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Brookhaven Renovation


camstrang

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I came across a really cool redevelopment project near Lake Ivanhoe. It's on Brookhaven Drive (just south of Virginia near Orange, on the north end of Lake Highland Prep). The building was built in 1925, and it was most recently used as a printer. There's an ugly metal warehouse on the property that's being leveled, adding a 75-space parking lot. They're also completely renovating the building exterior, adding windows and moving the entrance, but the cool thing is they're keeping the open, old character of the interior largely intact. The floors are 9,000 SF each and have huge 16' ceiling with exposed brick walls, wood floors, open rafters. Very cool loft-style stuff that's really rare in Orlando. The bottom floor will be retail/showroom, and the top two will be offices. My company's actually leasing the top floor, which has a great view of the downtown skyline, so I'm kind of partial to the building. :)

Here's a rendering of the remodel. The current front of the buildling will now be the side. They're installing a completely new facade/entrance on the side where the new parking lot is going.

brookhaven.jpg

I have some other pics if anyone is interested. With this and the new Mills/Nebraska project, this part of town is really getting a facelift.

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It's a broad area but I think Orange from Magnolia all the way to Fairbanks plus The Virginia / Corrine from Orange to Baldwin Park all are prime areas to take off. This will infill between the Downtwon Orlando, WinterPark, and BaldwinPark.

The Downtown strategic plan has great expectations for the Orange/Lake Highland area; including a new road that parallels Orange from about Virginia and merging back into Orange near Marks. It runs right next to (on the east side) of the existing CSX line.

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Interesting. That's nice to know.

Speaking of CSX, I wonder if the tracks could ever be routed around downtown (instead of through). When I first moved dt, I lived adjacent to the tracks and the horns would drive me nuts. I got used to it, of course, but the CSX rails do impede development in certain areas. e.g. - a few lots around the Travelers building and around Ivanhoe. Is it even possible to move tracks?

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I would like to see more pics.

I drove by just the other day and remember I noticed this building. It's very striking.

Even though Brookhaven is largely industrial, I've always had the feeling it would make a great little bohemian art colony of some sort. I visualize theaters and galleries back there. The brick street is pretty because it curves and winds around and runs right into Virginia.

Even Virginia is ripe for possibilities. Although some nice businesses (like Logan's Bistro) have popped up, it's largely nondescript and cries out for landscaping or streetscaping of some sort. But it's a narrow street and there are all of these little buildings and businesses along the way. Virginia Drive between Mills and the lake could be so cool if someone with a vision would swoop down and buy a bunch of property, like Phil Rampy did in Thornton Park about 15 years ago. It could be Orlando's own Greenwich or SoHo.

As long as the medical business overflow from Fla. Hospital doesn't keep gobbling up land in that area, I'll be happy. There are already too many medical type businesses filtering down Orange Avenue and mixing with the antiques district. That also was an issue several years ago on Alden Drive (which runs parallel to Orange). There used to be a nice gallery back there (Flying Turtle Gallery?) and sometimes they had mini art/film festivals. Glenda Hood's administration was trying to encourage more arts businesses along Alden, but the property owners took exception because they were planning to reserve the land for future medical developments.

Regardless.... the above posted rendering of your office building is beautiful. Congrats and I'm sure you'll enjoy working in such an interesting setting.

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I ride by that area all the time on my bike... I love that building and have often wondered if it would ever be converted to great lofts... that will be a great place to work

I also love the area and if the OUC development ever happens it will be really do a lot for that whole region and it should really take off

thanks for the info

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