Orlando Fashion Square [Renovation in Progress]

[demon]

We all know it's under construction and I would love to hear what you guys know.

 

I'm also curious about what you think about how a bigger (possibly) better Fashion Square will impact retail & living downtown. 

[HankStrong]

As one of the most popular food truck destinations, they SHOULD build a designated area for them.  An area with lots of outdoor seating and grass for people who want to bring their own.

 

In the interest of future expansion, being flexible, and aware that trends fade, they should make this area capable of showing family films or putting on small shows.  Like a tiny version of the clamshell @ Lake Eola.  Nothing as fixed as that, but a very light version of that.  A multipurpose area at the mall.  Somewhere that people who work at the mall could even use on their lunch breaks or really anyone could.

[jrs2]

I think they should lose some of the surface parking- or a lot of it and force use of the garage; it's never full; maybe 1/3 if ever.

 

Then, they need more foliage on the grounds.

 

Then get this hotel built; they are still doing incremental demo in the mall.  It's taking longer than dpac it seems.

[FLClarkKent]

As one of the most popular food truck destinations, they SHOULD build a designated area for them.  An area with lots of outdoor seating and grass for people who want to bring their own.

 

In the interest of future expansion, being flexible, and aware that trends fade, they should make this area capable of showing family films or putting on small shows.  Like a tiny version of the clamshell @ Lake Eola.  Nothing as fixed as that, but a very light version of that.  A multipurpose area at the mall.  Somewhere that people who work at the mall could even use on their lunch breaks or really anyone could.

Good idea. Seems that they could create stall-like areas for the trucks and seating/green areas for customers. It would be great to see a space that's flexible for other events, like farmer's markets, festivals, etc. They could have events taking place every weekend (rather than the third Sunday of every month for the food truck rally). While it wouldn't draw patrons into the mall, it does attract people to the area...and who knows? Maybe a few of those folks would go into the mall to pick up something.

 

I'd also like to see the redevelopment to better incorproate/accentuate the Cady Way trail head.

[JFW657]

Back in the 80's, the entire E. Colonial/Fashion Square area was a sort of entertainment destination in it's own right. 

 

You had Chi-Chi's Mexican Restaurant & lounge on the corner of Colonial & Maguire, Casa Gallardo a little further up, Olive Garden was there back then & there was a cool little tavern type bar in what appeared to be an old two story wood frame house where Images car wash is, called O'Brother's.

 

 

The building where the Roxy nightclub is, was a cinema pub called The 21st Century Cinema, & out behind the Colonial Promenade shopping center by Herndon Airport, was the old 94th Aero Squadron restaurant & bar.

 

There was even a little restaurant & bar with an Irish name, right inside Fashion Square that stayed open late & had an outside entrance for after 9 pm when the mall closed up. 

 

You could actually go out for an "evening on the town" & never leave the Fashion Square area.

 

Kinda miss that.

 

 

 

 

 

[jrs2]

I miss 94th Aerosquadron.  I can't believe that place closed.  I actually went to it in a high school field trip back in the...never mind.

[JFW657]

Went there for happy hour a few times.

Ice cold $1 draft beer & a great free taco bar.

Those were the days my friend,

we thought they'd never end

we ate & drank,

forever & a day...

[neoanderz]

Just went by the mall today.  The bowling alley area seems to be coming along quite well.  It will be good to see the hotel and TGIF come in.  Then you've got the apartments to be built also.  I think the mall will be looking good once its all complete.  

 

With that said, the food court is absolutely terrible.  Has to be the worst food court I've ever seen in a mall.  There are only 5 restaurants in it and they aren't exactly the best five either.  They need to fix this ASAP.  At least the mall has a Panera.

[JFW657]

Just saw this on ch 9 this evening...

 

Looks like things are getting ready to kick into high gear in a couple of months.

 

Report says steel could be going up on hotel by summer.

 

 

 

Changes coming slowly to Fashion Square Mall

 

ORLANDO, Fla. — 

 

Massive changes are coming to Fashion Square Mall in Orlando, but it’s unclear when they’ll be complete with construction moving slowly.

From the outside, the front of the mall looks much like it did when the overhaul began a year ago.

The massive renovation that promised to transform the decades-old mall with new stores, a hotel and an apartment complex has moved at a snail’s pace.

“There’s been a ton of prep work, behind the scenes work that has taken place to get us to this point,” said Brian Small, the mall’s general manager.

The developer pointed out while there’s still no sign of the huge hotel, they have built a Dick’s Sporting Goods, a bank and a restaurant that will open in a few days.

“The biggest challenge is, this is an existing project that’s been here for years and years,” said Woody Trotman of UP Development.

Also slowing down the process, is the fact developers had to move more than a dozen tenants that were in the footprint of the hotel.

Now that that’s complete, leaders said their crews hope to kick into overdrive on the hotel, with construction starting in the spring and steel going up sometime in the summer.

Report with video: http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/changes-coming-slowly-fashion-square-mall/nkJd2/

 

Edited February 26, 2015 by JFW657

[JFW657]

More renderings

 

http://www.wftv.com/gallery/news/local/photos-fashion-square-mall-renderings/gCJY2/#4752959

[HankStrong]

This is moving so slow that I keep forgetting about it, but it's nice to see that it's still going.

 

I'm not sold on this idea actually working, but improving that general area is a great idea.  It's like 5 blocks or so of the early 1980s still live there.

[Jernigan]

Wish the media had follow up questions - the response about tenants being relocated is bunk as the area has been gutted for almost a year. Obviously the tenants were out by then

[HankStrong]

If we're being honest in our reporting: most of those tenants just left, they didn't re-locate.

[FLClarkKent]

The days of the traditional shopping mall appear to be over. I think the hotel, restaurants, apartments and outparcel stores are this parcel's best chance at vibrancy. But I have assumed the delay in the hotel is more related to financing that store relocations.

 

If I ran the world, I'd encourage the developers to go further with their plans and knock down some of the interior, turning a significant portion of the mall into more a lifestyle center. I was there a few weeks ago. Hadn't been inside the mall in forever. I had forgotten how big of mall it actually is. And there's nothing sadder than a big mall with lots of empty storefronts. 

[JFW657]

The last time I walked through the place, aside from the large anchors, it was nothing but women's clothing stores. 

[smileguy]

The last time I walked through the place, aside from the large anchors, it was nothing but women's clothing stores. 

 

 

Have you ever been shopping with a woman? They use every store available.

[JFW657]

Have you ever been shopping with a woman? They use every store available.

 

Many, many times.

 

But FS, like most other malls, at one time had a variety of stores other than women's fashions.

 

Last time I was in there, aside from the Radio Shack & the big anchor tenants, it was nothing but one women's fashion store after another.

 

And no customers.

[Universe_Explorer]

While I think this may be as good of an idea as there may be to transform a dying mall, I'm still not sure if it has all of the elements to work.  Why not put some medium sized convention/event space in?  Get rid of some more stores so the slots you have are full and also give people a reason to stay at a hotel in a mall.  Having been to many smaller conventions in my life, I have spent nights in hotels on mall/shopping center properties and find it refreshing - resturants, coffee, and things to do right there during off hours even if you don't have a car.  I'm just not sure who is going to stay at the hotel in FS Mall without meeting space - it's too far from downtown proper for anyone coming into town for that, and obvisouly no where near the OC Convention Center or attractions - it's not even close enough to I4 to draw weary travelers....I think this sort of do-over would have been better suited for the Festival Bay Mall - the existing anchors and location would have been a draw for smaller conventions and meetings, and a cheap(ish) hotel like a Hampton Inn would've kept people on site.

[HankStrong]

Sorry to necro-vive a super old thread, but I haven't been to Fashion Square in a long time.  How is this renovation going?

[smileguy]

3 hours ago, HankStrong said:

Sorry to necro-vive a super old thread, but I haven't been to Fashion Square in a long time.  How is this renovation going?

No news. The side of the building is still opened up where the hotel is planned, and there's some equipment on site, but I haven't seen active work in months.

[JFW657]

I've been thinking about stopping by there one day.

 

[jgardnerucf]

16 hours ago, JFW657 said:

I've been thinking about stopping by there one day.

 

Don't let the tumbleweeds get cha!

[HankStrong]

A friend said "If I were to use a movie title to describe Fashion Square Mall, it would be Death Becomes Her."

I don't think it is that bad.  It's not Oviedo Marketplace.

[JFW657]

I was there a few months ago, as I occasionally go to Sears to pick up something in the hardware dept. 

Decided to take a walk though the mall and it was pretty depressing. 

Of the stores that were still open, aside from the major anchor stores, they were all either women's clothing stores or sneaker stores, which I have noticed seems to be the trend in all malls these days.

Walked through Millenia back in August while my cat was across the street at the animal clinic. Place was just a string of one women's clothing store after another broken up only by an occasional men's clothing store or shoe/sneaker store. And of course the jewelry stores.

All the cool stores like The Discovery Store, Black Market Minerals, Spencer's, sporting goods, music & electronics stores seem to have given up on the mall scene. 

Outside of the Sears tool dept, I can't even think of a reason to go to malls anymore.

The modern mall seems to be geared towards women.

[jrs2]

still no activity with the hotel.  but the food court level was busy last week with that new bowling alley place, etc..