The Plaza

[Cleaver5]

Walked by today and it looks like the Bola Italian restaurant is about halfway through buildout. Anyone know anything about Bola?

[jack]

I think there is one on I Drive or Kirkman. I see it from I-4 when I am heading West

[FLKP]

It looks cool:

www.bolaristorante.com

[FrigginGr8est]

For those on the board that said that DT needs new condos in the $250 sq ft range:

http://realnews-mail.com/email_proofs/solaire/06/index.html

At least the developer is doing what needs to be done to move the remaining inventory and add new residents to DT. Now if 55W dropped their prices to around $250 a sq ft......

[RedStar25]

Sigh... remeber when they were going for $180 a sqf?

[bulldogger]

[FLKP]

......and before you know it, we will be saying: "Rememebr when we could get them for only $300 per sf"

Smart people are buying; not selling.

[RedStar25]

......and before you know it, we will be saying: "Rememebr when we could get them for only $300 per sf"

Smart people are buying; not selling.

Very true

[Jerrod]

The guy at the auction told me that the movie theater is set to open memorial day...anyone else hear this? He said that he has been in there and that buildout continues in the nighttime. He also said that tenants such as Coldstone and NYPD Pizza are waiting to open until the theater opens. Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

I've heard from several of the businesses the same thing. Memorial Day. I also asked some of the area administrators from AMC and they concur but they all seem a little skeptical about it. AMC puts grand openings on it's site usually two months prior to opening so maybe we'll hear something official soon.

If you look behind the plywood barrier there seems like a pretty good amount of work to be done structurally (windows, cabinets, painting, etc.) Which I think think they shouldn't have a problem getting done but I never see anyone working on it? Not to mention all the signage and projectors need to be installed, sound systems, etc. They have their work cut out for them. I sure would like the chance to see Indiana Jones here though.

[neon9]

......and before you know it, we will be saying: "Rememebr when we could get them for only $300 per sf"

Smart people are buying; not selling.

uh, what year do you think that will be?

[FLKP]

2009

[Camillo Sitte]

2009

You giving odds - if so what's the spread?

I'll take $5,000 on the over-under for 2012.

[bulldogger]

Everyone knows the amenities promised by the city and the region include:

grocery store (Publix)

movie theater (AMC)

commuter rail (and stations)

new arena

modern Performing Arts Center

upgraded stadium (not a major factor)

widening of I-4 (even further off)

***more retail???

By the time these are in place, it will probably be 2012 or so. Everything is a guess when it comes to the future, but I tend to agree with CS on this one. Prices will have to be lowered to meet current demand. There is still too much available and being built. There was a lot of talk a couple years ago about downtown Orlando coming to fruition. It will seem to all of a sudden happen. We are the ones watching it under a microscope. The average person in the Orlando metro could really care less. All they care about right now is what their house in the suburbs is worth and the cost of gas. When all of the amenities are located downtown in a few years, the average person will think it just popped up overnight.

I live in Eola Heights downtown and just picked up the newsletter this morning and they show RE listings in the neighborhood. It stated the average listing is 172 days. I'm not a real estate buff, so is that good or bad??? I don't think we've hit the trough yet.

Edited March 15, 2008 by bulldogger

[neon9]

I live in Eola Heights downtown and just picked up the newsletter this morning and they show RE listings in the neighborhood. It stated the average listing is 172 days. I'm not a real estate buff, so is that good or bad??? I don't think we've hit the trough yet.

I believe the average was around 30 days back in 2004 or so, so it sounds bad....

Edited March 15, 2008 by neon9

[bic]

Everyone knows the amenities promised by the city and the region include:

grocery store (Publix)

movie theater (AMC)

commuter rail (and stations)

new arena

modern Performing Arts Center

upgraded stadium (not a major factor)

widening of I-4 (even further off)

***more retail???

By the time these are in place, it will probably be 2012 or so.

Aside from the PAC and improvements to I-4, everything else should be online by 4th quarter 2010.

[bulldogger]

I believe the average was around 30 days back in 2004 or so, so it sounds bad....

so 2004 was about the peak?

I don't know why, but I'm skeptical about the arena being done on time. I've got nothing to go on other than my gut feeling.

[orlandonative]

^I wouldn't worry too much about it considering the Magic as an organizaton are covering the construction overruns. With Turner as the Project Manager and Hunt as the GC, add in HOK as the AOR and you have a very competent party.

[JRS1]

as for the cinema, all the wall are up; they've laid the foam (sound barrier) in each cinema in step fashion already. all they gotta do is finish each screen out, furnish, and then do the electronics... I've been told that they have buildout a few weeks ago. I'm also counting on an Indy outing there as well.

m

[prahaboheme]

indy flicks at an AMC?

[Jerrod]

indy flicks at an AMC?

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - May 22nd

All of AMC's new projects are completely digital projection. Wonder if these would be the same? I'm thinking the equipment would be more difficult to harvest considering the cost difference.

I've heard that AMC is not paying for the cost of any equipment so I hope they have enough money to make the memorial day opening a priority. I guess what I'm saying is I'm tired of dates being cyclically announced and not met by anything other than subsequent opening dates.

[RedStar25]

Walked around the plaza this morning and really enjoyed the activity at street level. However, and this is one of my biggest pet peves, the guys playing live music were playing way TO LOUD! You couldn't hear anything aside from them.

Edited March 16, 2008 by RedStar25

[lala67]

There was a lot of talk a couple years ago about downtown Orlando coming to fruition. It will seem to all of a sudden happen. We are the ones watching it under a microscope. The average person in the Orlando metro could really care less. All they care about right now is what their house in the suburbs is worth and the cost of gas. When all of the amenities are located downtown in a few years, the average person will think it just popped up overnight.

interesting you should bring this up. My mother in law and I went to the ballet today and she remarked how much DT has changed. A friend sent me this article today as well on the decline of suburban areas.

Is Suburbia Turning Into Sumburbia?

This inherent fragility [of building in the suburbs] springs from some of the same regulations that make suburbs easier to build and therefore better bets for developers. By definition, suburbs are zoned for residential single family or maybe residential low density multifamily. They don't require the complex planning or infrastructure building essential for commercial, industrial and high density housing. In many parts of the country — whether through state law or local ordinances — single family housing is the only new development that can be legally built. And because Fannie Mae will not finance rental developments that predict that more than 25 percent of the rent will come from nonresidential income, mixed use developments — like old fashioned main streets where apartments are built above the bakery and the butcher shop — are often perceived as more risky.

Maybe we'll see some relaxation by Fannie Mae to finance more infill and mixed use developments?

Edited March 17, 2008 by lala67

[Camillo Sitte]

I've heard that AMC is not paying for the cost of any equipment so I hope they have enough money to make the memorial day opening a priority. I guess what I'm saying is I'm tired of dates being cyclically announced and not met by anything other than subsequent opening dates.

AMC's agreement is just to manage whatever theater eventually gets built.

It's basically a case of, "Call us when the theater is ready to go and the City has cut the first years subsidy check.".

Edited March 17, 2008 by Camillo Sitte

[lala67]

so 2004 was about the peak?

I don't know why, but I'm skeptical about the arena being done on time. I've got nothing to go on other than my gut feeling.

I think things were just starting to take off in 2004. We bought our current place in April '04 just before things took off, sold our existing house in 1 day. Things went nuts after that. The peak probably came around late 2005/early 2006?

[MaXxlife]

By the time these are in place, it will probably be 2012 or so. Everything is a guess when it comes to the future, but I tend to agree with CS on this one. Prices will have to be lowered to meet current demand. There is still too much available and being built. There was a lot of talk a couple years ago about downtown Orlando coming to fruition. It will seem to all of a sudden happen. We are the ones watching it under a microscope. The average person in the Orlando metro could really care less. All they care about right now is what their house in the suburbs is worth and the cost of gas. When all of the amenities are located downtown in a few years, the average person will think it just popped up overnight.

I have thought this for some time and never really allowed any of the negative news that the local guys like to report about bother me. It seems that each time I walk downtown the pedestrian activity seems to get better. In my opinion, we have to give a lot of credit to Mr. Dyer and crew for having the vision to deliver us the active downtown that we see today.