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

[spenser1058]

A great read from the News-Journal about how Volusia might use the dollars it receives from President Biden’s infrastructure plan for both trails and transit in the county.

One great idea for 2027 would be to connect the planned (Delightful!) DeLand SunRail station with east-west VoTran service to Daytona every 15 minutes.

https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2021/11/13/what-effect-infrastructure-bill-have-volusia-county-florida/5883123001/
 

[prahaboheme]

18 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

A great read from the News-Journal about how Volusia might use the dollars it receives from President Biden’s infrastructure plan for both trails and transit in the county.

One great idea for 2027 would be to connect the planned (Delightful!) DeLand SunRail station with east-west VoTran service to Daytona every 15 minutes.

https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2021/11/13/what-effect-infrastructure-bill-have-volusia-county-florida/5883123001/
 

I’d like to see those OBX plans dusted off. 
Getting commuter rail out to Apopka and beyond would be a major boon to the system.

[spenser1058]

1 minute ago, prahaboheme said:

I’d like to see those OBX plans dusted off. 
Getting commuter rail out to Apopka and beyond would be a major boon to the system.

I guess it could happen in Orange. The idea was to get Lake involved and the politics over there right now aren’t conducive (Lake County transit is some of the worst in the region).

You never know, though. Things got more transit-friendly in Volusia again when a new county chairman was elected.

[spenser1058]

Roundabouts, a road diet and streetscaping may be on the way to Daytona’s Beach Street (the city’s equivalent to our Orange Ave):

https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2021/11/19/daytona-beachs-north-beach-street-could-get-a-roundabout-and-fewer-lanes/8621079002

From The News Journal 
 

Edited November 19, 2021 by spenser1058

[jliv]

I’d like to see those OBX plans dusted off. 
Getting commuter rail out to Apopka and beyond would be a major boon to the system.

Amen. The rail RoW goes through a lot of open space primed for transit-oriented development (The Packing District, for one). I also hope they move SunRail away from the classic "commuter rail" model using Denver's FasTracks initative as inspiration, implementing "commuter rail" tech with light-rail level service.

Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk

[spenser1058]

Flagler Beach, whose decades old  wooden pier finally reached the end of its lifespan after a nor’easter in early November, will be replaced by a concrete pier.

Flagler has long remained one of our best examples of an old-fashioned Florida beach town that never got gussied up for the tourists (although encroachment from Palm Coast to the north has made it challenging). I’m hoping what they come up with doesn’t mess up that vibe - stay tuned.

https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/2021/11/19/flagler-beach-build-new-concrete-pier-federal-help/8648950002/

From The News Journal 
 

[spenser1058]

After Daytona City Manager Deric Feacher’s walking tours around town with staff and interested residents, now it’s time to think about what comes next:

https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2021/11/20/daytonas-beach-street-gets-top-city-staff-attention-on-walking-tour/8670018002/

Included are plans to turn the  former Woolworth into a restaurant. Gosh, that’d be a great idea for downtown Orlando’s historic Woolworth! Oh, wait…(*hears echoes of bulldozers*).

https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2021/11/20/daytonas-beach-street-gets-top-city-staff-attention-on-walking-tour/8670018002/

From The News Journal 

 

[AmIReal]

10 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Included are plans to turn the  former Woolworth into a restaurant. Gosh, that’d be a great idea for downtown Orlando’s historic Woolworth! Oh, wait…(*hears echoes of bulldozers*).

Wow...! You mean we could have had a restaurant in a really old decrepit building, but instead all we got was 8 restaurants, a 6 screen theater, over 300 living units, several hundred jobs, and hundreds of thousands of dollars added to the tax rolls... wow. Who do I thank for that great vison?

[aent]

On 11/14/2021 at 12:21 PM, spenser1058 said:

I guess it could happen in Orange. The idea was to get Lake involved and the politics over there right now aren’t conducive (Lake County transit is some of the worst in the region).

You never know, though. Things got more transit-friendly in Volusia again when a new county chairman was elected.

I don't follow Lake politics but they were pro OBX back when mica was on it. I think if they could extend it all the way up to the villages itd be extremely popular with them. The airport shuttles and whatnot are super popular in that area, and profitable

[codypet]

39 minutes ago, aent said:

I don't follow Lake politics but they were pro OBX back when mica was on it. I think if they could extend it all the way up to the villages itd be extremely popular with them. The airport shuttles and whatnot are super popular in that area, and profitable

Is there historical tracks up that way?  Getting R/W for new RR is pretty tough.  Just ask Brightline.

[aent]

1 hour ago, codypet said:

Is there historical tracks up that way?  Getting R/W for new RR is pretty tough.  Just ask Brightline.

There is existing tracks from Tavares to Wildwood that are abandoned and were discussed for use with OBX, and then it connects to US 301 and follows that up to The Villages and beyond. Some is ripped out but the ROW does remain as far as I know.

[jliv]

15 hours ago, AmIReal said:

Wow...! You mean we could have had a restaurant in a really old decrepit building, but instead all we got was 8 restaurants, a 6 screen theater, over 300 living units, several hundred jobs, and hundreds of thousands of dollars added to the tax rolls... wow. Who do I thank for that great vison?

No restaurant....just a cheap horror-themed tourist attarction right in the heart of a vibrant city center, with paid "actors" harassing people on the street. 
Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
 

Edited November 22, 2021 by jliv

[spenser1058]

Pondering how to save Daytona Beach’s historic Fire Station 1 while it’s still the city’s main firehouse:

https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2021/11/30/daytona-beach-florida-fire-station-restaurant-microbrewery/8745952002/

From the News Journal 
 

[spenser1058]

307-unit upper-end apartments proposed for North Beach Street in downtown Daytona:

https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2021/12/01/daytona-beach-riverfront-corridor-could-soon-be-home-to-new-apartments-beach-street-downtown/8804094002/

From the News Journal 

That area of downtown is pretty unremarkable so this would likely be an improvement if they don’t mess with the historic post office building:

https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=35885

Edited December 1, 2021 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

SpaceX has begun construction of a new orbital launch pad at KSC that can support Starship, the world’s most powerful spacecraft:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/space/os-bz-elon-musk-spacex-starship-launch-pad-kennedy-space-center-20211203-axotbuwmerb6hepnzfshhs544m-story.html

From The Sentinel 

Company founder Elon Musk noted SpaceX will continue to use historic Launch Pad 39A as well.

Importantly, it keeps the Space Coast on par with other launch facilities in Texas and California.
 

Edited December 3, 2021 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

Kennedy Space Center’s new Gateway attraction is 55,000sf and will update as the space program does. It will feature both NASA and private projects like those from SpaceX:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/os-prem-et-kennedy-space-center-visitor-complex-deep-space-launch-20211203-ury6i5sngfbjre2jho3xdh6xsu-story.html

From The Sentinel 
 

[spenser1058]

Yet another satellite company setting up shop at the Cape, this time the Canaveral Space Force Station. Astra is from Alameda, CA (the wessels!) and its other launch facility is in Alaska (who knew?)

Brevard’s going to get very crowded if this keeps up. Thankfully, they’re high-paying jobs so it may soon be the “it” county in Florida, not to mention the hometown of @JFW657!

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/space/os-bz-astra-rocket-launches-cape-canaveral-20211206-ytrwr2qo5ngmpphhiveudnxjta-story.html

From The Sentinel 
 

Edited December 7, 2021 by spenser1058

[prahaboheme]

4 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Yet another satellite company setting up shop at the Cape, this time the Canaveral Space Force Station. Astra is from Alameda, CA (the wessels!) and it’s other launch facility is in Alaska (who knew?)

Brevard’s going to get very crowded if this keeps up. Thankfully, they’re high-paying jobs so it may soon be the “it” county in Florida, not to mention the hometown of @JFW657!

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/space/os-bz-astra-rocket-launches-cape-canaveral-20211206-ytrwr2qo5ngmpphhiveudnxjta-story.html

From The Sentinel 
 

I’ve always felt like there is no “there there” in Brevard County especially considering it’s position as the seat of the world's space industry.

Surely there are a few pockets of opportunity. 

[spenser1058]

23 minutes ago, prahaboheme said:

I’ve always felt like there is no “there there” in Brevard County especially considering it’s position as the seat of the world's space industry.

Surely there are a few pockets of opportunity. 

There wasn’t much to Brevard prior to NASA and then it sprawled with all the tackiness of 1960’s era growth. To make matters worse, then it crashed and burned after Apollo (there were literally rocket scientists bagging groceries) and again after the shuttle.

The commercial space industry will hopefully bring more stability over there and they can build on a more solid foundation this time.

One problem is that the county is so far right-leaning that it’s hard for the county to invest in infrastructure and for the better schools all those engineers will demand. It will be interesting to see them try to work around that.

[JFW657]

It was a cool and fun place to be a kid and to grow up in.

 

[uncreativeusername]

7 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Yet another satellite company setting up shop at the Cape, this time the Canaveral Space Force Station. Astra is from Alameda, CA (the wessels!) and its other launch facility is in Alaska (who knew?)

[spenser1058]

Downtown Winter Haven is getting its first luxury apartment complex:

https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-polk/new-apartment-complex-coming-to-downtown-winter-haven

From WFTS Action News
 

[JFW657]

Brown & Brown, the insurance company that built the new tower by the river in downtown Daytona, recently erected a Cheetah statue that they had apparently been waiting for months to arrive.

 

[spenser1058]

Space balloons are coming to Titusville- 240 jobs & average pay $80K:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/space/os-bz-space-balloon-company-brevard-campus-jobs-20211217-ipvh2izgobcqtgjjsbmtirfmzq-story.html

From The Sentinel 

The Space Coast just keeps hopping!
 

[spenser1058]

OUC’s derelict 1960’s-era power plant is messing with Brevard’s mojo:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orange-county/os-ne-ouc-brevard-plant-criticism-20211223-bjkkdioyz5drbp34ozwacqxnr4-story.html

From The Sentinel