Jump to content

Orlando Skyhouse Apartments


prahaboheme

Recommended Posts

Anyone know what they are doing with the bricks from the street? I'd love to see them used in the building, a brick wall in the retail would be nice.

I would love to see something that celebrates the shape of that lot, and takes the footprint vertical - wishful thinking... I suppose whatever goes up will be a box.

I'd love to see a convenient store/drug store (I suspect within the next few years we'll see Walgreens enter downtown), a 24hr diner (perfect across from the courthouse, near a church, and with lots of residents around), and a dry cleaners (I can't recall if there is one in the courthouse complex but if not there needs to be one nearby).

I think a drugstore may try to be more centrally located downtown - 55 West or the Plaza - for both daytime and nighttime traffic. There is a drive-through dry cleaner just a block from there, where Rosalind swings west. With the church expanding/modernizing, this should help the vacant block feel more underused.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Replies 246
  • Created
  • Last Reply

While SkyHouse isn't that tall it will dramatically change the feel of that area and will bring some street level interest and reasons to walk that far north. The key is the retail to be open late. Looks to be three main retail shells. I'd love to see a convenient store/drug store (I suspect within the next few years we'll see Walgreens enter downtown), a 24hr diner (perfect across from the courthouse, near a church, and with lots of residents around), and a dry cleaners (I can't recall if there is one in the courthouse complex but if not there needs to be one nearby).

Acme dry cleaner is right across the street on Rosalind. 1 block north of Robinson.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Acme is probably the oldest dry cleaner in town (they go back to the '20s) and just about the best. They are definitely not the cheapest but the family knows the business. I suspect they have cornered much of the market on the FFO business. The main facility is over on N. Westmoreland. If a dry cleaner can be an icon in town, they are it (although the store on Rosalind was originally McDuff Cleaners, another long-timer in the business.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My bad, totally forgot about them. And just the other day I stopped by there and took a photo of their mural. I don't know why I forgot about them.

I was just thinking of stuff that would benefit from the courthouse across the street. Maybe the gym will move and then that lot could be refurbished, actually the if the gym and Acme both moved that would open up some good space for new buildings in that section of downtown.

P8240138.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

what is the building just south of Acme? the one in that in the giant parking lot right across from the gym? That corner lot should have a really nice tall building. Theres plenty of parking around it too.

What I wonder is what to do with that triangular piece of land just north of Acme and east of where skyhouse will be. On one side it has small residential houses, on the other Rosalind which may as well be a highway with the way motorists drive through it. No way people will want to cross that street or walk around much in that area.

This area:

IMG_1988.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seeing the palleted bricks makes me think that maybe Palmetto St will return as a bricked road. The city recently did some road work around Lake Cherokee - all of the bricks were pallated and the same bricks were reused after construction was completed. If they were going to pave Palmetto wouldn't they just dump all of the bricks into a dumpster rather than neatly stacking them? I wish the city would restore more of the bricked roads downtown, it really adds to the character of a neighborhood.

Btw, ACME is one of the few eco-friendly drycleaners in town.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seeing the palleted bricks makes me think that maybe Palmetto St will return as a bricked road. The city recently did some road work around Lake Cherokee - all of the bricks were pallated and the same bricks were reused after construction was completed. If they were going to pave Palmetto wouldn't they just dump all of the bricks into a dumpster rather than neatly stacking them? I wish the city would restore more of the bricked roads downtown, it really adds to the character of a neighborhood.

I know the City established a full-time brick street crew a few years back... I wouldn't be surprised if these pavers went into other Downtown streets as they're refurbished/repaired. Recently, they've been putting asphalt patches on some streets in Eola Heights as a temporary fix until there are enough "problem areas" to go through and re-lay the street.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read a piece recently that used Mariposa as an example of a successfully redone brick street; it seems it's all about whether they take the time to do the proper work at the base. If true, Mariposa is wonderful. Conversely, N Eola Drive at E Washington St is a mess, as is Mills between Central Blvd and South St. When Glenda was mayor, they touted some new device that increased their ability to remove asphalt much more quickly. Unfortunately, it seems to have just taken off the pavement without preparing the base and those streets are among the worst imho. Although I understand that the bricks are a traffic calming device, I still question the wisdom of them on major through streets like Summerlin and Mills. The bricks (or the base beneath) do not seem to handle heavy traffic (like the daily onslaught of school buses around Howard) very well. Even observing the speed limits, the suspension of my cars during the last 15 years or so have taken a beating from daily driving on the worst streets. The bricks are also a major pain for those with road bikes (other than Livingston with its concrete shoulders for cyclists.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The bricks are also a major pain for those with road bikes (other than Livingston with its concrete shoulders for cyclists.)

Those bricks are a beotch to run on, too. But I love 'em anyway. Whenever I have out-of-town guests, they're always surprised by the brick streets. They say that Orlando seems so new (especially from an out-of-towner's perspective) but the brick streets look historic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know the City established a full-time brick street crew a few years back... I wouldn't be surprised if these pavers went into other Downtown streets as they're refurbished/repaired. Recently, they've been putting asphalt patches on some streets in Eola Heights as a temporary fix until there are enough "problem areas" to go through and re-lay the street.

I think they are kept at a storage depot somewhere just for that purpose. They certainly don't go in a dumpster, as they are around a hundred years old or more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What about the views...

North: North Orange ave, maybe Lake Ivanhoe, high profile murder cases up high at the courthouse.

East: Nice sunrise at least, eh, 2 parking garages, The Vue blocking the view, also 5/3 building, obstructed Lake Eola. :-(

South: Direct shot at Aspire, eh, however, might have best views of downtown core. (Can't wave to Castorvx though, obstructed 55west view).

West: Where I'm kinda torn; BOA in direct sunset, factor what side you stay on north or south and you get the stair effect sunset from it. Can't see CV.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What about the views...

North: North Orange ave, maybe Lake Ivanhoe, high profile murder cases up high at the courthouse.

East: Nice sunrise at least, eh, 2 parking garages, The Vue blocking the view, also 5/3 building, obstructed Lake Eola. :-(

South: Direct shot at Aspire, eh, however, might have best views of downtown core. (Can't wave to Castorvx though, obstructed 55west view).

West: Where I'm kinda torn; BOA in direct sunset, factor what side you stay on north or south and you get the stair effect sunset from it. Can't see CV.

You can't see Castorvx from Skyhouse?! Why would anyone want to live there? :dontknow:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

More news on SkyHouse --

We got a developer shout out in GlobeSt: Downtown Orlando is "one of the best walkable districts in the Southeast."

http://www.globest.com/news/12_432/orlando/multifamily/Novare-Batson-Cook-Building-63M-SkyHouse-Orlando-Multifamily-324877.html

Ironically, SkyHouse will occupy the least walkable part of that district.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.