College Park

[prahaboheme]

3 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

I suspect, more than anything else, it's a case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." While I also think it would be a great idea, after surviving the road diet and Wellesley/Princeton battles, I think there was a call for a separate peace.

After a few years, I think we can revisit it as the neighborhood continues to move forward. Since both Buddy and Robert Stuart are longtime residents, I think they are cautious about rocking their neighbors' boats.

In some ways it's a lot like the Audubon Park Sidewalk War. In that one, Patty had to get herself redistricted and the retired military folks had to die off or move to Brevard before something as simple as sidewalks could be allowed.

This makes a lot of sense. It's important to step back and remember that Orlando growth has largely outpaced the influence of the older residents of some of these neighborhoods. 

[Universe_Explorer]

I'm a proud College Park resident, and fairly active within the community there.  Most of the newer residents (myself included) are young families or couples that have outgrown downtown condo/apts but still want to live in the city.  I think the priority placed on urbanism by new CP residents and existing Mills 50 residents is part of why the Edgewater/Ivanhoe/Virginia commercial area is thriving.  The long-term CP folks are the ones that groan about new development.  That said, I think most would embrace streetscape and beautification along Edgewater, but there are logistical issues (cost and space being the biggest - the south portion of the road has a narrow ROW and I'm not sure how far they could cut into the existing street). 

[WAJAS]

20 hours ago, dcluley98 said:

Edgewater is really one of the best things that CP has going for it. It isn't downtown, but it has its own downtown feel on the main strip around Princeton. Good options for stores/restaurants, decent parks, and good scale, "not quite urban" living with fairly immediate access to the downtown and creative village area without getting on a limited access highway. There are a lot of pluses to the area, and it would be one of the main places I would be looking if I still wanted to try to buy a home in central Florida in the coming years. 

And it will be the ideal location for someone who doesn't want to live in downtown but still have all the nice features of one once the Lymmo expansion is finally built.

[nite owℓ]

Not the best composition, but I managed to take a few snaps while driving by...

 

Rendering:

[bqknight]

3 hours ago, nite owℓ said:

Not the best composition, but I managed to take a few snaps while driving by...

 

Rendering:

You can tell I am contemplating moving...

They anticipate first move-ins to be mid-September with 1/1s going from $1500-$1850. 

[JFW657]

Report on Packing District on Ch 9 earlier...

http://www.wftv.com/video?videoId=807623315&videoVersion=1.0  (video)

[sunshine]

It is a great idea.  The layout seems urban but not dense enough. But since this is Orlando, you know that they are going to be mostly consisting of small building with road frontage parking lots.

With this park, I hope they would design it into more of a grand central park like setting instead looking like a community center.

 

 

[spenser1058]

While thinking about College Park finally getting a Y (it's been discussed for ages, almost ever since the Sterchi Family Center was built on Mills), it occurred to me that CP (and for that matter the 17-92 corridor through WP and Maitland) does not have a Target.

The closest ones are either Altamonte, Casselberry or across from the remains of Fashion Square.

That seems like an awful lot of, ummmm, unTargeted disposable income. Given Target's fondness for their new smaller format stores, I wonder what locations might be feasible for them to add another store or stores?

 

[sunshine]

I would put a Target in Winter Park or downtown before College Park.

[JFW657]

14 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

While thinking about College Park finally getting a Y (it's been discussed for ages, almost ever since the Sterchi Family Center was built on Mills), it occurred to me that CP (and for that matter the 17-92 corridor through WP and Maitland) does not have a Target.

The closest ones are either Altamonte, Casselberry or across from the remains of Fashion Square.

That seems like an awful lot of, ummmm, unTargeted disposable income. Given Target's fondness for their new smaller format stores, I wonder what locations might be feasible for them to add another store or stores?

It would probably have to be somewhere up around Edgewater and Lee Rd for CP.

WP looks to have more possibilities. 

[bqknight]

16 minutes ago, sunshine said:

I would put a Target in Winter Park or downtown before College Park.

The SoDo Target is "downtowns" you'd think. There is also one on Colonial, although it's not a Super Target. 

I'm shocked there isn't one up near Lee Road but I could easily see one being built there now that whole area is being built up. 

[spenser1058]

50 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

It would probably have to be somewhere up around Edgewater and Lee Rd for CP.

WP looks to have more possibilities. 

Good point. I was sort of surprised they didn't jump on something at Ravaudage or the redo of the shopping center where the Park Theaters were.

College Park would get some benefit along with downtown if they do something at CV or the Sentinel lots. They could also do something on 441 in conjunction with the Packing District . That would still be closer to CP than the Walmart at Princeton and JYP (which still seems like an odd place for a Walmart to me but what do I know...)

Edited October 29, 2018 by spenser1058

[JFW657]

Yeah, I meant to include the NOBT and Princeton area as another possibility for CP, but it slipped my mind. Not sure how good of a location that would be, what with the Walmart so close by.

Looks like there are still plenty of open parcels around Rauvadage. Maybe even something over on Aloma between Lakemont and Semoran.

[Universe_Explorer]

Probably belongs in Rauvadage, although I'm not sure how my CPer's would use it. Conversely, a smaller Target store in the Creative Village/UCF area could work well after all the housing is filled up. Most of my neighbors seem fine using the SODO or Fashion Square stores, with the Princeton St Walmart (and Amazon) filling the needs that target otherwise provides...

One a side note, The Princeton and The Yard seem like the slowest moving apt developments I've ever seen.  At least The Yard is all concrete so they've got an excuse, I feel like the Princeton could've been done a year ago but it's still a ways off.  Church St Station will be topped off before people move into it

[spenser1058]

2 hours ago, bqknight said:

The SoDo Target is "downtowns" you'd think. There is also one on Colonial, although it's not a Super Target. 

I'm shocked there isn't one up near Lee Road but I could easily see one being built there now that whole area is being built up. 

This may be more of a native thing, but there is traditionally a dividing line between those "North of Colonial" and "South of Colonial." Downtown was mostly neutral but folks NoC would be more likely to go to WP or even Altamonte than SoDo.

This was reinforced by things like your hospital: SoC was Orange Memorial and NoC was Florida San. High schools, too (at least after 1950): SoC went to Boone and NoC went to Edgewater.

Given that CP and the Delaney area have some of the larger concentrations of Orlando-born folks in town, it probably matters more in those 'hoods than elsewhere.

[bqknight]

2 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

This may be more of a native thing, but there is traditionally a dividing line between those "North of Colonial" and "South of Colonial." Downtown was mostly neutral but folks NoC would be more likely to go to WP or even Altamonte than SoDo.

This was reinforced by things like your hospital: SoC was Orange Memorial and NoC was Florida San. High schools, too (at least after 1950): SoC went to Boone and NoC went to Edgewater.

Given that CP and the Delaney area have some of the larger concentrations of Orlando-born folks in town, it probably matters more in those 'hoods than elsewhere.

I think that's still the case. If you live North of Colonial, it's pretty unlikely you end up in SoDo. Living in DT, I visit both quite frequently. Just depends on what else I need to do. I prefer the SoDo one, mostly because of the "Super Target" brand instead of a regular Target. 

[spenser1058]

42 minutes ago, bqknight said:

I think that's still the case. If you live North of Colonial, it's pretty unlikely you end up in SoDo. Living in DT, I visit both quite frequently. Just depends on what else I need to do. I prefer the SoDo one, mostly because of the "Super Target" brand instead of a regular Target. 

Same here - I live downtown and my default for stuff has been to go north (or east toward Colonialtown) but my "official" Target is SoDo because it's on the way home from work out in the tourist zone.  

Plus, Jernigan's been preaching that SoDo is the place to be all these years - how could I not believe!?! <g>

Edited October 29, 2018 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

More details on the Y in the Packing District (or Fairvilla, if you prefer.)

Dr. Phillips Charities is definitely spending some coin on this.

https://bungalower.com/2018/11/26/ymca-opening-location-in-the-new-packing-district/

From Bungalower:

[AndyPok1]

On 10/29/2018 at 1:10 PM, spenser1058 said:

This may be more of a native thing, but there is traditionally a dividing line between those "North of Colonial" and "South of Colonial." Downtown was mostly neutral but folks NoC would be more likely to go to WP or even Altamonte than SoDo.

This is definitely still a thing.  When I was at 55W, I always went to SoDo.  Conversely, my ex who lived in a bungalow 2 blocks north of Lake Eola would always go to Fashion Square.

[codypet]

13 minutes ago, AndyPok1 said:

This is definitely still a thing.  When I was at 55W, I always went to SoDo.  Conversely, my ex who lived in a bungalow 2 blocks north of Lake Eola would always go to Fashion Square.

So the dividing line is Robinson?

[AndyPok1]

12 minutes ago, codypet said:

So the dividing line is Robinson?

I think so, thought it could even be Central.  It really just comes down to how much of the CBD traffic lights you are willing to withstand. 

A quick jaunt down Livingston/Amelia from the north side, what are you hitting, 3 stoplights, maybe 4 (Summerlin, Mills, Fern Creek, Bumby); 
Conversely going south from CBD you're gonna hit at minimum 9?  (Pine, Church, Jackson, South, Anderson, Lucerne, Gore, Miller, Kaley);
However, if you try going north from CBD, you're gonna hit at least 11 (Pine/Garland, Central/Garland, Washington/Garland, Robinson/Garland, Robinson/Orange, Magnolia, Rosalind, Summerlin, Mills, Fern Creek, Bumby)

@dwSouthEola you're a good test case.  What direction do you tend to go for "chains"... Colonialtown or SoDo?

Edited November 29, 2018 by AndyPok1
adding line breaks for readability

[dcluley98]

I don't think Robinson is Dividing Line. I think Colonial and the 408 are. If you live anywhere in between, you may go to both areas. If you live north of Colonial, you will very rarely go to SoDo. I can't speak for SoDo residents, since I have never lived down there, but most people I know go to the Target and Publix around Michigan/Grant. Way easier than the DT Publix. I live in SteelHouse and go to the Shine Publix and Maguire Target.  I have been to mostly all of these stores before, but those are my go-tos.  Although, thinking about hitting CP Publix more often because the old Shine one just sucks. 

What really sucks is HD.  Takes forever to get to the one on Colonial and the Lee Rd one is a crapshoot depending on I-4. (I tend to avoid I-4 on weekdays as much as possible). 

 

Edited November 29, 2018 by dcluley98

[jrs2]

19 hours ago, dcluley98 said:

I don't think Robinson is Dividing Line. I think Colonial and the 408 are. If you live anywhere in between, you may go to both areas. If you live north of Colonial, you will very rarely go to SoDo. I can't speak for SoDo residents, since I have never lived down there, but most people I know go to the Target and Publix around Michigan/Grant. Way easier than the DT Publix. I live in SteelHouse and go to the Shine Publix and Maguire Target.  I have been to mostly all of these stores before, but those are my go-tos.  Although, thinking about hitting CP Publix more often because the old Shine one just sucks. 

What really sucks is HD.  Takes forever to get to the one on Colonial and the Lee Rd one is a crapshoot depending on I-4. (I tend to avoid I-4 on weekdays as much as possible). 

 

So...have you been on the newest realignment of the exit ramps heading EB on I-4 yet?  It looks like you can get on I-4 EB on the ramp at Ivanhoe, it separates you from I-4 traffic as you approach Princeton.  If you stay to the left, it takes you to Par, all the while separated out from I-4's general use lanes.  If you stay to the left still, it takes you to Fairbanks.  What I don't know is whether it takes you all the way to lee Road if you stay to the left at Fairbanks.

[dcluley98]

Not since they opened new dedicated lanes yet. I saw on the plans there is direct lane connection from Colonial to Princeton, but haven't been NB in a couple of months. Theoretically, once this is done you can be on I-4 from Colonial to Princeton, without really being on I-4 thru-lanes. They are fixing the stack at Princeton as well. This will be a huge improvement and keep local traffic from clogging up the through traffic. I imagine once it is done, it will be a lot easier for me to just jump on and up to Princeton or Lee Road. 

[codypet]

14 hours ago, jrs2 said:

So...have you been on the newest realignment of the exit ramps heading EB on I-4 yet?  It looks like you can get on I-4 EB on the ramp at Ivanhoe, it separates you from I-4 traffic as you approach Princeton.  If you stay to the left, it takes you to Par, all the while separated out from I-4's general use lanes.  If you stay to the left still, it takes you to Fairbanks.  What I don't know is whether it takes you all the way to lee Road if you stay to the left at Fairbanks.

You can't get to Lee yet.  My understanding is the through lanes will be moved to the new section south of Lee Road.  That should be around the turn of the year.  That way from Fairbanks to Maitland you'll be on the new road.   I know they're planning on widening the Princeton, Par, and Formosa bridges to accommodate all the EB traffic.

13 hours ago, dcluley98 said:

Not since they opened new dedicated lanes yet. I saw on the plans there is direct lane connection from Colonial to Princeton, but haven't been NB in a couple of months. Theoretically, once this is done you can be on I-4 from Colonial to Princeton, without really being on I-4 thru-lanes. They are fixing the stack at Princeton as well. This will be a huge improvement and keep local traffic from clogging up the through traffic. I imagine once it is done, it will be a lot easier for me to just jump on and up to Princeton or Lee Road. 

The flyover at Colonial has structural problems and FDOT isn't letting SGL open it.  It was supposed to open in February.  That's the bridge that Channel 2 and Channel 9 initially confused with the ped bridge and reported for a while that the ped bridge was unsafe.  They've since realized corrected their mistake.