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

[spenser1058]

The Brevard Zoo is moving forward with plans to solicit interest in a proposed aquarium at Port Canaveral:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/os-et-port-canaveral-aquarium-update-20190815-2l2ue2wmbnaqbc5jahd5ktx45e-story.html

From the Sentinel 

[spenser1058]

Northrop Grumman to be first commercial company to build in NASA’s iconic VAB:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/space/os-bz-northrop-ksc-vab-20190816-zmzo35tsq5brzndvf6up5iegw4-story.html

From the Sentinel 

Things are definitely changing on the Space Coast...

[spenser1058]

A look at the MicaPlex, ERAU’s research facility that’s burgeoning with new projects. Great shot of the building on Clyde Morris Blvd. also:

https://www.hometownnewsvolusia.com/news/micaplex-driving-high-tech-surge-in-daytona/article_b79173d6-bd0f-11e9-affe-f336ed1f4374.html

From Hometown News

[spenser1058]

One of the wags from the Sons Of the Beach observed recently that, so far as the attention received from city officials goes, they might as well change the name of the city from “Daytona Beach” to “Daytona Palmetto Scrubs”.

It is reasonable to wonder if the powers that be ever cross the Halifax these days. It’s as if Orlando decided to concentrate all its activity at Nona and just ignore downtown.

Sure, they pop over anytime someone announces a new hotel tower but that’s mostly it.

When Mayor Bill Frederick and Jake Stuart set about revitalizing downtown Orlando in 1980, they recognized that to make it work the nearby neighborhoods had to come back as well or the core would never progress beyond commuters from the ‘burbs to sterile office towers working from 9 to 5 (at the time, they had already lost Ivey’s and Sears and even First Baptist was about to abandon ship).

It probably helped that both Mayor Bill and Jake were from close-in neighborhoods. It would be illuminating to see how many in Daytona’s power structure live on the beachside.

We know the rest of Orlando’s story. What will the Beach in Daytona’s be?

Maybe the city’s new nickname should be “World’s Most Forgotten Beach”...

Edited August 17, 2019 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

Our skyscrapers will be mobile! NASA unveiled its new SLS in Louisiana. The rocket, which will reach 32 stories high with both stages and a spacecraft, is set to launch from Canaveral late next year.

https://www.wesh.com/amp/article/nasa-unveils-new-megarocket-to-be-launched-from-space-coast/28714228

From WESH

[spenser1058]

Sunglasses maker Costa adding 44000sf HQ building to its operations on Mason Ave. on Daytona’s mainland:

https://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20190817/future-looks-bright-for-daytona-sunglass-maker-costa-new-hq-set-to-open-next-year?template=ampart

From the News-Journal 

 

 

[jrs2]

On 8/17/2019 at 9:40 AM, spenser1058 said:

One of the wags from the Sons Of the Beach observed recently that, so far as the attention received from city officials goes, they might as well change the name of the city from “Daytona Beach” to “Daytona Palmetto Scrubs”.

It is reasonable to wonder if the powers that be ever cross the Halifax these days. It’s as if Orlando decided to concentrate all its activity at Nona and just ignore downtown.

Sure, they pop over anytime someone announces a new hotel tower but that’s mostly it.

When Mayor Bill Frederick and Jake Stuart set about revitalizing downtown Orlando in 1980, they recognized that to make it work the nearby neighborhoods had to come back as well or the core would never progress beyond commuters from the ‘burbs to sterile office towers working from 9 to 5 (at the time, they had already lost Ivey’s and Sears and even First Baptist was about to abandon ship).

It probably helped that both Mayor Bill and Jake were from close-in neighborhoods. It would be illuminating to see how many in Daytona’s power structure live on the beachside.

We know the rest of Orlando’s story. What will the Beach in Daytona’s be?

Maybe the city’s new nickname should be “World’s Most Forgotten Beach”...

they should just call it New Smyrna Beach Adjacent

[spenser1058]

As we expected, Consolidated-Tomoka has plans to purchase the Beck building on Ridgewood Avenue (US1), which, ummm, consolidates their holdings in that block of downtown Daytona.

So far, the Popeye’s endures!

https://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20190819/developer-buys-another-downtown-daytona-building-near-planned-luxury-apartments?template=ampart

From the News-Journal 

[AmIReal]

On 8/17/2019 at 9:40 AM, spenser1058 said:

It’s as if Orlando decided to concentrate all its activity at Nona and just ignore downtown.

I would say its more like if Orlando focused energy on Lake Nona and downtown, but neglected the cash cow of I-drive. Quite a bit of private and public activity and money is going into the downtown area of Daytona- for the first time in decades. And, of course tons of private development is occurring out near I95. So far there is a lot of talk about public money going into beach side, but so far no action. What are the chances they get anything done before the next downturn?

[jrs2]

On 8/17/2019 at 9:40 AM, spenser1058 said:

One of the wags from the Sons Of the Beach observed recently that, so far as the attention received from city officials goes, they might as well change the name of the city from “Daytona Beach” to “Daytona Palmetto Scrubs”.

It is reasonable to wonder if the powers that be ever cross the Halifax these days. It’s as if Orlando decided to concentrate all its activity at Nona and just ignore downtown.

Sure, they pop over anytime someone announces a new hotel tower but that’s mostly it.

When Mayor Bill Frederick and Jake Stuart set about revitalizing downtown Orlando in 1980, they recognized that to make it work the nearby neighborhoods had to come back as well or the core would never progress beyond commuters from the ‘burbs to sterile office towers working from 9 to 5 (at the time, they had already lost Ivey’s and Sears and even First Baptist was about to abandon ship).

It probably helped that both Mayor Bill and Jake were from close-in neighborhoods. It would be illuminating to see how many in Daytona’s power structure live on the beachside.

We know the rest of Orlando’s story. What will the Beach in Daytona’s be?

Maybe the city’s new nickname should be “World’s Most Forgotten Beach”...

good points.  US 92 on the beachside is a wasteland.  there was a condo project slated for that parcel at 92 & the Halifax, on the north east side of the base of the bridge, back during the boom, but it didn't happen.  I think that would've been a big catalyst for development.  now, it's a wasteland.  it's an embarrassment.  At least Seabreeze is nice.  But once you cross over to the mainland, you are in...well...let's just say the Mason Ave corridor leaves a lot to be desired.  

US 92 was supposed to have a traffic circle at A1A and so far...nothing.

[spenser1058]

10 hours ago, AmIReal said:

I would say its more like if Orlando focused energy on Lake Nona and downtown, but neglected the cash cow of I-drive. Quite a bit of private and public activity and money is going into the downtown area of Daytona- for the first time in decades. And, of course tons of private development is occurring out near I95. So far there is a lot of talk about public money going into beach side, but so far no action. What are the chances they get anything done before the next downturn?

The weird part for us is that I-Drive didn’t exist until 1970 and most of it came along in the ‘80’s and after.

Downtown Daytona was in fact fairly small (mostly Beach St and a small chunk of Ridgewood); the area around B-CC is interesting in its own right but was a whole other thing because of segregation until the  civil rights acts were passed.

The peninsula is as historic if not more so and had its own “downtown” areas along Main Street and Seabreeze. There’s also a lot more residential that could have benefited from walkable areas had the powers that be not done their best to pave over everything.

Whereas Orlando realized the folly of that sort of development and has tried to “rehumanize” not only downtown but also the Main Street districts, Daytona’s City fathers have seen fit to try and turn the historic beachside into an I-Drive, essentially obliterating its past.

In fact, if the Brown family weren’t so invested in their new building downtown, would Beach St. be getting the love it is?

I guess my question is, why do they keep trying to use a 1970’s model on everything when it has been repudiated almost every place else? The only thing I come up with is it’s the best way for Consolidated-Tomoka to maximize profits. Apparently, there is none of the regard for the city’s sense of place that we’ve seen among many leaders in places like Orlando (at least until Buddy) or Miami Beach. They must all live in gated communities along the Indigo golf course or something if they live in Daytona at all (it turned out the scion of the Frances who ran ISC and NASCAR into a ditch was spending most of his time stoned in Manhattan).

Edited August 20, 2019 by spenser1058

[HankStrong]

Spending time in Daytona is horrible.  It's like I-Drive on meth.

[spenser1058]

9 minutes ago, HankStrong said:

Spending time in Daytona is horrible.  It's like I-Drive on meth.

Which Brian France could certainly identify with...

[jrs2]

1 hour ago, HankStrong said:

Spending time in Daytona is horrible.  It's like I-Drive on meth.

'horrible'...'meth'...my home this is!  LOL  not really, but kinda...

if you want to walk along A1A near the core or Beach Street and not get rolled up upon for money, forget it.  but you can get that in downtown Orlando too.

I do agree about the I-Drive on meth thing though...but that's when you escape and head to DBS, PI, or OBS to escape the riff raff.  I keep telling people that Daytona, albeit with bad decisions after bad decisions, is an old urbanized city on the beach which is why it is dirty and run down.  it has an illustrious history with "organized" crime and drug dealing on the beach and at the Boardwalk.

The difference for me is familiarity because of tons of people that I know there, over the years, so it's not judged in a void, unfortunately its judged in that context and I usually let a lot of things slide as a result; a lot of things that a first time visitor wouldn't.

man, the first time I spent meaningful time in east Orlando back in 1996-97, the first stretch of road I encountered was E. Colonial off of 417 heading west into town.  To me, that area looked like a run down war zone suburbanized ghetto.  It looked horrible.  But then I got used to it and it just became...normal.  Since then, they widened 50 and improved it, but it still stinks.

All this being said, Daytona has the beach and the Intracoastal and the Inlet, with other nice pockets mixed in amongst the run down sh!t.  You just gotta know where to go to enjoy yourself- but if you are already familiar with the Daytona experience, then you've probably hit a point where  you're tired of making excuses for it...and I may hit that point some day- sooner than later.

[spenser1058]

There was a time when Mike Shallow was running for mayor and dared to have an alternative vision for Daytona (for which the suits made sure DBPD set him up for a fall, but I’m not going to dive into conspiracy theories) that some of us got involved just as we did with bringing downtown Orlando back. In O-town we were welcomed; in Daytona, we hit a brick wall. It’s easy to see how the path veered after that. Great post, btw, jrs2.

[jrs2]

35 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

There was a time when Mike Shallow was running for mayor and dared to have an alternative vision for Daytona (for which the suits made sure DBPD set him up for a fall, but I’m not going to dive into conspiracy theories) that some of us got involved just as we did with bringing downtown Orlando back. In O-town we were welcomed; in Daytona, we hit a brick wall. It’s easy to see how the path veered after that. Great post, btw, jrs2.

thanks.

Btw, is it just me, or is the rebuilding of the Silver Beach Bridge a waste of money?  Chicago is full of draw bridges over the Chi R, so I don't see the necessity for all of these bridge projects.  What it looks like to me is bridge companied greasing officials to push for their reconstruction.  You could justify 92 and Seabreeze, but Silver Beach?  I dunno about that.

[spenser1058]

9 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

thanks.

Btw, is it just me, or is the rebuilding of the Silver Beach Bridge a waste of money?  Chicago is full of draw bridges over the Chi R, so I don't see the necessity for all of these bridge projects.  What it looks like to me is bridge companied greasing officials to push for their reconstruction.  You could justify 92 and Seabreeze, but Silver Beach?  I dunno about that.

It’s always interested me that Daytona has more bridges across the Halifax than New Orleans does across the Mississippi.

I think in the era of huge special events and most people driving, it made sense. Now there are fewer special events (thank God) and more people flying in, so not so much. I also wonder if Daytona’s tarnished image has more day trippers going to NSB or Brevard (I haven’t seen stats on that - I’d like to). So they may very well need fewer bridges (replacing the drawbridges probably increased traffic flow, also).

Having said that, the Silver Beach bridge is going to be one cool-looking bridge instead of the generic ones we got on ISB and Seabreeze. Hopefully, it will be worth all the sturm und drang.

 

[jrs2]

On 8/21/2019 at 10:30 AM, spenser1058 said:

It’s always interested me that Daytona has more bridges across the Halifax than New Orleans does across the Mississippi.

I think in the era of huge special events and most people driving, it made sense. Now there are fewer special events (thank God) and more people flying in, so not so much. I also wonder if Daytona’s tarnished image has more day trippers going to NSB or Brevard (I haven’t seen stats on that - I’d like to). So they may very well need fewer bridges (replacing the drawbridges probably increased traffic flow, also).

Having said that, the Silver Beach bridge is going to be one cool-looking bridge instead of the generic ones we got on ISB and Seabreeze. Hopefully, it will be worth all the sturm und drang.

 

see my Orlando Magic comment in that thread.

So, I wonder what the odds in Vegas would be in a showdown between whether The Orlando Magic Entertainment Complex ever getting built, versus, US 92 ever looking respectable on the beachside and getting redeveloped.

a tuffy, to be sure...

[spenser1058]

1 hour ago, jrs2 said:

see my Orlando Magic comment in that thread.

So, I wonder what the odds in Vegas would be in a showdown between whether The Orlando Magic Entertainment Complex ever getting built, versus, US 92 ever looking respectable on the beachside and getting redeveloped.

a tuffy, to be sure...

I think MEC gets built by someone sooner or later because the NBA likes the idea and it does make some sense. Whether it will be the DeVos family or someone else is an open question.

Daytona’s problems are a lot bigger because of  a good ol’ boy stranglehold that shows no signs of abating. I think more than a few people like me just finally realized the will simply wasn’t there and there was a ready alternative beach community just to the south that welcomed a grass roots reinvigoration of the beachside while the suits set about to destroy the Palmetto Curtain (the two were never mutually exclusive even if the latter is horrible for the environment- not sure why they didn’t get that in Daytona - it seems to be mostly ego).

To fix Daytona will require changes to the form of government and I would normally say the retirees moving in are unlikely to do so. However, the pushback on LPGA and the Russian project on the beachside shows there may be hope yet. Citizens, at the end of the day, get the governance they are willing to support.

An easy comparison of how it could go either way: look at Miami Beach, where the townies partnered with powerful interests who actually lived in the community and made something famous around the world or Atlantic City, which called in an out of town wannabe tycoon who could care less about the city and managed to make things worse. 

Edited August 22, 2019 by spenser1058

[AmIReal]

10 hours ago, jrs2 said:

So, I wonder what the odds in Vegas would be in a showdown between whether The Orlando Magic Entertainment Complex ever getting built, versus, US 92 ever looking respectable on the beachside and getting redeveloped.

I gave my perspective on the Magic Complex in that section, but I was beachside this week and it appeared they were laying out the round about at 1 and 92. There were hard hats (no equipment) digging holes and marking the circumference. I was driving while on a conference call so couldn't stop, but maybe they have actually started this project...

This is the Magic vs Daytona so it is still even odds.

[AmIReal]

Daytona Beach city website now has an interactive map listing ongoing developments. They already had maps that list police activity and code enforcement. Although the presentation is ugly I applaud their attempt. Neither Orlando or Orange County does this.

https://codb.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/7de464251f5b44738592535f9cd7cce6

 

[jrs2]

16 hours ago, AmIReal said:

I gave my perspective on the Magic Complex in that section, but I was beachside this week and it appeared they were laying out the round about at 1 and 92. There were hard hats (no equipment) digging holes and marking the circumference. I was driving while on a conference call so couldn't stop, but maybe they have actually started this project...

This is the Magic vs Daytona so it is still even odds.

see.  I drove to Daytona yesterday around 5pm and used a cut through to avoid the 92 traffic; drove out around 10pm so I never saw that stuff at the intersection.  thx for the info.

On 8/22/2019 at 1:00 PM, spenser1058 said:

I think MEC gets built by someone sooner or later because the NBA likes the idea and it does make some sense. Whether it will be the DeVos family or someone else is an open question.

Daytona’s problems are a lot bigger because of  a good ol’ boy stranglehold that shows no signs of abating. I think more than a few people like me just finally realized the will simply wasn’t there and there was a ready alternative beach community just to the south that welcomed a grass roots reinvigoration of the beachside while the suits set about to destroy the Palmetto Curtain (the two were never mutually exclusive even if the latter is horrible for the environment- not sure why they didn’t get that in Daytona - it seems to be mostly ego).

To fix Daytona will require changes to the form of government and I would normally say the retirees moving in are unlikely to do so. However, the pushback on LPGA and the Russian project on the beachside shows there may be hope yet. Citizens, at the end of the day, get the governance they are willing to support.

An easy comparison of how it could go either way: look at Miami Beach, where the townies partnered with powerful interests who actually lived in the community and made something famous around the world or Atlantic City, which called in an out of town wannabe tycoon who could care less about the city and managed to make things worse. 

yes, the retirees and nimbys always show up at the public meetings protesting projects and new bloods never show up there because they're too busy... a mayoral candidate told us this like 30 years ago.  seems like yesterday...

[spenser1058]

Joie Chitwood III, COO of ISC and a prime mover behind the Daytona Rising project, is resigning:

https://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20190822/joie-chitwood-resigns-isc-post-effective-in-november?template=ampart

From the News-Journal

[spenser1058]

The merchants have their say about the Beach Street redo:

https://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20190823/daytona-beach-merchants-ponder-effect-of-beach-street-construction-project?template=ampart

From the News-Journal 

[spenser1058]

The Ponce Lighthouse is going to buy the Pacetti House across the street. It’s the oldest house in Ponce Inlet and probably one of the oldest in Volusia.

This is a really awesome get and a great save of the region’s history. Kudos to all involved:

https://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20190823/lane-lighthouse-group-to-buy-relic-of-ponce-inlets-fishing-village-days?template=ampart

From the News-Journal