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

[AndyPok1]

While I much prefer the original, and this redo is uninspired, it kinda fits in with the courthouse quasi across the street.  It is significantly better than the ugly that exists.  It is adding more tenants.  It extends the urban fabric.  And I assume its largely being done on the cheap, so a future developer can saw screw it and knock it down in 20 years when the land becomes more valuable due to the Paper District being the hip new place to hang out.

Wins all around.

[codypet]

48 minutes ago, AndyPok1 said:

While I much prefer the original, and this redo is uninspired, it kinda fits in with the courthouse quasi across the street.  It is significantly better than the ugly that exists.  It is adding more tenants.  It extends the urban fabric.  And I assume its largely being done on the cheap, so a future developer can saw screw it and knock it down in 20 years when the land becomes more valuable due to the Paper District being the hip new place to hang out.

Wins all around.

The Soil Contamination District.

[spenser1058]

55 minutes ago, codypet said:

The Soil Contamination District.

I think I’ll go with @codypet. Had they opted to save and restore the newsroom building, the Newspaper District would have been appropriate. As it is, it’s just a big contaminated empty lot.

[codypet]

Flurry of activity onsite today

[TRENCH]

took this on April 26, when they started to spray-paint numbers

 

Edited May 7, 2022 by W7edwin

[dcluley98]

I definitely saw a port-a-potty. 

[spenser1058]

7 hours ago, dcluley98 said:

I definitely saw a port-a-potty. 

It’s Happening!

[HankStrong]

On 5/7/2022 at 10:52 PM, dcluley98 said:

I definitely saw a port-a-potty. 

The official point when life actually begins.

[TRENCH]

Today:

people on the roof, the windows in the right side are all gone 

Edited May 16, 2022 by W7edwin

[spenser1058]

Which AT&T building is more homely - this one or the one on Washington St. the microwave tower sat on top of?

[codypet]

The one on Washington really depends on what angle you're looking at.

Cool looking building with the windows and the entry restored.   The additions however......bleh.

[spenser1058]

40 minutes ago, codypet said:

The one on Washington really depends on what angle you're looking at.

Cool looking building with the windows and the entry restored.   The additions however......bleh.

The original Orlando Telephone building  on Wall St. (before Southern Bell came to town) is a totally different animal. It’s historic and gorgeous and, hopefully, AT&T will let the city have it if they ever stop using it. It included windows because it was the business office. The operators were there until First National’s tower was completed in 1959.

I only mean the Gothamized tower fronting on Washington St. You’re right about it - it’s bleh. The Magnolia Ave. mural is kind of cool, though, if it’s still there.

At one time, Central Florida had one of the most Balkanized local telephone industries in the region. In addition to Orlando Telephone, there was Winter Park Telephone and Florida Telephone in Winter Garden - our friends at RCID even had  Vista-Florida Telephone which they owned part of . WPT and FTC survived independently well into the ‘70’s before being acquired.

Edited May 17, 2022 by spenser1058

[codypet]

I'm intrigued.   Why are they numbering the panels?  Are they using them somewhere else?  Looking at the construction of this place, it looks to me that it was built like a parking garage.   Looking forward to this building's heavy refresh.

[dcluley98]

Numbering is likely just for phasing plan of demo/replace. 

It sounds stupid, but actually painting the number in the field makes it easier to follow. Not exactly rocket science, but if you are re-finishing each section eventually, painting a giant number on the panel for easy identification and sequencing makes sense. 

We aren't exactly dealing with rocket-scientists here on construction sites. Stupid-simple reasons, methods, and planning processes actually do create some efficiency and results. 

I don't mean "stupid-simple" as a derogatory term. It is a term we use often that means "why not do that, just makes sense and is easy".  Another similar term is "no-brainer".  Duh... why not just do that, costs very little, makes sense, will help everyone, etc. No-brainer, buy a can of paint and spray on a bunch of numbers to make it easy to follow.  Tie in the nomenclature/number to the schedule and the BIM for sequencing and identifiation. 

 

Stupid-simple.  Works. 

Edited May 19, 2022 by dcluley98

[JFW657]

I think that no matter what the educational level or average IQ of construction site workers, having numbering systems in place helps everyone up the chain of command avoid mistakes and miscommunication, etc.

I would imagine the numbers probably correspond to the precast replacement panels numbered the same. 

[jack]

11 hours ago, codypet said:

I'm intrigued.   Why are they numbering the panels?  Are they using them somewhere else?  Looking at the construction of this place, it looks to me that it was built like a parking garage.   Looking forward to this building's heavy refresh.

 

I did hear a while back that it could be converted to a garage from an architect. 

[JFW657]

2 hours ago, jack said:

I did hear a while back that it could be converted to a garage from an architect. 

I'm pretty sure the plan is to build a garage next to it on the north side.

[jack]

19 hours ago, JFW657 said:

I'm pretty sure the plan is to build a garage next to it on the north side.

That is the plan now but 6 years ago it was different. Obviously is was not feasible or they would have move forward with building multi on the site. 

[TRENCH]

Taken today 

[JFW657]

I wish Southeast Steel would do something to spruce up the appearance of their trashy looking building. 

Talk about an I-4 eyesore.... 

[codypet]

We're Orlando's heritage before the mouse.  

TBH There's gonna be a point where the land will be too valuable to them not to sell the place.

[spenser1058]

1 hour ago, codypet said:

We're Orlando's heritage before the mouse.  

TBH There's gonna be a point where the land will be too valuable to them not to sell the place.

You’re probably right, but I really do hate losing one of the more successful retailers downtown. God knows we need to keep each  and every one of them. They outlasted Sears and Monkey Ward, so who knows how long they might hang in there?

Honestly, that place was old and rickety back when it was a Scotty’s - I wonder how old that building is?

Edited May 26, 2022 by spenser1058

[JFW657]

2 hours ago, codypet said:

We're Orlando's heritage before the mouse.  

TBH There's gonna be a point where the land will be too valuable to them not to sell the place.

Yep.

Two or three decades from now, some developer is bound to buy it and put up a squatty looking building in its place. 

[ucfpatriot18]

[smileguy]

From Friday -- I did some cat-sitting for a friend who lives across the street.