City Centre (Formerly 215 E. Central Blvd) | 28-Story Residential [Approved]

[spenser1058]

There are a few reasons to hope for a full-service drug store in addition to Publix:

1. With CVS or Walgreens we may get a 24 hour store. Not happening with Publix.

2. The health and beauty aisle at our village format Publix is just that: one aisle. With CVS or Walgreens, there's a much wider selection.

3. With CVS and Walgreens, there are also fragrance and makeup selections our smaller Publix just doesn't have. 

4. The Publix pharmacy carries a more limited formulary. It can take 24 hours to fill some prescriptions CVS/Walgreens would have in stock, and some, especially newer and more experimental drugs Publix simply doesn't carry (I learned this from personal experience.)

All in all, this would be a positive step up the retail ladder for downtown and long overdue. Does this have to be the site? No. But we're waaaay overdue on forward movement in downtown retail (in fact, we've been going backward), so I see this as a good thing.

 

 

 

[Dale]

spenser, being removed nearly three years from Orlando, why do you suppose retail is going backward ?

[spenser1058]

Retail is a herd industry, especially in the current unsettled environment caused by the amazons of the world that are changing everything. In such times, it is especially important to have champions of new retail development. That can be long-standing players such as Simon, newly successful developers such as Unicorp, or enthusiastic municipal players such as those seen in places like Austin, Indy or Greenville, SC. After a full court press by Buddy to secure our downtown Publix and movie theater some years ago, City Hall moved on to other things. DDB head Thomas Chatmon has been particularly underwhelming In carrying the retail ball forward. Until someone makes downtown retail a priority again, those folks making the noise (like Tavistock out at Lake Nona) are likely to have the success while downtown is likely to continue its slide.

[GTR]

43 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

There are a few reasons to hope for a full-service drug store in addition to Publix:

1. With CVS or Walgreens we may get a 24 hour store. Not happening with Publix.

2. The health and beauty aisle at our village format Publix is just that: one aisle. With CVS or Walgreens, there's a much wider selection.

3. With CVS and Walgreens, there are also fragrance and makeup selections our smaller Publix just doesn't have. 

4. The Publix pharmacy carries a more limited formulary. It can take 24 hours to fill some prescriptions CVS/Walgreens would have in stock, and some, especially newer and more experimental drugs Publix simply doesn't carry (I learned this from personal experience.)

All in all, this would be a positive step up the retail ladder for downtown and long overdue. Does this have to be the site? No. But we're waaaay overdue on forward movement in downtown retail (in fact, we've been going backward), so I see this as a good thing.

 

 

 

Don't get me wrong I definitely want a pharmacy downtown and see this as a good thing. It's just if we are getting what is likely the only pharmacy we will get downtown for a while I would like to see it in a better location. I also think the lakeside location is more condusive to upscale dining and retail than most other places downtown - hate to see the space go to a pharmacy which could go anywhere essentially.

[Dale]

Gotcha, makes perfect sense.

[spenser1058]

I tend to agree, but it appears based on past history and what I've heard both here and in discussions with other downtowners, that it's more likely that any upscale dining and retail is likely to cluster by DPAC. It's going to be interesting to see how that plays out.

[JFW657]

I don't know if anyone else remembers this, but back around the late 80's or early 90's, there was a nice little national chain drug store and pharmacy right at Orange Ave. and Pine St.

Lasted about six months, maybe.

 

[spenser1058]

An excellent point, and in fact the drug stores and jewelry stores were the last of the "old retail" to hang on. IIRC, the drug store you may be talking about was an effort by a friend I went to elementary school with, Eddie Webman. Speaking of jewelry stores, one of the last (and oldest), Swalstead Jewelers, in the BB&T building, is about to close. Just the latest in backward movement for us.

[prahaboheme]

While I understand that those who live at 55w and Solaire would like a drugstore downstairs, I think this location is a logical choice.

Downtowners will walk to it (it ain't far) and it will also pickup the Eola and Thornton Park traffic.

As spencer mentioned, retail is a herd industry which is true of drugstores. If we get a Walgreens on Central it's not long before we get a CVS at Central Station.

 

[HankStrong]

A drugstore near the Lynx HQ would be a nice addition.  Maybe in the Crescent Central Station?

[steve_o]

I think its a missed opportunity not utilizing the views of lake Eola much like I thought it was a missed opportunity to put a WOB on the lake when that could have been successful anywhere.  

Having said that, A friend working on this project let me know a year ago that a drugstore was in the works for the location.  

[FLClarkKent]

I think what Spencer said about national retailers having a "herd mentality" was very enlightening. Helps me understand why there's often a Walgreen's across the street from a CVS. It would also help explain why a national pharmacy chain would want to locate its first downtown store near a national grocer (the Publix on Central). 

While I am all for historical preservation, and one of the buildings that this tower will replace is a real gem, I'm happy to see this project moving forward. I'm down that way quite frequently throughout the week, and at different times, and I've always found that corner of the part to be dark, depressing place. The 7-11 seems to attract a lot of loiterers, its Dumpster faces Central, which is just odd, the Sperry fountain is overshadowed and underutilized, and there seems to be no life in the other building. It;s an uninviting section of the park that only seems to be utilized by the homeless (which further discourages activity by residents). 

[HankStrong]

Oh, the Sperry fountain isn't underutilized.  It's a prime A+ urinal/bathtub.

[prahaboheme]

Not to derail this topic, but the entire western boundaries of Lake Eola park could use some TLC.  In fact, I'd suggest removing the Sperry fountain altogether and move it to an improved Constitution Green (ala a Savannah square style design) and open up that section of Lake Eola park to more green space.

[John Hargrove]

11 hours ago, FLClarkKent said:

...

While I am all for historical preservation, and one of the buildings that this tower will replace is a real gem, I'm happy to see this project moving forward. I'm down that way quite frequently throughout the week, and at different times, and I've always found that corner of the part to be dark, depressing place. The 7-11 seems to attract a lot of loiterers, its Dumpster faces Central, which is just odd, the Sperry fountain is overshadowed and underutilized, and there seems to be no life in the other building. It;s an uninviting section of the park that only seems to be utilized by the homeless (which further discourages activity by residents). 

Yes, this corner is depressing currently. To be clear, though, it's just a continuation of that depressing stretch of Central. From the Lymmo station at Magnolia/Central, all in front of the library and down into that fountain area is one continuous stretch of suck.

[smileguy]

9 hours ago, prahaboheme said:

Not to derail this topic, but the entire western boundaries of Lake Eola park could use some TLC.  In fact, I'd suggest removing the Sperry fountain altogether and move it to an improved Constitution Green (ala a Savannah square style design) and open up that section of Lake Eola park to more green space.

I'd prefer the little Japanese garden area move to Constitution Green (bonus points for a big/real Japanese garden in Langford Park..... a guy can dream.)  and for the area around the Rosalind Club be opened up for a lawn, including removing the OPD shack.

[RedStar25]

19 hours ago, prahaboheme said:

Not to derail this topic, but the entire western boundaries of Lake Eola park could use some TLC.  In fact, I'd suggest removing the Sperry fountain altogether and move it to an improved Constitution Green (ala a Savannah square style design) and open up that section of Lake Eola park to more green space.

Odd factoid of the day: You do know that is not the real Sperry fountain? It's a replica the city made years ago. The original one is in city storage. The History Museum downtown would love to have it restored and placed inside the museum. 

[metal93]

Back on the topic of the pharmacy - and I believe I saw it posted in another thread - that Walgreens was planning to open a store in the Valencia building on Orange and Church. http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2015/12/breaking-new-walgreens-in-the-works-in-downtown.html

Seeing how everyone here is talking about the herd mentality of pharmacies, I'm becoming increasingly convinced that it is going to be a CVS opening in the ground floor of City Centre.

[orange87]

Anything new on this?

[jrs2]

On 6/26/2017 at 2:36 PM, orange87 said:

Anything new on this?

I would gather, that if the U-Club decided to finally move forward with construxtion of Modera, and the height they settled on ala views of Lake Eola, then that means they know City Centre isn't getting built.  Just a guess.

[JFW657]

I hope you're right.

The building design was nice, but the location was terrible. Had there been nothing of any historical value there, I would've been all for it. But I just can't get behind tearing down that old house which, aside from it's long history there, does add a bit of old school, small scale charm to that corner.

I hope it all stays just the way it is permanently.

[bulldogger]

I would like to see all of the buildings on that corner demolished and replaced with a grand entrance to the park.  Perhaps an archway or rose garden.

[metal93]

Though I don't mind seeing the Rosalind Club (they are never going to move) and the 7-11 go, I'm not keen on seeing the old CityCentre building or the house next to it demolished. Both are about 90 years old and I'd hate to see Orlando lose more historic structures.

[JFW657]

26 minutes ago, metal93 said:

Though I don't mind seeing the Rosalind Club (they are never going to move) and the 7-11 go, I'm not keen on seeing the old CityCentre building or the house next to it demolished. Both are about 90 years old and I'd hate to see Orlando lose more historic structures.

I hope it stays just like it is.

[orange87]

On 7/2/2017 at 9:45 AM, JFW657 said:

I hope you're right.

The building design was nice, but the location was terrible. Had there been nothing of any historical value there, I would've been all for it. But I just can't get behind tearing down that old house which, aside from it's long history there, does add a bit of old school, small scale charm to that corner.

I hope it all stays just the way it is permanently.

Yeah, but that horrid 7-Eleven on the corner would have been gone too, so I think that balances things out.

6 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

I hope it stays just like it is.

With the homeless bums and drug addicts camped out on that corner? No thanks.