Uptown

[jgardnerucf]

Y'all up there just need to pray for a baby wal-mart or city target on the sentinel property.

[jrs2]

They should build a “stacked” shopping complex like the one off Dale Mabry in Tampa with a garage, similar to that Metrorail Dadeland North station.  Maybe they should do that at the Lynx Central property next to Crescent Central.

[klstorey]

10 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

They should build a “stacked” shopping complex like the one off Dale Mabry in Tampa with a garage, similar to that Metrorail Dadeland North station.  Maybe they should do that at the Lynx Central property next to Crescent Central.

I love the complex on Dale Mabry. It's a bit odd to move from shop to shop but super easy if you're just going to a single shop. I prefer its layout over the SODO layout. I think Uptown would do great with a few retail spots. For me, it's mostly just a pass through as I head from Ivanhoe to downtown. I live in Winter Park and I usually go to the SODO Target because the Fashion Sq one sucks. I think Uptown could easily sustain its own Target or Wal-Mart (I think the closest is JYP/Princeton, that's at least the closest to me). 

[WAJAS]

3 hours ago, jrs2 said:

They should build a “stacked” shopping complex like the one off Dale Mabry in Tampa with a garage, similar to that Metrorail Dadeland North station.  Maybe they should do that at the Lynx Central property next to Crescent Central.

Please no... that Dadeland North complex is one of the ugliest buildings I've ever seen.  While it is very convenient to go from store to store, I don't think it is worth it.  I'd rather have something like a downtown 'mall', like Brickell City Center

[jrs2]

On 12/4/2017 at 12:27 AM, WAJAS98 said:

Please no... that Dadeland North complex is one of the ugliest buildings I've ever seen.  While it is very convenient to go from store to store, I don't think it is worth it.  I'd rather have something like a downtown 'mall', like Brickell City Center

We just went from realistic to pipe dream...  the Magic enterta- whatever, can't even get off the ground and on that note, as far as preferences go, let's build a Water Tower Place clone or AOL Time Warner Center or 900 N. Michigan while we're at it.  Lol.  Downtown is not a major draw on that demographic for the numbers to work on a project like that.

That being said, the Lucerne Promenade Luckys Market is a great continuation project of the start they made with Publix and continued with Walgreens.  Luckys will be for locals.

I think the renewed Marriott, coupled with an active adjacent UCF campus will go far in pushing the name Downtown Orlando to draw more stuff in.  That, and hopefully the Magic project if it gets built...

[prahaboheme]

24 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

We just went from realistic to pipe dream...  the Magic enterta- whatever, can't even get off the ground and on that note, as far as preferences go, let's build a Water Tower Place clone or AOL Time Warner Center or 900 N. Michigan while we're at it.  Lol.  Downtown is not a major draw on that demographic for the numbers to work on a project like that.

That being said, the Lucerne Promenade Luckys Market is a great continuation project of the start they made with Publix and continued with Walgreens.  Luckys will be for locals.

I think the renewed Marriott, coupled with an active adjacent UCF campus will go far in pushing the name Downtown Orlando to draw more stuff in.  That, and hopefully the Magic project if it gets built...

Yes to this.  The "destination" will ultimately be the livable and unique urban environment that is established.  When I think of my favorite urban destinations in cities around the country or world, it is the neighborhoods I most enjoy, not the tourist traps.  Winter Park has been hugely successful as of late in drawing in non-locals as it's reputation as a thriving small city oozing with charm makes its way into magazines and top 10 lists.  This took major effort.  The Morse, the Cornell, the canals, are all nice anchors to the city, but the majority of people come and stay for the ambiance.  DTO is getting there.

[sunshine]

Can we replace all the bars in downtown that served bar food, tacos and burger and put in real food?

 

[spenser1058]

Frog legs for everyone!

[spenser1058]

Mmmmm BBQ at North Quarter - I may have to wander up there at long last.

https://m.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2017/12/05/carobama-food-truck-is-opening-a-bbq-shop-on-north-orange-avenue

From Orlando Weekly

[AndyPok1]

7 hours ago, sunshine said:

Can we replace all the bars in downtown that served bar food, tacos and burger and put in real food?

 

Tin and Taco is my favorite place that opened this year.  The Spaetzel at JagerHaus is a rarity among places outside of Willow Tree.  The Loaded Fries with Ignite Sauce at PourHouse as well as the Poutine at Dapper Duck are both cravable items.  Gnarly Barley and Da Kine are a great addition in the Market on Magnolia.  Artisans has new items all the time.  Shakai's Happy Hour is a great value and Gringo's Double D's are a staple of Orlando.  Downtown is doing great for food right now. 

[prahaboheme]

How is Dove Cote doing?

[codypet]

Seems to be steady business from what I've seen every time I'm there, but they do have a Groupon for it right now which my wife and I joke is the first sign that something is in decline.   Then again Fergs, Kasa, and the Katy Perry Concert have Groupons too.

[orlandoguy]

I pass through the BOA lobby multiple times per day. DoveCote has a nice, humming lunch crowd most days, something that wasn't the case when it first opened (and definitely not the case in the space's previous incarnations after Harvey's vacated). They've tinkered with the menu over time, which I believe has helped draw more consistent business. Some of the items on their earlier menus was a little too weird for DTO paralegals and engineers. My amateur observation tells me DC will assume the mantle of "best power lunch" from Citrus given its proximity to the courthouse and it's price point.

The real revelation, in my opinion, was the opening of Foxtail. When they were finishing out the space outside the restaurant (inside the lobby) I rolled my eyes as hard as anyone. Overly-trendy decor & seating next to the brass fittings & green granite of the BOA building ... dumb. But sure enough, the hipsters are there everyday working on their laptops and drinking their coffee.

[jrs2]

Oklahoma Joes bbq is supposed to open next to Ace.  Ace has decent food btw.  But OkJ is supposed to be a big foodie draw.  Theyre also building one at OneDaytona and their intent is to start a new "thing" where bikers rally from Ace to The Speedway and back with OKJ as the catalyst in DB.  I think it's good for downtown Orlando exposure and new patron draw...the more $$$ spent, the more new stuff that comes.

[codypet]

All this work at ACE makes me wonder if Sunrail really would dare build that north spur to LCS from the OBX to serve the west side of the city.

[gibby]

35 minutes ago, codypet said:

All this work at ACE makes me wonder if Sunrail really would dare build that north spur to LCS from the OBX to serve the west side of the city.

I've wondered about the same thing.  I do think that the I-4 improvement plans show that new spur but I forgot how I found those plans.

[codypet]

2 hours ago, gibby said:

I've wondered about the same thing.  I do think that the I-4 improvement plans show that new spur but I forgot how I found those plans.

http://i4ultimate.com/documents/2015/08/Package_1_Roadway_Plan-Profiles_rasterized_reduced_09.pdf

[prahaboheme]

1 hour ago, codypet said:

http://i4ultimate.com/documents/2015/08/Package_1_Roadway_Plan-Profiles_rasterized_reduced_09.pdf

Couldn't the OBX spur terminate at Church Street Station (or better yet Amtrak or Sand Lake) rather than Central Station, following the original track? With the recent Packing District proposal (which I've noticed includes a proposed Sunrail station on OBX), I would think it would be more beneficial to extend this line South a few stops through downtown instead of tearing down anything at the Ace Cafe site to accommodate a stop at Central Station.

Edited December 7, 2017 by prahaboheme

[gibby]

I think the bus connections are too critical.  I think Greyhound is supposed to relocate to near Central Station soon also.  I think Amtrak should relocate and it would be great if Brightline had added a tag-on into downtown and included the station next to Central Station.  I agree that the spur alignment is very inconvenient.

[metal93]

Yeah, that giant spur line would interfere with Ace, the line is drawn over the buildings as well as crossing directly over what is supposed to be  Ace Cafe's "The Barn." I've thought about it too, building a spur there would work greatly for linking the potential OBX to Lynx Central Station. I imagine a tighter curve might be able to be worked in somehow, at the expense of demolishing just that substation currently there. A tighter curve that can accomodate commuter trains but would not be able to carry frieght trains, which require a larger curve radius.

Chicago's EL, for instance, has some really tight curves that accommodate longer (and possibly heavier) subway trains than the typical locomotive and 2 coach cars of Sunrail. It could work.

 

To get Amtrak to stop at Lynx Central station would require making a third rail line and extra platform at Lynx Central Station.  The space is there, just a matter of buying extra ROW and possibly re-aligning the tracks. But then again, the distance between Amelia and Livingston streets may be too short to fit the length of an Amtrak Silver Meteor train.

[gibby]

It seems easier for the train to just back up into the station, after it gets onto the main track.  I'm not sure how much time would be lost but maybe only 4-5 minutes.

Yes, I totally forgot about the Amtrak train length issue.  It would fit just fine at the South Street station location though, where that pond is.

[klstorey]

I'd love to see the OBX just go south stopping at the Sunrail stations CSS, SODO, SLR, then going on out to the airport (hopeful) station. It'd be great to go from Eustis to the airport via a train. I bet a lot of The Villages would love to just park in Tavares or Eustis and just take a train to the airport. It'd also be great for tourists to hop on at the SLR station and head to Mt. Dora. 

The biggest issue is still the lack of weekend hours. 

Back to Uptown, I'm curious if the Ivanhoe pedestrian bridge will ever be built. It should've been done while I-4 is being done. 

 

[WAJAS]

If Amtrack or Brightline ever make it into downtown, it would have to be like the Miami Brightline station that is being built (very close to finished).  The station itself is elevated to a second story above the roads.  It would be expensive, but the only real option in this case.

Edited December 8, 2017 by WAJAS98
grammar

[codypet]

Brightline downtown will never happen.  Jacksonville and Tampa are Phase 3 &4.

[spenser1058]

Camden buys the Sevens; declares the area to be North Quarter going forward.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/classified/realestate/os-camden-north-quarter-20180221-story.html

From the Sentinel