500 N Orange Ave Renovation | 5-story mixed use/office renovation [Under Construction]

[dcluley98]

Work has begun on the renovation of the former AT&T Building at 500 N. Orange Ave.  site fence is up with Balfour Beatty signage and there were lulls and other equipment active on site this morning. 

http://www.cityoforlando.net/city-planning/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2018/06/MPBStaffReport2018-06_MPL2017-10026nAdden.pdf

118,517 sq. ft. former AT&T/Bellsouth building on the 2.3 acre lot in the Downtown Core. The commercial and office development will consist of 11,801 sq. ft. of retail space and 104,000 sq. ft. office space with a 420 space parking garage and/or 30 space surface parking lot.

 

Edit with more recent "Orlando'd" renderings below. . . 

Edited May 8, 2022 by dcluley98

[uncreativeusername]

1 hour ago, dcluley98 said:

Work has begun on the renovation of the former AT&T Building at 500 N. Orange Ave.  site fence is up with Balfour Beatty signage and there were lulls and site equipment active on site this morning. 

http://www.cityoforlando.net/city-planning/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2018/06/MPBStaffReport2018-06_MPL2017-10026nAdden.pdf

118,517 sq. ft. former AT&T/Bellsouth building on the 2.3 acre lot in the Downtown Core. The commercial and office development will consist of 11,801 sq. ft. of retail space and 104,000 sq. ft. office space with a 420 space parking garage and/or 30 space surface parking lot.

I thought this was the old redesign...the updated redesign was  hideous - much less glass. I'd be thrilled if I were wrong though.

[dcluley98]

I think you are right.  I remember us commenting about it getting Orlando'd with new BakerBarrios renderings that looked like a stucco/efis building instead of glass.  I pulled these renderings off the Baker Barrios website, but they have probably not updated it with the new ugly renderings. I will see if I can find something more recent. 

Edited May 4, 2022 by dcluley98

[JFW657]

[dcluley98]

Here is more recent article but it's pay-walled: https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2021/04/13/interstruct-baker-barrios-west-second-street.html

Anybody have access to download images? 

At any rate, I am just glad it is going now. It will supposedly add 500+ full-time government office jobs (I heard GSA and ATF) to the downtown core.  It will greatly clean up that dead-zone with 500+ more people and ground floor retail and help eliminate a deadzone around that block and the Sentinel property between the CBD and North Quarter. 

[JFW657]

3 minutes ago, dcluley98 said:

Here is more recent article but it's pay-walled: https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2021/04/13/interstruct-baker-barrios-west-second-street.html

Anybody have access to download images? 

The only pic at that link is of a renovation at 802 W. Church St. 

[dcluley98]

I found a more recent ARB Report: https://orlando.novusagenda.com/AgendaPublic/AttachmentViewer.ashx?AttachmentID=108754&ItemID=57426

 

[JFW657]

Not the worst looking design but nothing close to good, either. 

[codypet]

The ARB had beef with the garage so they put 1st floor retail and crudely shield the garage from Orange.  Meanwhile the niceness of the old design is completely muted. 

Just one look at it and I had this thought came into my mind.

 

That said, its better than the homeless half falling down abandoned building.

Edited May 4, 2022 by codypet

[dcluley98]

[bqknight]

I'll take anything to get rid of what's currently there. Was driving into Downtown on Orange and with Society, that strip is looking quite nice...minus that moldy building. 

[uncreativeusername]

Those more current renderings are actually significantly less offensive than the original re-redesign we saw. 

Edited May 4, 2022 by uncreativeusername

[JFW657]

Maybe the design has changed again.

For the better, even. 

One can hope, can't one? 

[spenser1058]

If only AT&T had built us a Batman tower…

[dcluley98]

The ones I linked above were not the "approved" design. ARB still had changes to GF windows/storefront and garage.  

I did not see a final approved rendering.  

In the ARB report, they noted the following that needed to be addressed before approval: 

• There continues to be no active use on the ground floor portion of the garage
• Transparency -- All ground floor building walls facing a street shall contain a minimum of 30% transparent materials or glass.
• A large art panel has been added to the Orange Avenue façade of the garage and it does not appear well integrated into the façade and simply applied. The proposed art panel screening of the Orange Avenue façade does not have an integrated appearance and will need additional minor review prior to permitting and if the art is not installed an alternate treatment shall be proposed and approved via minor review. The art panel should either be larger to be the same width of the openings, or slightly smaller and perhaps be split into two pieces. The art panel installation and the artwork will require additional review. The mural artwork for the garage façade treatments must be developed and created by an established artist and may not contain any onsite or offsite commercial messages. Sponsorship text or logos may be incorporated into the proposed artwork, but may be no more than 3% of the artwork area.
• A lighting plan compliant with the City’s lighting regulations [Chapter 63 2M.], including photometrics and all proposed exterior lighting fixtures, shall be submitted for final ARB Staff Review and approval prior to issuance of building permits.
• It is encouraged that the top of the building be lit in order to make the building unique in the night time skyline.

Edited May 4, 2022 by dcluley98

[codypet]

2 hours ago, dcluley98 said:

The ones I linked above were not the "approved" design. ARB still had changes to GF windows/storefront and garage.  

I did not see a final approved rendering.  

In the ARB report, they noted the following that needed to be addressed before approval: 

• There continues to be no active use on the ground floor portion of the garage
• Transparency -- All ground floor building walls facing a street shall contain a minimum of 30% transparent materials or glass.
• A large art panel has been added to the Orange Avenue façade of the garage and it does not appear well integrated into the façade and simply applied. The proposed art panel screening of the Orange Avenue façade does not have an integrated appearance and will need additional minor review prior to permitting and if the art is not installed an alternate treatment shall be proposed and approved via minor review. The art panel should either be larger to be the same width of the openings, or slightly smaller and perhaps be split into two pieces. The art panel installation and the artwork will require additional review. The mural artwork for the garage façade treatments must be developed and created by an established artist and may not contain any onsite or offsite commercial messages. Sponsorship text or logos may be incorporated into the proposed artwork, but may be no more than 3% of the artwork area.
• A lighting plan compliant with the City’s lighting regulations [Chapter 63 2M.], including photometrics and all proposed exterior lighting fixtures, shall be submitted for final ARB Staff Review and approval prior to issuance of building permits.
• It is encouraged that the top of the building be lit in order to make the building unique in the night time skyline.

These updated renderings appear to address those comments. 

Edited May 4, 2022 by codypet

[dcluley98]

No, they do not. The ARB was referencing the above renderings in pointing out things that still need revision. 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

I don't understand the need to constantly renovate buildings. This could definitely be torn down and out to better use with a nice city park. Ugh

[F-L-A]

8 minutes ago, IAmFloridaBorn said:

I don't understand the need to constantly renovate buildings. This could definitely be torn down and out to better use with a nice city park. Ugh

What makes this a good spot for a park? Especially when you have a large, undeveloped lot right across the street that could easily incorporate park space?

[spenser1058]

8 minutes ago, IAmFloridaBorn said:

I don't understand the need to constantly renovate buildings. This could definitely be torn down and out to better use with a nice city park. Ugh

The Little Old Ladies would like to talk with you! If only there were a lovely tree… and a historical plaque indicating just what was significant about the site.

[IAmFloridaBorn]

7 minutes ago, F-L-A said:

What makes this a good spot for a park? Especially when you have a large, undeveloped lot right across the street that could easily incorporate park space?

Looking towards the future, SunRail Lynx Central will grow accommodate more people. There just isn't a lot of green space downtown already. A nice little pocket park isn't hurting anyone. I just don't understand the need to renovate buildings like these but I don't know anything. It's just a wish to have more green space in an area designed to be urban. 

9 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

The Little Old Ladies would like to talk with you! If only there were a lovely tree… and a historical plaque indicating just what was significant about the site.

I don't mind  that. Hey at least people would have some more things to do downtown. 

[dcluley98]

This is actually a very good re-use proposal for office space. There is not much current demand for office space right now, but the developer found a way to get the property on the cheap, secure a stable tenant (the US government) that will provide 500+ jobs downtown at a fraction of the cost of a new build. 

There is not much demand for office space right now and there is a glut of "high-end" or "class-A" office space. Government agencies tend to not go that fancy, and this accomplishes multiple things. I actually like the project a lot, but I wish that the original rendering had happened. 

Re-use of existing structures is actually pretty desirable, as it eliminates derelict buildings and open space, especially on a major DT thouroughfare such as Orange or Magnolia. In some cases, the structure is sound (with a building like this, it definitely is because it was an over-built vault for AT&T switch and IT/Data equipment) and the conversion makes a lot of sense. I would maybe have doubts and qualms if they said they wanted to convert it to high-end residential or something, but this is a great project, and fits well nearby the courthouse and other government offices and federal courthouse/marshal's office somewhat nearby on the opposite side of I-4. 

Besides that, it bodes well for re-development of the Sentinel property across the street and really connecting downtown to North Quarter. 

Overall glad to see the fence up and work started here. 

Edited May 5, 2022 by dcluley98

[IAmFloridaBorn]

I hope this fails. I'm not fan of small projects in the CBD. Take this to uncreative village or Maitland and it's great. 

1 minute ago, IAmFloridaBorn said:

I hope this fails. I'm not fan of small projects in the CBD. Take this to uncreative village or Maitland and it's great. 

Come to think of it, it fits right in with crappy station. 

Nevermind, good luck to it. 

[dcluley98]

There is a very big difference between a small new-build project on an empty site and an adaptive re-use that helps the situation. 

Also want to add that not having a derelict building next to the historic Firestone Building and adjacent to the Southeast Steel Building and Lynx Central gives added appeal to the project. 

Were this an empty lot, I would agree with you. It looks kinda like a maitland building, but as adaptive re-use and actual results of the project (other than the architectural appeal or height), it is pretty good. 

It is much better than the travesty that was Crescent Central or whatever they are calling that abomination right now. 

Edited May 5, 2022 by dcluley98

[IAmFloridaBorn]

11 minutes ago, dcluley98 said:

There is a very big difference between a small new-build project on an empty site and an adaptive re-use that helps the situation. 

Also want to add that not having a derelict building next to the historic Firestone Building and adjacent to the Southeast Steel Building and Lynx Central gives added appeal to the project. 

Were this an empty lot, I would agree with you. It looks kinda like a maitland building, but as adaptive re-use and actual results of the project (other than the architectural appeal or height), it is pretty good. 

It is much better than the travesty that was Crescent Central or whatever they are calling that abomination right now. 

You make a fair point.