Orlando Fashion Square [Renovation in Progress]

[jliv]

This is a fascinating story to watch play out...  

IMHO Unicorp is kinda f***ed, and the best interests for the area are not going to be served by a Pennsylvania-based bank trying to recover its losses.  The City better step up its game a bit before the opportunity is lost to reshape the area.  I'd rather it went the direction of Baldwin Park, not the Colonial Plaza Mall redevelopment from the 1990's into a power center.

Edited November 18, 2021 by jliv

[W7edwin]

"baker barrios design"

 

[HankStrong]

On 11/17/2021 at 9:14 AM, Uncommon said:

I would love to see the property owners make whatever the needed repairs are and then repurpose this mall into a gigantic food hall and entertainment area, similar to Armature Works.

Catching up a few things.  This is a stunning idea.  It obviously takes the right type of investor, but a full multi-functional space would be insane to have in a city of our size. 

 

Somewhere you could:

• eat out at any level of dining (fine-ish dining, family sit-down, fast casual, take-away, apps/tapas/small bites) 
• drink with everything from smoothies/healthy stuff to coffee/tea to beer to wine to spirits
• physical activities like gyms, sports courts/games, swimming, training, etc.
• rental facilities like conference rooms, weddings, parties, events (with instant access to catering options due to my first bullet point) 
• setups for booths, rotating pop-up shops, etc.
• co-working spaces for the hours of the day that it would be used less
• business facilities like package shipping/receiving, Amazon lockers, etc.
• entertainment areas like Dave & Busters-type, bowling alley, movie theater

[AmIReal]

2 hours ago, HankStrong said:

Catching up a few things.  This is a stunning idea.  It obviously takes the right type of investor, but a full multi-functional space would be insane to have in a city of our size. 

 

Somewhere you could:

• eat out at any level of dining (fine-ish dining, family sit-down, fast casual, take-away, apps/tapas/small bites) 
• drink with everything from smoothies/healthy stuff to coffee/tea to beer to wine to spirits
• physical activities like gyms, sports courts/games, swimming, training, etc.
• rental facilities like conference rooms, weddings, parties, events (with instant access to catering options due to my first bullet point) 
• setups for booths, rotating pop-up shops, etc.
• co-working spaces for the hours of the day that it would be used less
• business facilities like package shipping/receiving, Amazon lockers, etc.
• entertainment areas like Dave & Busters-type, bowling alley, movie theater

Great concept. I'd add a hotel.

[JFW657]

On 11/17/2021 at 9:14 AM, Uncommon said:

I would love to see the property owners make whatever the needed repairs are and then repurpose this mall into a gigantic food hall and entertainment area, similar to Armature Works.

 

19 hours ago, HankStrong said:

Catching up a few things.  This is a stunning idea.  It obviously takes the right type of investor, but a full multi-functional space would be insane to have in a city of our size. 

 

Somewhere you could:

• eat out at any level of dining (fine-ish dining, family sit-down, fast casual, take-away, apps/tapas/small bites) 
• drink with everything from smoothies/healthy stuff to coffee/tea to beer to wine to spirits
• physical activities like gyms, sports courts/games, swimming, training, etc.
• rental facilities like conference rooms, weddings, parties, events (with instant access to catering options due to my first bullet point) 
• setups for booths, rotating pop-up shops, etc.
• co-working spaces for the hours of the day that it would be used less
• business facilities like package shipping/receiving, Amazon lockers, etc.
• entertainment areas like Dave & Busters-type, bowling alley, movie theater

Sounds familiar.....      

https://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/topic/116574-orlando-fashion-square-renovation-in-progress/?do=findComment&comment=1546431

https://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/topic/116574-orlando-fashion-square-renovation-in-progress/?do=findComment&comment=1774397

[HankStrong]

1 hour ago, JFW657 said:

 

Sounds familiar.....      

https://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/topic/116574-orlando-fashion-square-renovation-in-progress/?do=findComment&comment=1546431

https://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/topic/116574-orlando-fashion-square-renovation-in-progress/?do=findComment&comment=1774397

I didn't remember your 2018 comment, but I was commenting to add to yours in this thread.

 

ALL CREDIT TO YOU! 

[JFW657]

1 hour ago, HankStrong said:

I didn't remember your 2018 comment, but I was commenting to add to yours in this thread.

 

ALL CREDIT TO YOU! 

Yay me!!!!!!   

 

 

[codypet]

16 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

Yay me!!!!!!   

 

 

 

[AmIReal]

Sad photos.

https://www.moderncities.com/article/2021-dec-dead-malls-orlando-fashion-square

 

Edited February 14 by AmIReal

[codypet]

I'm shocked they even put up the Christmas decorations.

[spenser1058]

Ennis missed a couple of things in an otherwise good piece- the mall opened in 1973 (Burdines actually opened in July that year, while the grand opening was in October).

There was another anchor in 1973 - Robinson’s, which was where the food court ended up in the expansion. In fact, Robinson’s had changed flags to Maison Blanche before it moved out to add to the mall. JCPenney of course would be to the west of where Robinson’s had been and what was now Maison Blanche would be in a wing to the east.

Along with Penney’s would also come the parking garage. The in-mall theater came later. The mall also got its second story for the first time in the expansion (previously, only Robinson’s and Burdines had second floors inaccessible from the mall - unknown to most folks, Sears did have a second floor but it only held executive offices for the Central Florida region and some storage space).

Edited February 14 by spenser1058

[codypet]

15 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Ennis missed a couple of things in an otherwise good piece- the mall opened in 1973 (Burdines actually opened in July that year, while the grand opening was in October).

There was another anchor in 1973 - Robinson’s, which was where the food court ended up in the expansion. In fact, Robinson’s had changed flags to Maison Blanche before it moved out to add to the mall. JCPenney of course would be to the west of where Robinson’s had been and what was now Maison Blanche would be in a wing to the east.

Along with Penney’s would also come the parking garage. The in-mall theater came later. The mall also got its second story for the first time in the expansion (previously, only Robinson’s and Burdines had second floors inaccessible from the mall - unknown to most folks, Sears did have a second floor but it only held executive offices for the Central Florida region and some storage space).

When Sears was closing its doors I snuck up there during the liquidation.  Didn't even have an elevator from what I could tell.

[spenser1058]

@codypet , any thoughts on whether macy’s will stay in OFS if  its favorable lease does in fact end after fifty years in 2023?

If you haven’t noticed, there seems to be a ratcheting down of retailers in the area along with a couple of oddities like Sprouts that suggest otherwise.

macy’s is the only department store left  (there once were  five plus two mass merchandisers). The ubiquitous Amscot (rarely a good sign) is now in the neighborhood along with Carr’s (which has been described to me as “Badcock on steroids”). Dillard’s has been reduced to a “clearance center” on one floor only and upscale furniture retailer Haverty’s has converted its E. Colonial location to an outlet.

All the uptrending specialty stores once in the malls (Rutland’s, Gibbs-Louis, Lillie Rubin, etc. are long gone.

We do have an assortment of off-price retailers (like Marshall’s and Burlington) as well a good supply of upper-end fast food (plus Starbucks - no Shake Shack, though)

It’s as though retailers and retail developers have decided everyone in Baldwin Park is going elsewhere to shop even though the OFS area is closer.

I’m curious which way the barometer will swing if macy’s does opt out next year. Also, look to see how Sprouts does. If they decide to stay or leave (dependent on their lease), that will also tell us a lot as will more “buy here, pay here” stores and, God forbid, pawn shops.

Edited May 27 by spenser1058

[codypet]

I see Macy's either shutting down or going into a 3-5 year renewal and see what their sales do and what happens to the adjacent properties.  I think RTG migrating to a clearance center is pretty telling for the area.  East of Bennet for retailers is a no man's zone.

[HankStrong]

I only go to buy my clothes from Chess King.

[spenser1058]

2 hours ago, HankStrong said:

I only go to buy my clothes from Chess King.

And, yep, Fashion Square had one!

[eq1974]

8 hours ago, HankStrong said:

I only go to buy my clothes from Chess King.

Well someone is made of money. Merry Go Round for me. Sales rack. I am stuck wearing last year's pastels. 

[angela1117]

All this old Fashion Square talk reminds me that I bought my wedding dress at Brenners. Everything was in those clear plastic garment bags and when you tried one on and asked if the fake flower on the waist was removable the sales lady would say "honey, the designer puts his life into this dress and you want to change it?" Well, uhm, yes...

Fast forward 30 years and had a much friendlier experience buying my daughters wedding dress at Davids.

[spenser1058]

1 hour ago, angela1117 said:

All this old Fashion Square talk reminds me that I bought my wedding dress at Brenners. Everything was in those clear plastic garment bags and when you tried one on and asked if the fake flower on the waist was removable the sales lady would say "honey, the designer puts his life into this dress and you want to change it?" Well, uhm, yes...

Fast forward 30 years and had a much friendlier experience buying my daughters wedding dress at Davids.

Ooooh, I remember Brenner’s downtown too…

[eq1974]

4 hours ago, angela1117 said:

All this old Fashion Square talk reminds me that I bought my wedding dress at Brenners. Everything was in those clear plastic garment bags and when you tried one on and asked if the fake flower on the waist was removable the sales lady would say "honey, the designer puts his life into this dress and you want to change it?" Well, uhm, yes...

Fast forward 30 years and had a much friendlier experience buying my daughters wedding dress at Davids.

While you were buying your dress I was down by the corridor near Robinson’s that began at B Dalton’s Bookseller renting a tux for my prom at Mitchell’s.

[Jernigan]

A new Del Taco will be going in as an outparcel at the mall

[JFW657]

44 minutes ago, Jernigan said:

A new Del Taco will be going in as an outparcel at the mall

Cool. 

I used to eat at one on Semoran south of Colonial (or CFR, can't remember which), back in the early 80's.

Liked their food.

They had a decent burger, too.

Hope it's the same as it was.

[spenser1058]

I’m not a Del Taco groupie so this may be wrong but I recall when they opened the one on I-Drive, I wondered if it was like the one I remembered from way back on 436.

Supposedly, just about everything but the name changed in the interim so you’ll have to let us know…

[HankStrong]

12 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

I’m not a Del Taco groupie so this may be wrong but I recall when they opened the one on I-Drive, I wondered if it was like the one I remembered from way back on 436.

Supposedly, just about everything but the name changed in the interim so you’ll have to let us know…

There is one by UCF.  It's not bad.  I've only eaten there twice, but it was edible and fairly typical for the style.

[HankStrong]

In what seems like another life because it was so many years ago now, a girl from college I was dating took me home to Texas.  At the time I was obsessed with Taco Bell.  Her brother drove all around town to every fast food taco shop and bought a few items.  My Midwest taco chain experience was just Taco Bell & Zantigo, which was bought by Taco Bell when I was a kid.

Once upon a time I had a list of all the actual places, so this is just from memory.  Taco Bell, Taco Bueno, Taco Mayo, Del Taco, Taco Time, and probably one or two more.  It was amazing.  We sat down and I tried something from each of them and we compared notes.  My young mind was blown.