The Plaza

[nite owℓ]

I was taking a trip down memory lane, looking at some uploads of the various stages of the Solaire being built. I lived in Winter Park, so I missed the construction boom downtown. Hard to remember what downtown looked like before!

I'm writing this because I came accross a group discussion between friggingr8est, javalady1, buldogger, about investors/speculators buying up condo units & driving up the demand/prices for these new condos. I wonder how they feel today, after what the economy went through with condos being the hardest hit, & knowing what we know now...

Here's an Excerpt:

Investors are entreprenuers? In this case, I would say the developers are the entreprenuers.

What does a democracy have to do with glutony? Besides, we also live in a partially socialist country anyway. And free enterprise system? Somewhat. Monopolies are part of a free enterprise system. They are usually stopped by our government. We have a 'modified' free enterprise system.

The personal investor buying up condos are not the big investment banks that put these projects up. If there are waits to get into the reasonably priced condos, then someone else could have bought a home for themselves and lived in it. Instead, we have a lot of condos in downtown that are owned by people that will never live there and will not care for the buildings. I hope the condo fees keep these buildings clean, because we all know that neighborhoods with high rental rates are not kept up. Look at Parramore as a prime example. The investor in this scenario has also driven the price up because it has created a false demand. It is what has helped inflate the bubble that Bush seems to think is done deflating.

Pop.

Investors are entreprenuers. They are visionary and foward thinking. The growth of the nation has been driven by entreprenuers for ages. Not to mention, we are a democracy based on free enterprise. Without investors, many many projects would never get out of the ground in the first place. Growth is contagious. Investors are a big part of the reason why you have the great city that you have today.

I thought you were kidding around, but I guess you werent. My condos are MY business, not yours. You could have bought one just like I did, and guess what, someone will be living in my condo, a renter who deserves to live downtown like anyone else. Because of developers turning rental buildings into condos, there is a huge shortage of rentals downtown. I do not buy my condos to flip. I never sold a single unit to this day. To say that someone that invests does not care about the building is insane. If the building goes down the tubes, so does your investment. I also bought with the intention of keeping one for myself. But, why do I have to expain myself to you or anyone. Cry your sour grapes socialist BS on someone elses shoulders.

[John Hargrove]

I too like to look at these old threads. I also moved here after the boom and missed a lot of this stuff happening. I especially love this picture:

No Solaire/Plaza/55 West/Amway Center.

What a difference 6 years makes. Hopefully we can get out of this slump and be as impressed by pictures of 2011 in 2021 as we are of pictures of 2001 in 2011.

[tc01]

You can say that again, I myself miss thoes days too.

[Tim3167]

Ha, that pic looks familiar and it does bring back memories.

[prahaboheme]

Orlando's golden days? I do wonder when we'll see another dense "Plaza-esque" development rise in the core.

[John Hargrove]

Orlando's golden days? I do wonder when we'll see another dense "Plaza-esque" development rise in the core.

DPAC + Commercial developments on the adjacent lot.

Now if it would just _happen_.

[bic]

It's been 23 years since Orlando had a new tallest building downtown...I think it's time for a new icon.

[John Hargrove]

It's been 23 years since Orlando had a new tallest building downtown...I think it's time for a new icon.

Yeah ... I wish. Won't happen until the downtown office space is filled up, though. I haven't heard anything about that in several months.

I personally lease office space for my company in the plaza south tower, and we're expanding our space and moving to a different floor because our floor is full.

I want to say things are looking up, but I honestly haven't seen any numbers on this.

[bulldogger]

I was taking a trip down memory lane, looking at some uploads of the various stages of the Solaire being built. I lived in Winter Park, so I missed the construction boom downtown. Hard to remember what downtown looked like before!

I'm writing this because I came accross a group discussion between friggingr8est, javalady1, buldogger, about investors/speculators buying up condo units & driving up the demand/prices for these new condos. I wonder how they feel today, after what the economy went through with condos being the hardest hit, & knowing what we know now...

Here's an Excerpt:

I feel the same way. The prices have come down and seem to have leveled off, but Orlando is still not ready to climb back up yet. If the prices remain close to their current levels, we may see a small pop as some of the promised venues and amenities come online. The Publix, movie theater, and new arena are here. Waiting on SunRail and DPAC to round out the promises. Until the condos fill up, there won't be enough weekend daytime pedestrian traffic to sustain more businesses.

If the prices weren't inflated from the investor buyers, perhaps some people teetering on the idea of moving downtown could have put more bodies in the buildings and therefore down on the streets. Since the crash, people have been slow to buy and with good reasoning.

There's really no way of knowing what could have happened. The parts are still coming together, though.

I can tell you this. The foot traffic in downtown Miami / Brickell is amazing now. They have smaller projects coming out of the ground in the area, too.

[alex]

It's been 23 years since Orlando had a new tallest building downtown...I think it's time for a new icon.

Hopefully Creative Village will have that building. It's far from the Executive Airport and the preliminary sketches make it look possible.

[bulldogger]

Urban Flats is going under.

Urban Flats files for bankruptcy

[smileguy]

Chase is going to open a branch on Magnolia and bought naming rights to the building.

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2011/10/18/the-plaza-to-get-chase-bank-branch.html?ed=2011-10-18&s=article_du&ana=e_du_pub

[klstorey]

So I guess the old rumors of a McDonald's aren't going to come true. While I am glad to see a new bank branch downtown (esp from Chase who seems to have been afraid of both downtown Orlando and Tampa) we still need a few more cheaper chains downtown. I think Chase Plaza is also a nice change as this should help stop some of the confusion outsiders have between the Plaza downtown and the live theater of the same name on Bumby.

[John Hargrove]

It's official. 7-Eleven to the Plaza:

[nite owℓ]

1) E Colonial & Magnolia

2) N Summerlin Ave in Thornton Park

3) W Church St

and now # 4) Orange ave at the Plaza?

I know convenience stores are necessities but this seems a little excessive. They must be doing pretty well

[Jernigan]

I think they'll probably do okay - but they are going to be set for a while. Still think that a Walgreens or CVS would be a goldmine in the CBD and be used by the 9-5 crowd plus by the residents in the evenings.

[John Hargrove]

^^^ Yes please. I would really like a CVS/Walgreens downtown. It's one of those must-haves that is missing from our core.

[spenser1058]

OBJ's take:

7-Eleven moving into The Plaza

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2011/11/7-eleven-moving-into-the-plaza.html

[DeepEyez]

Let's hope that we can see more development downtown. Chase Plaza just may shake things up.

[smileguy]

It looks like the Plaza wants to put a 400sft video board on the South tower facing Orange Avenue. Here's what I can pull out of the Historic Preservation Board staff report.

The applicant (RP Realty Partners) is requesting a Major Certificate of Appropriateness to install a digital screen on the curved façade of the south tower generally facing Orange Avenue.

The sign is proposed to be mounted on the south and is centered on two of the columns and mounted 29’-3” above the ground.. The sign is supported by steel arms that are connected to steel support columns that are mounted to concrete beams above and below. The southern tree partially blocks the view of the area of the proposed sign and the proposal shows that the tree will be trimmed.

What do you think:

Staff is suggesting denial of this application mostly due the following clause in the downtown Special Signage District. Digital screens must be flush with the building façade, architecturally integrated into the building onto which it is affixed, and oriented towards the pedestrian and not passing motorists.

[prahaboheme]

I think it will be visually interesting -- hopefully they can work within the city's approval measures to gain the green light.

[mrh3]

Definitely a great revenue source for RP Realty, but I understand the ordinances function. Perhaps when the ordinance was instituted no one realized that a curvilinear facade would be constructed. As for the pedestrian interface rather than that of motorists, I can fully understand the need to minimize distractions. Ironically, bigger would probably be better in that it would require less effort to focus one's attention while simulateously driving/texting/eating/looking for parking/talking etc...

Edited February 28, 2012 by mrh3

[jgardnerucf]

What are the rules for the News13 scrolling marquee and giant screen? What is the difference?

[smileguy]

I looked in the windows in the Chase space on Magnolia the other day, and there was no sign of any build-out. In fact, the floors are still dirt. Does anyone know when this is supposed to be built? After this, there are only 2 more spaces, I believe, on the gound floor of the Plaza (large space next to Urban Flats and small space betwen Mochi and 7-11.

[smileguy]

I walked was walking through the Plaza this morning, and it looks like another retail space is being filled - the one tucked behind the escalator on the first floor of the North Tower. According to the permit paperwork and a set of construction plans in the window, its going to be a Hertz Car Rental branch. This seems like there are a couple of logistical hurdles with the parking garage, but apparently they've got a plan.

Now Chase needs to open their space on Magnolia (still nothing has happened) and the space on Church needs to be leased and the Plaza retail will be full for the first time.