55 West

[JRS1]

Church was only blocked off temporarilly to get the crane thru. Its been reopened since.

someone was pressure washing the old Church St. Sta. crosswalk bridge this am.

[jack]

Those pictures are rockin'...though, how did they make it into the 55 West thread? I guess maybe so that we can start fantasizing about how crazy that view will be once the Plaza and 55W are done.

You know, I was trying to figure out where that view was from. Copper Whopper will have some stellar views from every angle once all our projecteds are done...the cluster in your pictures, the Dynetech/Vue cluster from the next angle, then PBLT/BoA/Courthouse...man oh man.

and speaking of fantasizing, I was day-dreaming today about being downtown in 5 or 6 years with someone new to Orlando and saying, "You know, when I moved here, CLNI, CLNII, City Hall, The Plaza, 55W, Tradition Towers, Dynetech, The Vue, the Courthouse, PBLT, Ivanhoe, Sanctuary, Thorton Park Central, Paramount, Waverly...none of that was here." Not to even mention all the infill...

I completely spaced out. I meant to post these...

Edited January 11, 2006 by jack

[corpkid]

Oddly, those are some of the most beautiful pictures I've seen in a while... Kinda brings a tear to my eye ...

I'm so glad this project didn't vaporize... I don't love it, (I don't hate it either) but I think the more people living down here, the better... Plus, the retail/dining will be most appreciated by us downtowners... With this and The Plaza/Solaire, I'm wondering what kind of "shift" we'll see in this part of the CBD? What do you think?

I've always enjoyed the Kres steakhouse (when I can afford it) but was always a little freaked out by how empty it was during prime dining hours... Meanwhile, outside was packed with drunk party folk (nothing wrong with that -- but it can't be EVERYTHING and the ONLY THING D'Town offers).

I think that if 55w didn't materialize Kres would have never had made it long-term and assume that it was opened mostly to cater to this building (remember it was supposed to almost be done by the original estimate)... Now Kres just has to "hold on" for another year and a half or so.... What do you all think of Kres?

One more question -- when is the "anticipated" completion of 55w?

[bic]

With this and The Plaza/Solaire, I'm wondering what kind of "shift" we'll see in this part of the CBD? What do you think?

I think we'll see the SunTrust cluster become a true 24-7 neighborhood/business district-- though not in the literal sense until bars are able to stay open past 2:00am. We'll see a portion of downtown buzzing with activity from 7am until 3am the next day with people heading to work in the office buildings in the morning, jobless residents and white collar workers stepping out for lunch, people getting out of work and walking home during the afternoon rush hour, the happy hour and restaurant crowd in the early evening, and the movie goers/party people flocking to this area by night.

[radiostatic102]

I am really looking forward to this getting built. I like it for some reason, even though it technically doesn't break 400 feet. Close enough. That, and it's massive. We need more of that kind of building downtown.

I can identify with corpkid, and the whole tear-in-the-eye thing. I think weeping for joy would be appropriate in this case here! Especially since it seemed to get so close to fizzling out into nothingness awhile back...

[Tim3167]

Update 1/14/2006

Demo Continues

Edited January 15, 2006 by Tim3167

[JRS1]

will the skybridge reconnect to 55W?

[radiostatic102]

How's 55 West coming along? Almost done with demolition? Any pictures? Any indication as to when the contruction crane goes up?

[JRS1]

are there any new renderings of 55W other than the street level angled one from last month?

[jack]

I have recently seen a rendering that has residential units on top of the garage on the amenities deck. Similar to the villas in the Paramount. Is that the last rendering you guys have seen?

[Jaybee]

I have recently seen a rendering that has residential units on top of the garage on the amenities deck. Similar to the villas in the Paramount. Is that the last rendering you guys have seen?

That's the last elevation I've seen...

[bic]

How about one of you guys post the latest rendering you've seen and I can confirm if that's the latest I've seen?

[facilities man]

Is this building still listed as 396 feet? Are they not going to make it a 400 footer?

Maybe a lifesize statue of Buddy Dyer on top like city hall in Philadelphia has with Ben Franklin. That would get it to 401'6".

Edited January 26, 2006 by facilities man

[JRS1]

Post it please.

Also, Everything except for a chunk of garage is gone now; the part that touches Pine St.

[bulldogger]

Is this building still listed as 396 feet? Are they not going to make it a 400 footer?

Maybe a lifesize statue of Buddy Dyer on top like city hall in Philadelphia has with Ben Franklin. That would get it to 401'6".

Does this height include the radio spire?

[facilities man]

Does this height include the radio spire?

I don't know. Does anyone else out there????

I thought when they had financing issues and the project was delayed, the new incentives deal they worked with the city included the building having an antenna for city / emergency communications. I would have thought that would have been worked into some sort of spire, which would have increased the height, but it doesn't look like the final height ever changed.

Anyone else have some insight?

[Tim3167]

These types of antennaes I believe on the roofs of many downtown buildings. Were not talking Sears Tower type antenna structures here. My perception is that they are just a few feet high.

[bulldogger]

These types of antennaes I believe on the roofs of many downtown buildings. Were not talking Sears Tower type antenna structures here. My perception is that they are just a few feet high.

Edited January 26, 2006 by bulldogger

[Jaybee]

on top like city hall in Philadelphia has with Ben Franklin. That would get it to 401'6".

Uh, that would be William Penn on top of Philly City Hall, not Ben Franklin, at 510-feet in height.

[GRS328]

Were not talking Sears Tower type antenna structures here. My perception is that they are just a few feet high.

lol... well, orlandonative started useless trivia in one of the other threads, i'll do it here. the taller of the two Sears Tower antennas is 283 feet tall, which ironically (sort of) would be taller than all but three of our currently built towers. completely useless fact, but fun.

[Tim3167]

lol... well, orlandonative started useless trivia in one of the other threads, i'll do it here. the taller of the two Sears Tower antennas is 283 feet tall, which ironically (sort of) would be taller than all but three of our currently built towers. completely useless fact, but fun.

Actually, there are four completed towers taller than that. You may be forgetting AmSouth at 292'.

[GRS328]

Actually, there are four completed towers taller than that. You may be forgetting AmSouth at 292'.

You're right, I can't count. My bad. Soon enough, though, we'll have several taller than that.

[facilities man]

Uh, that would be William Penn on top of Philly City Hall, not Ben Franklin, at 510-feet in height.

Oops!

[JRS1]

William Penn... Pennsylvania... wow.

John Hancock's antennae are or the tall one is 365' tall. love that bldg...

when the next set of dump trucks takes away the current debris, I think there will only be one or two more rounds of demo to finish the job.

[JRS1]

as of 3 pm, there is very little left except for the Pine St. facade of the garage.