Colonial & Magnolia Self Storage | 3-story Mixed-Use [Under Construction]

[JFW657]

36 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

Such an iconic gateway to downtown! (Frankly, I think we should bring back the dynamic neon Phillips 66 sign that was about 10’ x 10’ - at least it was interesting at night).

It wouldn't be so bad if the city had allowed them to put a little bit of an interesting color scheme on it rather than that sad looking, mud grey color they ended up with.

[dcluley98]

True, not the best-looking building in the world, but it should activate the corner a bit more with whatever groundfloor/restaurant they put in there. I can't wait to see tenants announced. Really hoping for a decent restaurant I can walk to or a coffee shop. I think it looks better than the old hill that was there and creates some street activity and someplace I can walk to as a SteelHouse tenant. Camden and Sevens and Residence Inn and Courtyard guests could similarly walk a couple blocks to whatever is there. 

[jgardnerucf]

Build that damn thing so it can be converted into lofts lol

[JFW657]

3 minutes ago, jgardnerucf said:

Build that damn thing so it can be converted into lofts lol

That might happen eventually anyway. 

[Universe_Explorer]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯  There was nothing to see there but an oversized berm hiding some old buildings.  It's got ground floor retail and interacts with the street - not that I think Colonial will ever be part of a pedestrian-friendly urban environment. Until the Sentinel property evolves this is as good as it will get. In the meantime, I'll take a nice pedestrian bridge and blissfully ride right on past this stuff

[dcluley98]

43 minutes ago, jgardnerucf said:

Build that damn thing so it can be converted into lofts lol

If I wasn't so damn poor, I would love to own one of those custom China Glass Warehouse Lofts! 

http://www.chinaglasslofts.com/

[jgardnerucf]

52 minutes ago, dcluley98 said:

If I wasn't so damn poor, I would love to own one of those custom China Glass Warehouse Lofts! 

http://www.chinaglasslofts.com/

Duh lol

[Xander]

15 hours ago, dcluley98 said:

Here's a photo of the decking going on the 2nd floor and the 3rd floor steel and stairwell/elevator towers up. Looks to be about 45-50' tall to top of 3rd floor, not including roof elements such as the parapets. 

I find it hilarious that we build storage facilities with steel frame but build residences- ones called STEELHOUSE, for cryin out loud- out of wood. 

Gotta make sure all that stuff sitting in storage is super secure, I guess.

[HankStrong]

I have a hard time understanding storage places, period.

I know you need some of them.  People have legit situations where you are moving or temporarily living in a smaller place.   I also understand long-term storage of extra vehicles, boats or recreational toys you can't store at home, or campers/RVs.

Most storage facilities, however, are full of junk that people should have thrown away or donated because human beings simply do not require that much stuff.

[JFW657]

4 hours ago, HankStrong said:

I have a hard time understanding storage places, period.

I know you need some of them.  People have legit situations where you are moving or temporarily living in a smaller place.   I also understand long-term storage of extra vehicles, boats or recreational toys you can't store at home, or campers/RVs.

Most storage facilities, however, are full of junk that people should have thrown away or donated because human beings simply do not require that much stuff.

Maybe a lot of people have sentimental attachments to their junk. 

I used one once when I was moving out of one apartment to another. Rather than bust my tail trying to get everything moved in one day, I rented a storage unit two weeks prior to my move out/move in date. That way I was able to take my time, work at my leisure and do a thorough cleaning job so I got my deposit back. Then, after I moved into the new place, I had two weeks to get my stuff moved in.

It was well worth the cost of one month's rental.

[aent]

50 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

Maybe a lot of people have sentimental attachments to their junk. 

I used one once when I was moving out of one apartment to another. Rather than bust my tail trying to get everything moved in one day, I rented a storage unit two weeks prior to my move out/move in date. That way I was able to take my time, work at my leisure and do a thorough cleaning job so I got my deposit back. Then, after I moved into the new place, I had two weeks to get my stuff moved in.

It was well worth the cost of one month's rental.

Yeah, its still a bit crazy to me as well though. I know someone who's dad had a large storage unit that he hadn't touched since he became old, the last 20 years of his life. He died 10 years ago. His kids continue to pay for it, and go once a year on the anniversary of his death to sort through things, 1 day per year at a time. It seems pretty clear this storage unit is just a permanent rental, purely for sentimental reasons. I'm curious how common that is. I, like you, have only used them for short term moving purposes, but to me, with the advent of PODS, I wouldn't even do that again, to avoid an entire loading and unloading of a truck twice lol.

[dcluley98]

According to OBJ: "No tenants have been signed but the space, which has a drive-thru, is expected to feature restaurants and a coffee shop, said Adam Mikkelson, president of Liberty Investment Properties. Orlando-based Crossman & Co. is handling leasing."

    That is restaurants, plural, including a coffee shop! 

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2019/02/21/20m-downtown-orlando-project-to-lure-retail.html
 

 

[jgardnerucf]

It's called: garage sale, goodwill, salvation army, amvets, craigslist, ebay, letgo, mustard seed, 1800gotjunk, etc.  

[HankStrong]

15 hours ago, JFW657 said:

Maybe a lot of people have sentimental attachments to their junk. 

I used one once when I was moving out of one apartment to another. Rather than bust my tail trying to get everything moved in one day, I rented a storage unit two weeks prior to my move out/move in date. That way I was able to take my time, work at my leisure and do a thorough cleaning job so I got my deposit back. Then, after I moved into the new place, I had two weeks to get my stuff moved in.

It was well worth the cost of one month's rental.

That's exactly what I said as a normal use in my comment.

Quote

 People have legit situations where you are moving or temporarily living in a smaller place.

The sentimental attachment to junk part is the problem.

[nite owℓ]

I don't see anything wrong with storage facilities, but I just find it so tacky to have one eat up such a prominent corner. There are storage facilities further down E Colonial, do people really need to have their junk stockpiled on a pedestal at the gateway into downtown? Classy.

[JFW657]

42 minutes ago, nite owℓ said:

I don't see anything wrong with storage facilities, but I just find it so tacky to have one eat up such a prominent corner. There are storage facilities further down E Colonial, do people really need to have their junk stockpiled on a pedestal at the gateway into downtown? Classy.

Just be glad it doesn't really look like one.

It could've looked like one of these places....

[nite owℓ]

Well if it were a single story storage facility I'd probably feel a little hopeful that it would be redeveloped in the future. This new development will likely be at that corner indefinitely.

[spenser1058]

Isn’t it interesting to ponder that we’re bursting at the seams with new storage facilities but are desperate for affordable housing? It’s always good to take care of stuff before people!?!

[Jvest55]

I have a hard time understanding how this project got approved. Storage facilities bring in little revenue compared to the cost of the land they sit on and probably close to zero economic activity for the surrounding community. Hopefully what they do is put the storage part way in the back, so nobody sees it, and stores in the front. I find it funny that they claim there will be restaurants here, I don't think people want to eat near people who are using storage facilities. 

Edited May 12, 2019 by Jvest55

[Jvest55]

On 5/10/2019 at 3:27 PM, spenser1058 said:

Isn’t it interesting to ponder that we’re bursting at the seams with new storage facilities but are desperate for affordable housing? It’s always good to take care of stuff before people!?!

Haven't you heard? Eventually we will just put people in storage facilities for $300/m. Similar to cage homes in Hong Kong. 

[JFW657]

4 hours ago, Jvest55 said:

Haven't you heard? Eventually we will just put people in storage facilities for $300/m. Similar to cage homes in Hong Kong. 

That's not really a new thing. I've heard of more than one instance of people who couldn't afford an apartment, renting a storage facility and sleeping in it at night.

[HankStrong]

16 hours ago, JFW657 said:

That's not really a new thing. I've heard of more than one instance of people who couldn't afford an apartment, renting a storage facility and sleeping in it at night.

When I first moved to Orlando I lived near a storage place where they found a bunch of people doing just this.  I think it got found out by someone finding a homemade porta-potty behind one of the buildings?  Something with 2-liter bottles and a bucket system?  My memory is a bit hazy on it, but there were several people living there.

[JFW657]

I guess it beats sleeping in the woods or in a homeless shelter. 

[spenser1058]

5 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

I guess it beats sleeping in the woods or in a homeless shelter. 

It probably does but, with all the motels from the ‘70’s around that are now obsolete, the counties should be able to figure out a way to come up with something besides leaving people at the whim of usurious landlords renting out slums in the making.

Although wages are too low among the independent hospitality folks (the big players like Disney are moving toward $15/hr and Harris Rosen tends to take care of his folks through philanthropy), solutions should be doable since we don’t have the entrenched, multi-generational poverty of cities like Philadelphia or New Orleans.

(I’m working with some others on the difference that makes in folks having a path to success here - it’s the missing piece of the puzzle not reported in the media.)

[codypet]

So I'm getting really annoyed with Turner not giving a crap that their workers are randomly crossing Magnolia amongst all the cars instead of using the GD crosswalk that bridges the site and their construction trailers.   I'm glad our engineering depts and FDOT went through so much trouble putting in a crosswalk so that people who are literally going from one side of the road to the other can cross willy nilly mid block where they're not supposed to.