The most-famous bit of modernist blight in Orlando history turned 21 this year.
The Majesty Building — better known as the “I-4 Eyesore” because building’s that don’t open don’t get to choose their names — has been standing along the interstate near Altamonte Springs since January 2001.
As our bones creak in our office chairs, we here at Orlando Weekly know that time can be a funny thing. 21 years is hard to conceptualize as a hard number, especially as the exponential progress of the ’90s and ’00s has given way to the holding pattern of the last decade and change.
With that in mind, we decided to come up with a list of 21 things that are younger than the Majesty building, to really put how much time has passed into perspective.
The Holy Land Experience
This Christian theme park lived an entire life in the span of the Eyesore’s ongoing construction. It opened in February 2001, fell onto hard times, became a once-or-twice a year phenomenon for tax reasons and then finally closed with a sale to AdventHealth last year.
Photo by Zfigueroa/Wikimedia CommonsMayor Dyer’s Reign
It may feel like Buddy has always been in City Hall, but he actually became mayor in 2003.
Photo via Buddy Dyer/FacebookLegoland Florida
It might feel like just yesterday that this red-headed stepchild of the theme parks opened, but it’s actually been over a decade. Still no word on the completion of the Majesty building.
Photo via LegolandBillie Eilish
The chart-topper was born nearly a year after construction started.
Photo via Instagram/Billie EilishOlivia Rodrigo
The “Good For You” singer is even younger, having come into the world a full two years after the Majesty building construction began.
Photo via Olivia Rodrigo/InstagramThe Mall at Millenia
It may feel like this mega-mall has always existed but it actually opened in October 2002, nearly two years after ground broke on the Majesty building.
Photo via Mall at Millenia/FacebookJalen Suggs and Franz Wagner
Both of the Orlando Magic’s most-recent draft picks are younger than the Majesty building.
Photo via Orlando Magic/TwitterWinter the Dolphin
The star who changed the fortunes of Clearwater Marine Aquarium was rescued in 2005. The dolphin lived to the ripe old age of 16 and never saw the completed Majesty building.
Photo via Facebook/Clearwater Marine AquariumDr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
The Dr. Phil (and it’s long-awaited, acoustically supercharged hall) have both opened in the span between the Majesty building’s groundbreaking and today.
Photo by Matt LehmanDiagon Alleyvia4chan
The lawless outpost that begat some of the internet’s most vile movements was founded in 2003.
Photo via AdobeUncle Lou’s
Not only is the Majesty building older than this punk mainstay, it pre-dates Will’s Pub’s move into the Mills 50 neighborhood.
Photo by Jen CrayThe Wheel at ICON Park
Here’s another Orlando landmark that’s better known by another name than it’s official moniker. The Orlando Eye first opened in 2015.
Photo via Rev Stan/Wikimedia CommonsYouTube
The video streaming platform was founded in 2005.
Photo via AdobeSeasons 52
The Orlando-based chain was founded in 2003.
Photo via Google MapsThe iPod
Do we need to add that this also means the Majesty building is older than the iPhone?
Photo via AdobeLegal same-sex marriage in all 50 states
Obergefell v. Hodges made same-sex marriages legal in the United States in 2015.Baldwin Park
Developers managed to fabricate an entire neighborhood before the Majesty building was completed.
Photo via AdobeFacebook
Mark Zuckerberg just wanted to be a creep about the girl’s on his college campus and he ended up ruining journalism, democracy and your grandparents. The Majesty building was half-there for it all.
(In fact, it was there for the creation of Twitter and MySpace.)
Photo via AdobeThe longest war in American history
The War in Afghanistan started and ended under the watchful, hollow eyes of the Majesty building. The building actually pre-dates 9/11, the War on Terror and the advent of our roided-out surveillance state.
Photo via AdobePodcasts
Office workers would have had a boring couple of years if the Majesty building stayed on schedule. Podcasting as we know it didn’t come into play until 2004.
Photo via Adobe
