Constitution Green

[JFW657]

I wonder how much legal weight the city's Historic Tree Ordinance carries.

Just found this recent article. You'll have to read it real fast though, if you don't want to purchase a subscription.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-tree-protection-development-20150321-story.html#page=1

[gibby]

Has anyone heard any news about this?  It was a huge deal for about four weeks then absolutely no updates anywhere.  Thanks.

[RedStar25]

Has anyone heard any news about this?  It was a huge deal for about four weeks then absolutely no updates anywhere.  Thanks.

Well the news is, there is no news and probably never will be. Soil samples of the sight have basically shown the ground is muck. An architect friend of mine said the pylons would need be around 150' deep.  

[JFW657]

I hope you're right.

[popsiclebrandon]

Got an email from Chatmon that they are having an announcement tomorrow with Buddy and Patty so guessing it will be a park for a long time.

[dcluley98]

Got an email from Chatmon that they are having an announcement tomorrow with Buddy and Patty so guessing it will be a park for a long time.

City to buy Constitution Green park, preserve massive live oak

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-constitution-green-park-orlando-buys-land-20151001-story.html

[JFW657]

Fantastic news!!! 

Now that it looks like the city will own the park, I'd like to see them add some amenities there.

Maybe some walkways, more shrubbery & possibly even a few more trees.

A drinking water fountain would be nice, too.

 

[Boomer136]

^ "drinking water fountain"? Puh-lease. Hydration Station seems to be the new name for these in the City.

[gibby]

This is great news.  Hopefully, it will get fixed up similar to the recent upgrades to Eola Park (bermuda, sidewalks, lights, etc...).

[Pete C]

They can start by putting a sidewalk along the north side of the park...that's crucial. A splash pad/fountain would be nice on the eastern part of the property. There is no splash pad downtown.

[gibby]

Hopefully, uplighting of the trees can be included with any work they do.  This place could look really sharp.

[JFW657]

^ "drinking water fountain"? Puh-lease. Hydration Station seems to be the new name for these in the City.

 

Hey, as long as it dispenses cool, drinkable, decent tasting water, they can call it whatever yuppie nitwit buzzword name they want to!!!  

 

Hopefully, uplighting of the trees can be included with any work they do.  This place could look really sharp.

That's a good idea.

A nice gazebo of some kind would look good, too.

[John Hargrove]

They can start by putting a sidewalk along the north side of the park...that's crucial. A splash pad/fountain would be nice on the eastern part of the property. There is no splash pad downtown.

Second the sidewalk. Very much needed over there. 

Fingers crossed the 420 and 520 don't become frat houses like some of the other places down here. The brownstones being built look pretty posh (I'd buy there if I could afford it). Modernize the park and you have a nice little community area over there. 

[smonteserin]

They can start by putting a sidewalk along the north side of the park...that's crucial. A splash pad/fountain would be nice on the eastern part of the property. There is no splash pad downtown.

I wonder if the city will look for a cohesive design for the park from the beginning or hodge podge it together as some of the other parks around town seem to have grown.  My hope is that there would be more reason to use that space year round, with consideration to our climate with a splash pad or water feature as well as some architecturally appealing...something.

Image result for cumberland park downtown nashville 500 × 288 - nashville.gov .webloc

[JFW657]

Constitution Green with it's majestic 100+ year old oak, will officially become a City of Orlando owned park.

The purchase of the park was approved today with the city paying the former owners $5.85 million in cash and property.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-constitution-green-tree-vote-orlando-20160125-story.html

Great news!!! 

 

Edited January 25, 2016 by JFW657

[nite owℓ]

On 10/2/2015 at 2:55 PM, Pete C said:

They can start by putting a sidewalk along the north side of the park...that's crucial. A splash pad/fountain would be nice on the eastern part of the property. There is no splash pad downtown.

I thought there was a splash pad at the Orange County History Center (the old courthouse)...

[prahaboheme]

A five million dollar dog park? 

I do hope more is done with Constitution Green.

Edited January 26, 2016 by prahaboheme

[jgardnerucf]

17 hours ago, nite owℓ said:

I thought there was a splash pad at the Orange County History Center (the old courthouse)...

Bum Baths!

16 hours ago, prahaboheme said:

A five million dollar dog park? 

I do hope more is done with Constitution Green.

Dog Park with tacky fencing and signage will take away from the pure green space. Pour a fresh side walk, add a few benches, a water fountain, fresh flowers, some nice LED uplighting in the trees and call it a day.

[metal93]

This is some great news now that the park is going to be official and the trees saved. But do we really need a dog park? Certainly it would need some sprucing up to create a proper park, but fences and walls rarely look good in parks.

[JFW657]

I guess I've never seen an actual dog park because I don't know what you guys mean by fences and walls. I figured people just brought their dogs on a leash. If they're going to let dogs run around in fenced or walled areas in that park, that would just be stupid. Not to mention smelly.

Along with the up lighting, flower beds etc... maybe some banner poles around the perimeter, criss-crossing sidewalks, maybe a gazebo or even a pavilion with tables to eat at. Nothing too big or elaborate, but decorative. Maybe with a cupola on top. Kind of an early American, 1890's theme. Hokey? Maybe, but better than a bunch of hipster dbags running around showing off their expensive designer dogs while they crap all over the place.

The dogs, not the hipsters.

 

 

 

[AndyPok1]

Downtown really needs an off-lease dog park.  Mayor Dyer announced a pop-up one next to Skyhouse in last year's State of the City, but nothing ever happened with it.  I think a small one in the corner of the park would absolutely an asset.  For refrence, here's some pics of the one they opened at Park of the Americas.  Wouldn't be this size obviously:  http://bungalower.com/2014/11/20/photo-tour-orlando-opens-first-dog-park-weekend/

I'm not necessarily saying Constitution Green is the right spot for it, but I don't think using part of the area would be troublesome.  Bigger issue as JFW said, some sort of sidewalk through (and around) it are desperately needed.  I avoid that whole corner on my runs.

--

Also for me, the most fascinating realization was that Orlando owned the property that the BMO Harris branch sits on at Gore and Orange.  That is the land they traded (in addition to cash) to the owners for the Green.

Edited January 27, 2016 by AndyPok1

[spenser1058]

Before it was a bank, it was a mom and pop drug store. Since the Iveys were an FFO, the family probably had an in at City Hall when they sold the property.The City probably figured they could use it for Mayor Bill's Southern Gateway or to expand the Beardall Senior Center (more shuffleboard courts!) Or who knows, maybe it goes back to the causeway project in the 50's, but that likely would have belonged to the old SRD. A fascinating little mystery to go digging out.

[jgardnerucf]

11 hours ago, JFW657 said:

I guess I've never seen an actual dog park because I don't know what you guys mean by fences and walls. I figured people just brought their dogs on a leash.

You're not serious, right?

[JFW657]

18 minutes ago, jgardnerucf said:

You're not serious, right?

Yes, I am serious.

I've never owned a dog, so I've never had a reason to visit a dog park.

Is that really so hard to believe?

 

57 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

Before it was a bank, it was a mom and pop drug store. Since the Iveys were an FFO, the family probably had an in at City Hall when they sold the property.The City probably figured they could use it for Mayor Bill's Southern Gateway or to expand the Beardall Senior Center (more shuffleboard courts!) Or who knows, maybe it goes back to the causeway project in the 50's, but that likely would have belonged to the old SRD. A fascinating little mystery to go digging out.

Maybe the city acquired it as part of the deal when they bought the adjacent Beardall property, which I assume they bought from the county or the school board, as Beardall used to be an elementary school.

 

 

[prahaboheme]

On March 11, 2015 at 3:17 PM, prahaboheme said:

No one really goes there because it's not a real park. -- had the city found a way to purchase this lot and turn it into something over than a grassy patch with a few (very beautiful and old) trees, then perhaps it would get use.  Right now, Constitution Green is the unofficial dog park of South Eola (look out for the poo when you walk through it!). 

 

Anyway, I always thought this would be a cool spot for a mini public garden or sculpture park (although Lake Eola seems to have that covered at this point).  It could even have been developed into a "Savannah style" square with old oaks, a central feature such as a fountain or station, and areas to linger.  I suggested this on this forum in the past, and to Mayor Dyer several years ago.

A year later and now we actually have an opportunity to tell the city how we'd like for Constitution Green to evolve. I stick to my thoughts above about the possibilities for this land.