Since July, crews have been rebuilding the west end of Church Street into the "festival street" the City of Orlando has planned for years. Meanwhile, nearly every fall change to downtown's restaurants and bars has happened a block or more away. On Orange Avenue, a hotel restaurant got a new name, while a sports bar opened on Central Boulevard and a late-night spot on Magnolia changed hands. Church Street itself has one confirmed newcomer on the way, and it's moving into a space that has had no tenant since 2020.
If you live downtown or come in for dinner and shows, the Church Street work explains why the rest of the map looks the way it does right now.
What's actually closed, and what isn't
Phase I runs on Church Street from Garland Avenue to the railroad tracks. The City of Orlando's project page says the road is being turned into a curbless, flexible-use street with two 11-foot travel lanes, a flush transition between the road and pedestrian space, semi-pervious paving, loading zones and room for landscaping. The city held the groundbreaking on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
The rules for getting around the work zone are simple, and most of them are good news for anyone on foot:
- The road closes block by block, fully from curb to curb, and some intersections may close for short periods.
- Sidewalks stay open the whole time, with occasional short detours at intersections.
- Crews usually work Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with some night or weekend work.
- Delivery trucks load and unload in available parking spaces.
- Trash and recycling pickup, mail delivery and emergency access continue on their normal schedules.
Put simply, cars get detoured but people on foot mostly don't. Businesses along the corridor are open during construction, and the city's downtown site has a See the Progress page where you can look up affected businesses and how to reach them.
This is the first of three phases:
| Phase | Stretch of Church Street | Timing the city has published |
|---|---|---|
| I | Garland Avenue to the railroad tracks | Under construction since July 7, 2026 |
| II | Railroad tracks to Orange Avenue | Follows Phase I |
| III | Orange Avenue to Magnolia Avenue | Anticipated complete in early summer 2028 |
The city lists a $5.2 million budget for Phase I. According to bid documents reviewed by Orlando Shine, Atlantic Civil Constructors Corp. bid $4,015,082.16 for the construction work. Orlando Shine says the gap between the two figures likely covers design, contingency and other costs that aren't construction.
The finish date depends on which document you read
The city's July groundbreaking notice expected Phase I to wrap up in winter 2026. Bungalower's July report used the same timeline. The city's project page, last updated July 28, shows an anticipated completion in the second quarter of 2027 and an expected duration of 8 to 10 months. On the same page, a separate line says construction will take about six months. An August report put the target at late 2026 or early 2027.
Today is October 12, about three months after the groundbreaking. The most recent status report we found, from September 4, said Phase I was underway and on schedule. So it's safe to count on the west end of Church Street being a work zone through the holidays, and possibly into spring. Two more phases follow before the whole corridor is finished in 2028.
That long timeline helps explain where downtown's newest spots opened this fall.
Where the fall changes actually landed
Here's every address-level change downtown since August that we could confirm:
| Address | What changed | When |
|---|---|---|
| 325 S. Orange Ave. | Grand Bohemian became Hotel Beauden, and The Boheme became Libra | Hotel rebrand Sept. 1 |
| 50 E. Central Blvd. | Reeves Sports Bar opened in the former Swiggs space | Soft opening Sept. 24 |
| 743 N. Magnolia Ave. | Los Tres Golpes closed and El Colmadón opened in its place | Closure announced Aug. 11 |
| 420 E. Church St. | Earthy Picks Vegan Cafe closed temporarily | Announced in late September |
| 55 W. Church St. | Tamara Heritage plans to open in the former Rusty Spoon and Elize space | Target is before the end of 2026 |
Only two of the five are on Church Street. One is a temporary closure on East Church, outside the stretch being rebuilt. The other is a planned opening that isn't here yet. The changes that are already open and serving happened on Orange Avenue, Central Boulevard and Magnolia Avenue.
Hotel Beauden kept the brunch
On Tuesday, September 1, 2026, the Grand Bohemian at 325 S. Orange Ave. started operating as Hotel Beauden. It remains part of Marriott's Autograph Collection. The restaurant got a new name too. The Boheme is now Libra.
Bungalower reported that readers' most common question was about the brunch. Sunday Jazz Brunch is staying, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with live entertainment, unlimited mimosas, a carving station, an omelet station, a cinnamon roll cart and a dessert wall.
The menu around it is new. Executive Chef Francisco Sillero is leading Libra with dishes inspired by Hispanic, Floridian and Asian flavors, including smoked crab dip with crispy wonton and seared salmon with poblano crema. The former Bösendorfer Lounge is now Bar Libra, serving cocktails and small plates daily from 11 a.m. to midnight. Libra serves breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 10 p.m.
Central Boulevard and Magnolia Avenue turned over fast
Reeves Sports Bar soft-opened Thursday, Sept. 24, at 50 E. Central Blvd., next to Casey's on Central. It's from Thriving Hospitality, the group behind Thrive, Lamp & Shade and Packwoods. Chef Ryan Stewart runs the kitchen, and the preview menu included buffalo hummus, wings brined for 24 hours and dry-rubbed, tuna nachos and cheesesteak egg rolls. As of the opening report, there was no date yet for a grand opening.
On North Magnolia, the change happened almost overnight. Los Tres Golpes announced on Tuesday, Aug. 11, that it was "closed until further notice." According to Bungalower, Ramón Tavarez kept the space at 743 N. Magnolia Ave. and reopened it as El Colmadón, open Thursday through Sunday from 4:30 p.m. until late. Bungalower also reported that the former partners described ending the brand as a mutual decision.
El Colmadón was serving from the Magnolia space within a week of the Aug. 11 closure, and Reeves moved into the former Swiggs space on Central. Both addresses sit outside the Phase I stretch of Church Street.
The one restaurant bet on Church Street
Tamara Heritage is planning to open at 55 W. Church St., in the space once home to The Rusty Spoon and later Elize. Orlando Weekly first reported it. The owners are Mandy and Gagan Singh, who already run Tamara Modern Indian Cuisine near Universal Orlando and Tamara Lake Mary. They described Heritage as a more upscale concept, with curated tasting and set menus, and said they hope to open before the end of the year.
The dining room has been empty since Elize closed in 2020. Bungalower's story pointed out that the lease arrives just as the city and its Community Redevelopment Agency move ahead with the festival street. It added that "one restaurant is not enough to declare Church Street 'back.'" A report published October 11 still said Tamara Heritage was set to open later in 2026, so it hasn't opened yet.
The city's stated goal for the redesign is to make Church Street better for walking, outdoor dining and events. Tamara Heritage is the first new operator to commit to the corridor while that work is underway.
A fall week downtown that skips the work zone
Because sidewalks stay open and crews mostly work on weekdays, weekend plans downtown don't change much. Here are stops spread across the week that use only this fall's new and renamed spots and never need a car on Church Street:
- Sunday late morning: Jazz Brunch at Libra, 325 S. Orange Ave., from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- Weekday coffee east of downtown: Koffee Sutra at 707 E. Washington St. in Thornton Park started a soft opening on Monday, Oct. 5, and the trial run is scheduled through Oct. 16.
- Game night: Reeves Sports Bar, 50 E. Central Blvd., which began its soft opening Sept. 24.
- Late Thursday through Sunday: El Colmadón, 743 N. Magnolia Ave., from 4:30 p.m. until late.
- Before the year ends: check for news of Tamara Heritage opening at 55 W. Church St.
If you'll be driving near the west end of Church Street on a weekday, the city recommends planning an alternate route because closures move block by block.
If you own downtown property, you've likely wondered what a festival street built over the next two years means for your block. When you want a local read on how projects like Church Street factor into your home's value, Sanchez Homes is happy to walk through it with you, in English or en español. Start with your free home valuation.
