the right time,” Dyer said.

A ribbon cutting on the first phase was scheduled for Friday morning with the mayor and Commissioner Robert F. Stuart, but it was postponed to June 4.

According to the city of Orlando, crews are finishing up landscaping on the property and said the parking area still needs to be repaved.

However, the city said the work should not delay applications for future residents.

According to developers, the average for a studio will go as low as $750 with utilities included.


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About the Author

Ezzy Castro is a multimedia journalist on News 6's morning team who has a passion for telling the stories of the people in the Central Florida community. Ezzy worked at WFOR CBS4 in South Florida and KBMT in Beaumont, Texas, where she covered Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Being from Miami, Ezzy loves Cuban coffee and croquetas!

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