Winter Park & Maitland

[jrs2]

19 hours ago, Jernigan said:

I agreed with that in 2014 and didn’t buy FDOTs curve reasoning but now, IMO, they development causes has been astounding and I’m not see it all would have happened that close to 414 if not for the station being there.

there really oughta be a local transit option to go to and fro between Morse and 414.   Streetcar, golf carts, whatever.   

...or at least some kind of trail or path near the tracks and away from 17-92 for peds, bikes, etc...

[orlandouprise]

21 hours ago, Jernigan said:

I agreed with that in 2014 and didn’t buy FDOTs curve reasoning but now, IMO, they development causes has been astounding and I’m not see it all would have happened that close to 414 if not for the station being there.

there really oughta be a local transit option to go to and fro between Morse and 414.   Streetcar, golf carts, whatever.   

A nice modern streetcar like Atlanta's running from the existing station to the lake and back at the very least would be amazing! But then again this Orlando...we don't get nice things like they do down here... I applaud Sanford's ambition to get people to there DT area via shuttles. Maitland should do the same at the VERY least.

[jrs2]

Ok.  That big church you see off of I-4 that's on Clay & Minnesota...they stated months back that they sold some of their land south of the facility so that a developer (Ustler?) could build an apartment building there... As of the past week, they have cordoned off the properties on the west side of Clay starting around Harmon and south a couple of blocks.  Then, on Par, that medical office close to I-4 and bordering that access road reaching onto church property, they've had a red construction wall on it for a few weeks, and they've demolished that office.  The Shell is still at the corner of Par & Clay, and the OBGYN is still behind it, as are several houses on the west side of Clay.  But it looks like the remainder of the property is being razed.  So, I'm not sure what's going there because I was under the impression the apartment building was going to be built on former church parking; I didn't realize it would also take up land south of there.

[codypet]

Yea I saw the Historic Orlando FB bemoaning the loss of yet another pre 1910 home when the building got razed.  One thing I noticed riding down the new Fairbanks ramp is there's a number of burned down homes in that area just sitting there.   Does anyone know what gives?  Did someone recently go around setting fires or is that really a pocket of rough neighborhood?

[spenser1058]

Fans of the Red Fox Lounge (which was of course the bar for the Mount Vernon Motor Lodge) might enjoy this exhibit of Winter Park's hotels and motels at the WP History Center:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/os-joy-wallace-dickinson-0603-story.html#nt=outfit

From the Sentinel

[codypet]

FYI at Orlando and Minnesota they tore down the Floridian bank and are building a building with a sign that says "are you curious yet".   I was so I pulled the SJRWMD permits for it and learned its going to be....................

 

a very suburban looking PDQ 

[jgardnerucf]

Same blueprint for the south John Young locale.

[spenser1058]

After Peacock Ford took over Don Reid, a Growth Spotter article in February '17 noted they planned to spend $6 million on facilities to bring the dealership up to date (I don't have access to GS to link to the article) over the next 16 months. Does anyone know if there's progress on that? It's been, ummmm, 16 months.

Edited June 30, 2018 by spenser1058

[codypet]

On 6/30/2018 at 3:34 PM, spenser1058 said:

After Peacock Ford took over Don Reid, a Growth Spotter article in February '17 noted they planned to spend $6 million on facilities to bring the dealership up to date (I don't have access to GS to link to the article) over the next 16 months. Does anyone know if there's progress on that? It's been, ummmm, 16 months.

I had been told Don Reid had to sell the shop because Ford wanted the upgrades.   Peacock ran into a handful of problems after they took over Subaru South.  They're since sold it to Don Mealey's network.  So now that place is Don Mealey's Sport Subaru of South Orlando.  The new Mazda moved off of Lancaster Road to across from the Subaru.  I don't know where that left the Ford dealership.

Edited July 1, 2018 by codypet

[spenser1058]

8 minutes ago, codypet said:

I had been told Don Reid had to sell the shop because Ford wanted the upgrades.   Peacock ran into a handful of problems after they took over Subaru South.  They're since sold it to Don Mealey's network.  So now that place is Don Mealey's Sport Subaru of South Orlando.  The new Mazda moved off of Lancaster Road to across from the Subaru.  I don't know where that left the Ford dealership.

I got to know Bob Reid via an online chat room several years back (when chat rooms were still a thing) and he told me the same thing: about hassles from Ford to upgrade the facilities.

I had assumed that led to the sale and am a bit surprised everything seems to be on hold. Assuming Ravaudage gets moving, I frankly expected they'd move over along I4 somewhere.

I hated that idea because the current location is convenient for getting my car serviced. Since Ford has decided car buyers (in the US anyway) are lower than a snail's belly not worthy of their time, it seems I will no longer be a Ford customer after all these years. I'm thankful Holler converted part of their old Fairbanks property to a Honda Service Center and it looks like my next car will be a 2019 Civic.

[spenser1058]

Ongoing parking challenges with a proposed Enzian expansion have led to abandoning the project:

Enzian Theater pulls plug on $6.5 million expansion, offers refund to donors
http://bit.ly/2OV3cf1

From the Sentinel

Score a hit for Maitland's Grumpy Old Men!

[JFW657]

3 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Ongoing parking challenges with a proposed Enzian expansion have led to abandoning the project:

Enzian Theater pulls plug on $6.5 million expansion, offers refund to donors
http://bit.ly/2OV3cf1

From the Sentinel

Score a hit for Maitland's Grumpy Old Men!

Can't say that I'm all that disappointed. I thought their plans were a bit too grandiose for that area anyway. Did they really need TWO new cinemas? Why not just do one new one, which might have possibly reduced the parking space requirement? Hopefully now the place will stay the way it is.

[Mark Baratelli]

16 hours ago, JFW657 said:

Can't say that I'm all that disappointed. I thought their plans were a bit too grandiose for that area anyway. Did they really need TWO new cinemas? Why not just do one new one, which might have possibly reduced the parking space requirement? Hopefully now the place will stay the way it is.

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but ending a project running since 2013 abruptly sounds like a power play. Perhaps they want the City to help them more than they have/had. Just guesses. 

[spenser1058]

Are too many restaurants causing Park Ave's parking woes? The City of Winter Park seems to think so:

Winter Park could limit downtown restaurants to address parking woes
http://bit.ly/2vRZo5p

From the Sentinel

[aent]

46 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

Are too many restaurants causing Park Ave's parking woes? The City of Winter Park seems to think so:

Winter Park could limit downtown restaurants to address parking woes
http://bit.ly/2vRZo5p

From the Sentinel

omg they're taking I Am Reality's advise 

 

[I am Reality]

I love Aent's last post! 

On a serious note, let me pose a stupid question about the Enzian. 

Let me first say I love the place and go there regularly (although not as often as I wish since I have children).  

But why is something like this not located downtown?  Art-house theaters are typically located in areas with lots of younger, urban, more-sophisticated residents.   They tend to attract quirky, eclectic types.  I have never really seen one is a boring suburb.  People move to WP/Maitland to die.  (I say that jokingly as someone who lives in the WP/Maitland area).   

Something like the Enzian would be such a big draw downtown.  In fact, downtown is really missing something like it.  

Edited August 10, 2018 by I am Reality

[jrs2]

I have to admit, the first time I went there, which was right when I moved here, I was confused about it's location...

[FLClarkKent]

14 hours ago, I am Reality said:

I love Aent's last post! 

On a serious note, let me pose a stupid question about the Enzian. 

Let me first say I love the place and go there regularly (although not as often as I wish since I have children).  

But why is something like this not located downtown?  Art-house theaters are typically located in areas with lots of younger, urban, more-sophisticated residents.   They tend to attract quirky, eclectic types.  I have never really seen one is a boring suburb.  People move to WP/Maitland to die.  (I say that jokingly as someone who lives in the WP/Maitland area).   

Something like the Enzian would be such a big draw downtown.  In fact, downtown is really missing something like it.  

Maitland has a history of attracting quirky, eclectic types. What's now the Maitland Art Center began as an artist's colony back in the 1930s. Not too surprising that a place like the Enzian would sprout up there, as both Maitland and Winter Park have a pretty lively arts scene. Disappointed to hear they were not expanding at the current location. Perhaps they could branch out into a second facility (although that might cannibalize their business).

Interestingly, there was a time when a organization was screening films on the second floor of the Rogers building downtown. This was the mid-2000s. I saw a few documentaries there. But it really wasn't set up for something long term. 

[WAJAS]

A proposal:

- conduct a study to determine where car visitors to Park Ave. and 17-92 establishments are coming from

- if it is relatively close to those destinations, then they should consider a trolley system. It would decrease the necessity for parking, so it no longer becomes a problem.  A short system also costs just as much as a parking garage, which tends to be the reaction to lack of parking.

- if it is farther, then the city government could push for light rail between Park Ave. and the locations that the study determines the trips are originating from by the county or region.

 

I don’t believe limiting the number of restaurants is the right way to go about this either way. Capitalism will determine whether their is demand.

[aent]

53 minutes ago, WAJAS98 said:

A proposal:

- conduct a study to determine where car visitors to Park Ave. and 17-92 establishments are coming from

- if it is relatively close to those destinations, then they should consider a trolley system. It would decrease the necessity for parking, so it no longer becomes a problem.  A short system also costs just as much as a parking garage, which tends to be the reaction to lack of parking.

- if it is farther, then the city government could push for light rail between Park Ave. and the locations that the study determines the trips are originating from by the county or region.

 

I don’t believe limiting the number of restaurants is the right way to go about this either way. Capitalism will determine whether their is demand.

I agree with this. There just won't be businesses popping up if there aren't enough parking spaces or other ways for people to get to them as it won't be profitable. If it really is a super-serious problem, even if the city does nothing, I imagine some geniuses will propose building a nearby parking garage where you pay to park in there 

[spenser1058]

Bungalower is reporting that the Buca Di Beppo location on 17-92 across from the Enzian is up for sale. No word yet as to its fate once sold.

The location goes back to 1959 and I think it was a New England Oyster House at one point but is most remembered as the local branch of the Bubble Room, complete with outrageous decorations throughout the building.

http://bungalower.com/2018/08/26/buca-di-beppo-property-asking-3800000/

 

[HankStrong]

2 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Bungalower is reporting that the Buca Di Beppo location on 17-92 across from the Enzian is up for sale. No word yet as to its fate once sold.

The location goes back to 1959 and I think it was a New England Oyster House at one point but is most remembered as the local branch of the Bubble Room, complete with outrageous decorations throughout the building.

http://bungalower.com/2018/08/26/buca-di-beppo-property-asking-3800000/

 

Has the writing improved over there at Bungalower?

[spenser1058]

1 minute ago, HankStrong said:

Has the writing improved over there at Bungalower?

Brendan is mostly posting shorter pieces and, to his credit, he often probes a bit deeper than OBJ.

I tend to think of Bungalower these days as more a lifestyle blog (think Orlando magazine) than the website for a newspaper. He often gets more scoops relating to the core neighborhoods so I check his site first every morning.

[Jernigan]

I’ve stopped frequenting Bungalower because the coverage of development and retail news seems to be backburner.   The editor is talented so I’m sure it’s a conscience pivot based on some sort of google analytics but it’s a pivot nonetheless.  Tends to be about one headline behind 

[HankStrong]

Matt was a really good guy, but when he left it became all puff pieces, yesterday's news, and my least favorite item they ever did I WISH THIS PLACE WAS A SUPER BEAUTIFUL FAIRY GARDEN WITH HEARTS AND STARS AND PURPLE LIONS PAINTED IN GLITTER.  I stopped reading, but hoped it would get better with some experience.  A little too 4th grade wish journal and not enough real information.

 

It must appeal to someone, as it still exists.  I heard they do a radio show, but I'm not sure what that would even be about???  Does it cater to a few bungalow neighborhoods (ignoring 99% of the listening audience?) on the most powerful station in Central Florida?