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All Aboard Florida still seeking route to airport

Talks continue with the expressway authority and the airport

It mentioned that the stretch between Cocoa and OIA the trains, which they will announce specifics of by years end, will reach up to 125mph :fun: . Isn't that about as fast as our so called HSR was supposed to reach?

I'm still holding out for a public/private partnership here and a phase two that will take the train all the way to Tampa, as long as it's reasonably priced. Currently I'm spending almost $30 a trip in gas alone to get to Tampa and back.

Article also mentioned that the train will eventually reach all the way to Jacksonville.

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My last drive down to Miami and back really made me want this project to happen. But I think it's unfair that Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and WPB all get downtown stations and we're stuck with an airport station. By the time I drive 30 minutes or more from downtown to the airport and pay for parking there, I might as well drive the rest of the way. I hope they think of a better way to connect downtown Orlando to Miami than switching from SunRail to [insert name of airport link] to All Aboard Florida.

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Why not just take LYNX directly from downtown to the airport?

That's a good option I honestly didn't consider. It's definitely cost-effective, but at 45 minutes (plus walking and waiting time) that quickly turns three hours into over four hours. On top of that, I doubt a lot of the downtown politicians and execs would want to spend that much time on a city bus. Although, maybe AllAbaord could provide an express shuttle?

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It mentioned that the stretch between Cocoa and OIA the trains, which they will announce specifics of by years end, will reach up to 125mph :fun: . Isn't that about as fast as our so called HSR was supposed to reach?

The HSR on the Orlando-Miami was supposed to get be in the 180s mph, so not quite as fast as HSR. The Tampa route was supposed to be about 150mph but effectively, with stops, would be around 125mph, I'd imagine the average speed of this train will likely be much closer to 90mph, so with stops, waiting time, etc, it will only be time competitive with driving, not beating it like HSR would have.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Winter Garden aims to ban new outside bars

http://articles.orla...n-laurie-tarter

Here's a conundrum: Winter Garden has succeeded in bringing back one of the most successful downtown areas in central Florida and, contrary to downtown Orlando's alcohol-heavy resurgence, done it mostly without alcohol. If they put a stop to allowing outside alcohol sales, do they kill the goose that laid the golden egg?

Edited by spenser1058
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Downtown Midrise Gets Foreclosed

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-09-23/business/os-cfb-real-estate-foreclose-0924-20120923_1_beeline-distribution-center-orlando-central-park-amway-center

The Centennial Bank building (still flagged as Old Southern Bank) at Orange and Robinson is being foreclosed on. Here's hoping someone with deep pockets picks it up (at a bargain price) and uses the money to remove the bunker on the corner and the derelict drive-in teller windows behind. The tower itself doesn't look to bad for a 1960's building that was refreshed a few years ago.

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Here's hoping someone with deep pockets picks it up (at a bargain price) and uses the money to remove the bunker on the corner

Whoever that is will have to have pockets deep enough to somehow convince Sprint that they need to move to someplace else the switching station/equipment center they have located in that bunker.

Edited by Camillo Sitte
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That's a good option I honestly didn't consider. It's definitely cost-effective, but at 45 minutes (plus walking and waiting time) that quickly turns three hours into over four hours. On top of that, I doubt a lot of the downtown politicians and execs would want to spend that much time on a city bus. Although, maybe AllAbaord could provide an express shuttle?

Downtown to Airport is definitely an example of LYNX' lack of marketing or viewing itself as a viable option for people. For example, the Link that gets you from the station downtown DIRECTLY to OIA is Link 51 and is listed as, "Conway Road/Orlando Intl. Airport" - no mention of downtown! The people in Conway using it don't need the marketing because they probably see the bus every day. Meanwhile, potential riders who would go from work to the airport or from the airport to a meeting won't know it's even there.

Also, there's a 2nd bus, Link 11 - secret code: "S Orange Avenue/Orlando Intl. Airport" - http://www.golynx.com/core/fileparse.php/97363/urlt/0054515-link_11.pdf

However, you are right in that it is a 45-50 minute trip: http://www.golynx.com/core/fileparse.php/97363/urlt/0054385-link_51.pdf

To me, the time isn't a deal breaker as long as it's a direct trip with minimal walking. Much more pleasant than making 2-3 train transfers.

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Whoever that is will have to have pockets deep enough to somehow convince Sprint that they need to move to someplace else the switching station/equipment center they have located in that bunker.

Thanks for this - I wondered what was in there. I must say it's truly a ridiculous place for such a facility on a major pedestrian corner. But, I do recall it was originally a blank wall from the beginning - I'm guessing either a vault for Citizens' Bank or maybe where they did back-office functions (nowawdays, of course, those activities would probably be farmed out to the deep 'burbs, India or the Amazon Cloud.) Of course, someone tried to pay lip service to pedestrian-friendliness by cutting windows in there, apparently (iirc, the bank's name and logo were originally there.) Oh well, I guess it will just continue to stick out like a sore thumb although they can fix some of the cracks in the walls.

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Your wishes have been granted:

Trader Joe’s sniffs out Orlando sites

http://www.bizjourna...ando-sites.html

Anyone want to wager the locations where they might debut a few stores?

Funny. I wrote them a rebuttal last month discounting their statement that Orlando's palette isn't sophisticated enough for a TJ's in the market just yet. I mentioned, of course, downtown, uptown., SODO and Colonial Town--- I'd love to see one locate to Uptown as their footprint is small and is a destination.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I do agree that maybe retail isn't best for this location anymore. I would love to see the mall taken over by more offices and maybe a good museum or two. Heck, why not have Full Sail buy it? Studio space, a large movie theater on site, it would be perfect for them.

The East Colonial Drive Vision that the city has was updated in Feb-March. In those reports it shows the older plans for Fashion Square having both indoor and outdoor shopping and a residential component added to the eastern edge of the mall property. The city seems to be designing its plans around the assumption that this and the GOAA property plans are both still in place.

That makes me wonder who ever buys the mall would surely at least be made aware of these plans and possibly pressured by local stakeholders (like the city officially or unofficially) to continue with these remodeling plans.

Check out the Bennett Road and Herndon Ave presentations for the most details on the Fashion Sq plans. It even looks like the city is planning on adding a couple of new roads in that area to connect to this proposed residential addition to the mall.

These plans remind me of the presentations for the Semoran Blvd visioning plan. Very modest and hopefully bigger plans are made behind the scenes while this just serves as a planning exercise.

I mean it doesn't take a lot of "vision" to stick a Dunkin Donuts in the empty lot next to the Arby's. I don't think that a lack of intersection enhancemnets are what is keeping Dunkin away.

After driving by the intersection of Bennett and East Colonial the last few days, I finally had to stop and find out what the construction project was all about....

::Drumroll::

It's a Dunkin' Donuts!

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  • 2 weeks later...

The actual location for this Wawa is a bummer. Who is it catering to? East-bound 50 drivers? Who's waiting to cross 50 down Bennett? In a more high-traffic location for breakfast crowd, then lunch crowd, would be more appealing. The DD and Wawa will battle for morning business, I guess whom ever has the light, or if you need to cross over 50 to get gas, then double-back cross over 50 again to continue your commute. Meh.

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I am one of those reverse commuters currently going from Summerlin to Semoran along East Colonial every day. There really isn't a lot of traffic - once I clear Bumby it's smooth sailing and once I pass the mall, everyone is driving 50-60MPH even though the posted speed limit doesn't change to further east.

If they ever build the Fairgreen Tail gets built and gives good access to these stores, I could see biking to WaWa for breakfast or lunch being a good time

http://www.cityoforlando.net/transportation/TransportationPlanningDiv/BikesPeds/pdf/Orlando_Trail_%20Map06-13-12.pdf

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  • 1 month later...

It's officially Christmas Downtown with the hanging of the star!

http://instagram.com/p/SLJr6pusPG/

(Thanks to The Daily City)

Also, if you don't know the history of the star, here's a great little video from the City on YouTube. There are two great stories here; first, the creation of the star by Orlando's version of Macy and Gimbels, Ivey's and Dickson Ives in the 1950's and secondly, the move to return the star in the 1980's by Jack Kazanzas (I knew Jack and he was one of the city's greatest boosters ever).

Edited by spenser1058
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