The Orange County Commission's late-night Thursday vote to build a new arena for the Orlando Magic means more than giving the team a new place to play. It ensured a lifetime of Magic here.
"The team is now here for its entire life -- beyond the 25 years that's in the lease," Magic Chief Executive Officer Alex Martins said.
For the Central Florida Sports Commission, the 5-2 decision means its healthy list of potential events for Orlando to host now becomes target practice for aggressive sales pitches.
"We can now move forward with a plan on securing the nation's most coveted sporting events. This moves us to the next tier of events," said John Saboor, CFSC's executive director. "It allows us to move from what has been a great record of success in hosting good sporting events to a place where we now will become a portal for the nation's greatest sporting events."