Orlando Extended Metro Developments (Volusia/Brevard/East Polk)

[jrs2]

11 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

It seems Mike Pence is leaving Florida out in the cold on the Space Command:

Florida leaders say Air Force ‘misled’ them as to state’s chances to land Space Command HQ http://www.orlandosentinel.com/space/os-ne-space-command-no-florida-20190514-davh4jkumzcujfljnkqajzxtfu-story.html

From the Sentinel 

Hey, Colorado makes predictions about hurricanes without ever having had one so I guess it makes since to put your Space Cadets there without any background in space...

isn't that where NORAD is?   

[jrs2]

9 hours ago, JFW657 said:

I doubt this "Space Command" nonsense will survive for too many years anyway. Once a new administration gets in and Congress hopefully regains a modicum of sanity, they'll look at the cost/benefit ratio of having a new, separate branch of the military vs just letting the Air Force handle all space related military matters, and return things to the way they were. 

since when does the government look at cost benefit anyway?  That dog and pony show in Congress is and always will be a farce.  They want to pump more money into the military because that's what they do.  It's the military industrial complex at it's best.  It's all a bunch of BS anyway; just another reason to funnel money to space bologna when people are starving and roads are deteriorating.

[spenser1058]

5 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

isn't that where NORAD is?   

NORAD is co-based in Colorado Springs and Tyndall in the Panhandle. Their thing has been more air than space, though.

[spenser1058]

We, of course, know , that such decisions are political (look at NASA dividing launch activities between Texas and Florida, for example).

What I can’t quite grasp is a political decision to totally dis a reliable Republican County in the swingiest of swing states.

Colorado, these days, may be even bluer than Florida. So, it’s an odd decision both on the merits and politically.

i readily confess, however, that almost nothing this administration does makes much sense to me.

[JFW657]

Just now, jrs2 said:

since when does the government look at cost benefit anyway?  That dog and pony show in Congress is and always will be a farce.  They want to pump more money into the military because that's what they do.  It's the military industrial complex at it's best.  It's all a bunch of BS anyway; just another reason to funnel money to space bologna when people are starving and roads are deteriorating.

That could be true. I don't pretend to know the deep dark secrets of what goes on behind the closed doors of gub'mint. I do know that they've closed military bases before to cut costs, our own NTC being an example, so who knows?

Plus, someday the opposition party will regain control of both Congress and the WH and I would think that erasing a bit of Trump legacy will be fairly high on the agenda.

[jrs2]

9 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

That could be true. I don't pretend to know the deep dark secrets of what goes on behind the closed doors of gub'mint. I do know that they've closed military bases before to cut costs, our own NTC being an example, so who knows?

Plus, someday the opposition party will regain control of both Congress and the WH and I would think that erasing a bit of Trump legacy will be fairly high on the agenda.

very true.

BTW, your avatar changed too I noticed...  I like it...

[spenser1058]

1 minute ago, JFW657 said:

That could be true. I don't pretend to know the deep dark secrets of what goes on behind the closed doors of gub'mint. I do know that they've closed military bases before to cut costs, our own NTC being an example, so who knows?

Plus, someday the opposition party will regain control of both Congress and the WH and I would think that erasing a bit of Trump legacy will be fairly high on the agenda.

NTC Orlando closed instead of Great Lakes because Rahm Emanuel and others from IL had a lot more clout with the Clinton administration than our useless Congressman Bill McCollum (who crowed in campaign ads about “saving our Navy base just before the closure was announced).

[JFW657]

1 minute ago, spenser1058 said:

We, of course, know , that such decisions are political (look at NASA dividing launch activities between Texas and Florida, for example).

What I can’t quite grasp is a political decision to totally dis a reliable Republican County in the swingiest of swing states.

Colorado, these days, may be even bluer than Florida. So, it’s an odd decision both on the merits and politically.

i readily confess, however, that almost nothing this administration does makes much sense to me.

Could have to do with Colorado having a much larger and more established military infrastructure out there. We've got the civilian KSC and the relatively miniscule Patrick AFB, but that's it.

I think the NORAD HQ in Colorado is quite a bit bigger than Patrick.

[jrs2]

9 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

NTC Orlando closed instead of Great Lakes because Rahm Emanuel and others from IL had a lot more clout with the Clinton administration than our useless Congressman Bill McCollum (who crowed in campaign ads about “saving our Navy base just before the closure was announced).

what was that quote from Jesse Ventura in Predator...something about "...as useless as a broke dick dog..."

LMAO!

[JFW657]

3 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

very true.

BTW, your avatar changed too I noticed...  I like it...

Yeah, the colors of all the default avatars changed, mine from blue to pink, and I prefer to have a blue one, so I just made my own.

Thanks, btw.

[spenser1058]

Just now, JFW657 said:

Could have to do with Colorado having a much larger and more established military infrastructure out there. We've got the civilian KSC and the relatively miniscule Patrick AFB, but that's it.

I think the NORAD HQ in Colorado is quite a bit bigger than Patrick.

It’s not just Patrick but also CCAFS but you may be right. But since what they do in CO isn’t all that space-related they’re going to have to invest in facilities either way. Which just takes you back to square one.

[jrs2]

8 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

It’s not just Patrick but also CCAFS but you may be right. But since what they do in CO isn’t all that space-related they’re going to have to invest in facilities either way. Which just takes you back to square one.

well, to be fair, CO is closer to outer space than we are here at sea level, so that counts for something, right?

[spenser1058]

Just now, jrs2 said:

well, to be fair, CO is closer to outer space than we are here at sea level, so that counts for something, right?

I don’t know - all the “Florida Man” stories in the media suggest we’re awfully spacy down here. Beam me up, Scotty!

[JFW657]

1 minute ago, spenser1058 said:

It’s not just Patrick but also CCAFS but you may be right. But since what they do in CO isn’t all that space-related they’re going to have to invest in facilities either way. Which just takes you back to square one.

Not necessarily. 

They could still employ NASA's launch facilities if needed. And I'm guessing there are more than a couple of hardened underground silos out in that neck of the woods which are fully capable of putting missiles into outer space.

[AmIReal]

11 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

what was that quote from Jesse Ventura in Predator...something about "...as useless as a broke dick dog..."

excellent line, along with "I ain't got time to bleed" and "dug in like an Alabama tick"...!

ah, the classics

[AmIReal]

Does anyone know enough about Nascar to tell me if this is important.

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2019/05/22/international-speedway-corp-bought-by-nascar-for.html?iana=hpmvp_orl_news_headline

In a $2 billion deal, International Speedway Corp. (ISCA) announced on May 22 it has "entered into an agreement and plan of merger" with NASCAR Holdings Inc.

 

[jrs2]

1 hour ago, AmIReal said:

Does anyone know enough about Nascar to tell me if this is important.

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2019/05/22/international-speedway-corp-bought-by-nascar-for.html?iana=hpmvp_orl_news_headline

In a $2 billion deal, International Speedway Corp. (ISCA) announced on May 22 it has "entered into an agreement and plan of merger" with NASCAR Holdings Inc.

 

I do not know.  Hmmm.  gonna have to research this a bit...

[AmIReal]

SunRail at 5: Ridership for commuter train is growing, but will it ever run to DeLand? A very god article posted in the Daytona N-J.

"SunRail in the current fiscal year has already topped a record 1 million riders and projects to a 78-percent increase over 2018..." 

"DeBary was part of the first phase and has proven to be SunRail’s third-busiest station in the first five years. Only two downtown Orlando stations, Lynx Central and Church Street, have had more passengers."

"The DeBary SunRail station hasn’t generated new transit-oriented development as rapidly as some of the other stations, but a major piece is now coming out of the ground. The Integra Land Company is developing Integra 289 Exchange, a complex featuring 289 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, a clubhouse, resort-style swimming pool and walking trail on a 17-acre site between the train station and Gemini Springs Park. The apartments are projected to be completed by late summer 2020. The Junction, another planned development near the station, will bring homes, commercial development and a grocery store to the corner of U.S. 17-92 and Dirksen Drive, while Rivington, a 700-home development within a half-mile west of the SunRail station, is moving closer to turning dirt, said DeBary Mayor Karen Chasez. Without a SunRail station, DeLand remains without new development, in contrast to the three new stations in Osceola County." where "In all, within a half-mile of the SunRail stop, there is already $412 million in new investment creating 775 permanent jobs."

Regardless, "Volusia County... isn’t pushing for a solution to the missing DeLand funding."

https://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20190525/sunrail-at-5-ridership-for-commuter-train-is-growing-but-will-it-ever-run-to-deland

I am cross posting this in the "Sunrail" thread.

 

[AmIReal]

I know Spenser often talks up Deland. I think this is going to make the little downtown area even better if they go through with it. 

https://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20190529/downtown-deland-agency-oks-742500-in-incentives-to-revitalize-old-jail-site

"Downtown is a step closer to seeing the old jail site turned into what developers hope will be a thriving space for the community."

"...will bring a mix of retail and commercial space, rooftop event space, lofts for artists, gallery space, a 10,000-square-foot innovation hub, green space with a water feature, much like the popular One Daytona’s, a pedestrian alley for vendors and exhibits and parking..."

although some concerns were voiced...  “This quantity and intensity is a sharp departure from the organic, incremental way the southwest quadrant of downtown DeLand has been so successfully developing,”

This is far from being a done deal and may get held up, but at this point looks likely.

 

[AmIReal]

well that was quick...

https://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20190530/oklahoma-joes-shutters-its-doors-at-one-daytona

 

[spenser1058]

Crystal River nuclear plant to begin demolition next year,  much earlier than planned.

Duke Energy accelerates demolition of crippled Crystal River nuke plant http://bit.ly/2QEh7qV

From the Sentinel 

Besides, I’d much prefer a Mickey Mouse nuke anyway!..

 

 

[spenser1058]

The saga to save Daytona’s City Island continues:

https://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20190601/daytona-riverfront-property-remains-in-limbo

From the News-Journal

The usual suspects want to sell it off to developers but thankfully an $8.7 million bill to the city is holding things up.

[AmIReal]

15 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

The saga to save Daytona’s City Island continues:

I side with you that the property (or most of it) should be saved for public use, but a lot of the restrictions are too onerous. They should at least allow coffee shops/ ice cream/ food vendors, etc. City Island should be a jewel for the local community, but it has been badly neglected. It needs some money put into it and the City/ County is not going to do it. At the very least they should relocate the courthouse- its a toilet.

Btw, if the City is serious $90k per acre for that property is pretty cheap.

I don't think I'd be opposed to putting a mixed use midrise on a small portion of the land the courthouse sits on.

[AmIReal]

If you ever find yourself in the City Island vicinity be sure to stop and pay homage to Brownie the Town Dog.

https://www.browniethetowndog.org/

 

[spenser1058]

11 minutes ago, AmIReal said:

If you ever find yourself in the City Island vicinity be sure to stop and pay homage to Brownie the Town Dog.

https://www.browniethetowndog.org/

 

Billy the Swan would be jealous!

Meanwhile, what visit to City Island would be complete without a visit to nearby Stavros Pizza?