Jump to content

Hypothetical: A second "Lake Eola Urban Park"


sunshine

Recommended Posts

Hypothetically speaking, since Lake Eola is so crowded during the weekend and the farmer market started to spill over into the park. The demand for open space in downtown setting will only increase with more residents moving in.

 

If you have the power, where would you put our next urban park?

 

Some suggestions....

 

1) every major cities has a botanical garden, how about we use the empty lot around citrus bowl and create an Orlando botanical garden which will incorporate the tinker field as well...

 

2) buy properties around lake eola and expand it

 

3) create a big park at paramorre taking the NYC central park route....eminent domain style

 

4) expand Lake Ivanhoe park and complete the path despite college park opposition.

 

5) Fill in big part of Lake Eola

 

6) new ideas....

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Replies 37
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Hypothetically speaking, since Lake Eola is so crowded during the weekend and the farmer market started to spill over into the park. The demand for open space in downtown setting will only increase with more residents moving in.

 

If you have the power, where would you put our next urban park?

 

Some suggestions....

 

1) every major cities has a botanical garden, how about we use the empty lot around citrus bowl and create an Orlando botanical garden which will incorporate the tinker field as well...

 

2) buy properties around lake eola and expand it

 

3) create a big park at paramorre taking the NYC central park route....eminent domain style

 

4) expand Lake Ivanhoe park and complete the path despite college park opposition.

 

5) Fill in big part of Lake Eola

 

6) new ideas....

 

What about a botanical garden between the SunRail tracks and I-4 north of Colonial? Dense vegitation would help shield North Quarter from the noise, and give some relief to Eola, plus it'll give another destination and some coziness to the Urban Trail.

 

It would involve taking private property, but what about a large planted median down Robinson - think Barcelona's Avinguda Diagonal - that connects Lake Eola to Dickson Azalea and Langford Parks to Orlando Festival Park and the Lake Underhill bike trail.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that track of land between sunrail and I4 north of colonial is doomed to be used for I4 expansion for an exit. A pocket park would be nice there.

 

I love the median park that I saw in Boston and Portland. I cant think of anywhere in downtown Orlando that they can do this...our roads are too narrow. Maybe on OBT?

 

 

I sort of wish they would stop planting palm trees and plant more of actual trees that will create shade around town. Or plant a row of Jacaranda trees or Tababui trees so we can have a flower festival downtown.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that track of land between sunrail and I4 north of colonial is doomed to be used for I4 expansion for an exit. A pocket park would be nice there.

 

I love the median park that I saw in Boston and Portland. I cant think of anywhere in downtown Orlando that they can do this...our roads are too narrow. Maybe on OBT?

 

 

I sort of wish they would stop planting palm trees and plant more of actual trees that will create shade around town. Or plant a row of Jacaranda trees or Tababui trees so we can have a flower festival downtown.

It is a small possibility but it could still work to add green space behind I-4. If the lakes could be dredged or retaining walls added to the ponds, that might allow for the pond next to I-4 to be decreased. Anything is possible. Maybe eliminate the road back there. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The good news is that dredging Lake Dot could probably find all those bodies that are rumored to be in there.

 

Not having grown up in Orlando, I'm not sure if these are just stories from the guys I know or common ones.  But the locals I know always say that Lake Dot is the boogey man of Orlando kid's stories.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

I would convert Washington Street to a pedestrian boulevard/mall/park in between Lake Eola and I-4.  This would connect the main western plaza of our park with the ampitheatre to the Orange County Regional History Center (Old Historic Courthouse) with the park below it leading to the library, BRT transit station, and Wall Street Complex.  Further west, you pass through orange which is adjacent to several area restaurants and nightlife hotspots, then at the end, you connect to Gertrude's Walk which can take you down to Church Street Station, the Amway Center and the sports complex and Soccer Stadium to the west.  Additionally, at the western end of the boulevard where Washington and Garland intersect, a western park/plaza could be created where current parking lots/vacant lots exist between Garland and the SunRail tracks.  This could be tied into the work that is proposed for the Ultimate I-4 project with additional greenspace and improved pedestrian access under the new I-4 elevated spans and the re-aligned Garland St.  As time goes on, more redevelopment and connection to this pedestrian mall would likely occur.  For a look of a similar existing mall that I would envision see the Denver 16th Street Mall:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_Street_Mall

http://16thstreetmalldenver.com/ 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed. Also the Cambria Suites hotel or whatever variation that takes it's place will also have a Washington Ave ingress/egress. (Btw, does anyone have any construction updates on this lot? I don't understand how the property hasn't already been developed considering it's prime lakefront location.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^Whatever happens to that lot, I really hope we end up with something architecturally superior to the Cambria Suites proposal.  The proposal for that lot many years ago now was a much taller residential structure.

A development with a nice rooftop restaurant / lounge overlooking Lake Eola would offer something different that we currently do not have anywhere at the lake (surprisingly enough).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Parking entrances to Aspire (or whatever it's called now) and Metropolitan come off of Palmetto Ave. The bigger issue is the access and garages on the west end, but with some creativity, could work. It will never happen because of nimby's but as a hypothetical, I think it would be a cool idea. I agree with you all about walkability stuff on Magnolia, but an east/west route to connect to the north/south Magnolia corridor and new stuff around I-4 changes would be good too, IMO.  I hope that vacant lot sees a great property occupying it soon as well!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

Lake of the Woods could be the next "Lake Eola" for Downtown South - the entire area bound by Orange, Gore, Lucerne Terrace, and Columbia. I would leave the buildings facing the streets but tear up the parking lots behind them and around the lake and condense parking into garages filling the gaps between the buildings. The NIMBYs would be very hostile towards such an idea though. Here's a rough sketch describing what I'm talking about, with added park paths:

Lake of the Woods Park.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wasn't aware, and it's been ages since I last visited that part of town so I haven't seen what has been going on there other than knowing about the new Hampton Inn. I heard the city was cleaning up the lake but not much else. Is there something online about it? I can't really find much of anything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just came across this in the last DSNID meeting minutes:

"Mr. Burton said that there is an opportunity for Lake of the Woods to include a trail and get a similar treatment to Lake Beauty."

Had also heard that the city is requiring an easement for the trail from any developers who build around the lake

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks. The trail sounds especially exciting. Would be nice if park land was created that is more than just an easement. The parking lots could at least be scaled back if not outright eliminated. Convert the asphalt back to grass and plant lots of trees so it can be more than just a trail around a lake.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Langford park is already nearby and parkland.  I think adding an entrance on the west side of the park would help open it to the Thornton park neighborhood. Then, it's just about adding amenities to the West side. There's currently a path and a couple of pavilions, which are mostly used by homeless people right now.  I would love to see this section of the park made into a Japanese garden - possibly with an entrance fee - as another attraction/destination for visitors downtown.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...
On ‎1‎/‎24‎/‎2016 at 8:23 PM, Jernigan said:

Just came across this in the last DSNID meeting minutes:

"Mr. Burton said that there is an opportunity for Lake of the Woods to include a trail and get a similar treatment to Lake Beauty."

Had also heard that the city is requiring an easement for the trail from any developers who build around the lake

Has anyone heard any more on this?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.