'I-4 eyesore' construction could be completed this year, company says

Majesty Building in Altamonte has been under construction for 16 years

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. – The 18-story unfinished tower sitting off I-4 in Altamonte Springs has been nicknamed the "I-4 eyesore" because it's been under construction so long, but the president of the television station that owns the building said there’s a new completion date.

"That's our target, to finish by Thanksgiving Day, certainly by the end of this year," Claud Bowers said.

Bowers is the president of Superchannel 55, which broadcasts Christian programming.  The station has been funding the Majesty Building project for 16 years with donations.

"Back in the beginning, we always worked to do it debt free," Bowers said. “That’s the principal of the kingdom of God No. 1, No. 2 -- it's good business."

Superchannel appears to be solvent. According to 2014 tax returns, Superchannel has more than $36 million in assets.

The station is expected to receive another $20 million from the Federal Communications Commission, after scoring a winning bid in the spectrum incentive auction.

They also got money from the government for land needed for the I-4 expansion.

"There's always been a time when additional funds came in from unexpected sources and at key times,” Bowers said.

Years of construction have sparked frustration and criticism for some in the community. There is even a Facebook page called “Tear down the I-4 eyesore.”

“I realize it's there,” Bowers said.  “I understand, someone just driving by doesn’t know the story."

This is not the first time Bowers has said the building would be finished in a year. Work must continue on the property for the permits to remain open.


About the Author:

Emmy Award-winning reporter Louis Bolden joined the News 6 team in September of 2001 and hasn't gotten a moment's rest since. Louis has been a General Assignment Reporter for News 6 and Weekend Morning Anchor. He joined the Special Projects/Investigative Unit in 2014.