Orlando Fashion Square [Renovation in Progress]

[bqknight]

49 minutes ago, AmIReal said:

Just yesterday I was thinking about Fashion Square and which of the owners would blink first. Turns out they may blink together.

Per Chuck Whittall, "We've been in very productive conversations with the bank which owns the improvements on top of the real estate," Whittall said. "We believe we're going to possibly do a joint venture together and are discussing that. We're in the process of developing plans."

From OBJ, Whittall said the project being discussed would be a "complete redevelopment" of the Fashion Square property, with apartments, bars and restaurants and other uses — with one possible exception. The Macy's department store may stay, Whittall said, as the store continues to do well and its representatives would like to remain." Whittall also adds, "It's not going to be centered on soft-goods retail — it's going to be more lifestyle retail focused."

I'm sure everyone will be happy that BB is the architect of record.

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2022/08/03/orlando-florida-fashion-square-unicorp-bancorp.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_11&cx_artPos=2#cxrecs_s

 

The last time I went into that Macy's it was a dump. There were broken mirrors, clothes thrown everywhere...not good. 

[spenser1058]

6 minutes ago, bqknight said:

The last time I went into that Macy's it was a dump. There were broken mirrors, clothes thrown everywhere...not good. 

I was wondering about that. I’ve long since changed my home macy’s on my app to Altamonte Mall.

[FLClarkKent]

It boggles my mind that it's taken this long to even get close to a redevelopment plan. We're one of the hottest real estate markets in the country, and one would think that savvy developers would be rushing to redo every available piece of land in that neck of the woods. 

[spenser1058]

2 minutes ago, FLClarkKent said:

It boggles my mind that it's taken this long to even get close to a redevelopment plan. We're one of the hottest real estate markets in the country, and one would think that savvy developers would be rushing to redo every available piece of land in that neck of the woods. 

It’s the odd ownership split that seems to be causing a lot of the dilemma. There’s also the fact that part of town can’t decide what it wants to be. Baldwin Park is right behind it but an Amscot just across Colonial. Many of the middle to upper-middle income stores have left or have converted their stores into clearance outlets, like Haverty’s and Dillard’s have done.

At the same time CP got a Sprouts (which I assume goes for a higher-end shopper), they also opened a Carr’s, which is a Badcock on steroids.

[HankStrong]

2 hours ago, bqknight said:

The last time I went into that Macy's it was a dump. There were broken mirrors, clothes thrown everywhere...not good. 

I'll be honest and say that I haven't been in there for many years, but the last time I was there it stank like mold.  The entire store just stank.  It wasn't mild.  It wasn't faint.  It was bad.

[codypet]

3 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

It’s the odd ownership split that seems to be causing a lot of the dilemma. There’s also the fact that part of town can’t decide what it wants to be. Baldwin Park is right behind it but an Amscot just across Colonial. Many of the middle to upper-middle income stores have left or have converted their stores into clearance outlets, like Haverty’s and Dillard’s have done.

At the same time CP got a Sprouts (which I assume goes for a higher-end shopper), they also opened a Carr’s, which is a Badcock on steroids.

Carr's is a Badcock?  I thought it was a Rent-a-Center on Steriods?

Don't forget Rooms to Go of all places went the clearance center route there too.  I completely see Best Buy try to move itself west similar to what Circuit City did moving from next to Kanes to Colonial Plaza.

[spenser1058]

Fun Fact: The first RTG in the chain opened on E. Colonial (next to the Subway by Hampton Ave.) in the somewhat cavernous former Helmly’s furniture store.

The owner had just moved down from New York and ticked off the local furniture store owners by saying the local business was boring and that he’d shake it up.

[codypet]

I know it had been mentioned in the past that it used to be there, and looking at the building, it was obviously a former RTG (with the truss and everything).  I didn't know it was the first one though.

[spenser1058]

Yep, we had the first OG and the first RTG. Are we the cool kids or what?

[FLheat]

2 hours ago, HankStrong said:

I'll be honest and say that I haven't been in there for many years, but the last time I was there it stank like mold.  The entire store just stank.  It wasn't mild.  It wasn't faint.  It was bad.

I was in Macy's last week and it still stinks; however, there is about 1/4 of the inventory they used to have if not less.  Some areas of the store are vacant that used to carry merchandize (like the wide hallway between the men's and woman's department (like a 60'X60' wasteland). It is depressing and I challenge anyone to find a size in clothes that they need.

[spenser1058]

6 minutes ago, FLheat said:

I was in Macy's last week and it still stinks; however, there is about 1/4 of the inventory they used to have if not less.  Some areas of the store are vacant that used to carry merchandize (like the wide hallway between the men's and woman's department (like a 60'X60' wasteland). It is depressing and I challenge anyone to find a size in clothes that they need.

Wow. It sure sounds like they’re just waiting to hit the 50-year mark when the lease expires.

Edited August 4, 2022 by spenser1058

[dcluley98]

11 hours ago, FLClarkKent said:

It boggles my mind that it's taken this long to even get close to a redevelopment plan. We're one of the hottest real estate markets in the country, and one would think that savvy developers would be rushing to redo every available piece of land in that neck of the woods. 

Because it is not downtown and not worthy of the risk/problems for the potential reward. 

DT projects/properties will get funded and go forward. 

 

Projects like this with big risk and less reward will not get done in rising interest rate environment for construction.  

[JFW657]

I'm just afraid that whatever the place ends up as, it will be sterile and uninviting. 

At least to me anyway.

Too much emphasis on minimalism and/or modernism.

White and gray.

Stucco and glass.

Palm trees.

SODO.

Winter Park Village. 

Yawn. 

.

Edited August 5, 2022 by JFW657

[bqknight]

21 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

At the same time CP got a Sprouts (which I assume goes for a higher-end shopper), they also opened a Carr’s, which is a Badcock on steroids.

The area really does kind of play into two different demographics at once. But it kind of makes sense. I think this is because they are looking to pull in some of the Baldwin Crowd, plus the downtown crowd who may have decent salaries but are younger, so at the same time may also be looking for a bargain, and then some of the lower socioeconomic population in the area.

The Colonial Target is now one of the nicer ones (albeit small, but definitely nicer than the SoDo one), at the same time Sprouts opened, just as Aldi opened (it's a nicer Aldi though).  There was talk of an Amazon 4-Star opening in CP, but not sure that is happening anymore. 

[spenser1058]

21 minutes ago, bqknight said:

The area really does kind of play into two different demographics at once. But it kind of makes sense. I think this is because they are looking to pull in some of the Baldwin Crowd, plus the downtown crowd who may have decent salaries but are younger, so at the same time may also be looking for a bargain, and then some of the lower socioeconomic population in the area.

The Colonial Target is now one of the nicer ones (albeit small, but definitely nicer than the SoDo one), at the same time Sprouts opened, just as Aldi opened (it's a nicer Aldi though).  There was talk of an Amazon 4-Star opening in CP, but not sure that is happening anymore. 

Amazon is no-go (they’re closing all the 4-stars). You’re so right about Target after the redo, which is odd because, unlike SoDo, it’s been there for 30+ years in a building that’s 50 (it wasn’t even built to be a Target - it was originally a Gold Triangle).

I know a few folks in BP and the consensus seems to be they either shop in WP or schlep on over to Millenia and pretty much ignore Colonial.
 

Edited August 5, 2022 by spenser1058

[jrs2]

18 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Yep, we had the first OG and the first RTG. Are we the cool kids or what?

...and the first redesigned BK back in the late '90's...down on 192 (which has since been redesigned again)...

[spenser1058]

Just now, jrs2 said:

...and the first redesigned BK back in the late '90's...down on 192 (which has since been redesigned again)...

Given Gary’s Duck Inn was the prototype for Red Lobster, we could include it, although the first actual store with the RL name was in Lakeland.

I’ve always thought it fun that BK started in Jax but moved to Miami while Winn-Dixie started in Miami but moved to Jax.

[codypet]

16 hours ago, jrs2 said:

...and the first redesigned BK back in the late '90's...down on 192 (which has since been redesigned again)...

I thought Kirkman got the first redesigned BK

Talking about Aldi, I went to the Goldenrod one the other day and Holy Crap that E Colonial Aldi is like 300% nicer.

[spenser1058]

2 hours ago, codypet said:

I thought Kirkman got the first redesigned BK

Talking about Aldi, I went to the Goldenrod one the other day and Holy Crap that E Colonial Aldi is like 300% nicer.

I thought Kirkman was first, too, but wasn’t sure.

[jrs2]

On 8/6/2022 at 2:20 AM, codypet said:

I thought Kirkman got the first redesigned BK

Talking about Aldi, I went to the Goldenrod one the other day and Holy Crap that E Colonial Aldi is like 300% nicer.

I could be mistaken.  I just remember that a "first to market" redesign first opened on US 192; I thought it was BK- but if two of you think it was Kirkman, then it probably was. 

Yeah, it was the 1999 redesign.   I remember the Slantinel (parent company Tribune Companies out of Chicago, so I can't criticize them too much...anyway...) in the business section would announce a lot of these redesigns.  The one for BK was impressive.  There was another one (or other ones) that were seen first in CFLA as well...

[jgardnerucf]

Ass-fault

[jrs2]

On 10/20/2023 at 7:53 PM, jgardnerucf said:

Ass-fault

 

[Uncommon]

I hate that this location is still just sitting there. So much potential literally wasted.

[JFW657]

22 minutes ago, Uncommon said:

I hate that this location is still just sitting there. So much potential literally wasted.

Pizzuti block ll.  

[codypet]

I didn't realize how much of Dillard's 2nd floor is just facade.