Metro Orlando Headlines

[spenser1058]

6 minutes ago, Dale said:

Not long ago, I tendered that I-4 would be a ridiculously long wait, almost not worth getting excited over. I was tut-tutted and informed, "No, 2021."

It goes well with that DPAC "2012" flag!

Edited July 14, 2018 by spenser1058

[dcluley98]

Anybody who actually has experience in the AEC industry could have told you it would probably be delayed at least 10% and be over budget by at least 10%.  Projects of that size and duration have so much risk from unforseen conditions and potential price escalation, a 20% fudge factor is a given. It's really not that bad given the scale of the project. Look at Boston's Big Dig for example. I wouldn't be surprised if it reaches 20% overruns when all is said and done. 

[Dale]

On 6/30/2018 at 6:55 PM, spenser1058 said:

A new area code is on its way to Central Florida: 689. No word yet if it will serve a specific geographical area or simply overlay the current 407 area code. 

Personally, I'd like to see Orange and Osceola keep 407 and let Seminole (and the smidgen of Volusia that's not 386) get the new one but for some reason no one ever asks me.

689 area code could be added to Central Florida
http://bit.ly/2tFWq3S

From the Sentinel

Funny, I moved to Charlotte where the area code is 704. People look at me funny when I give them my Orlando number.

[spenser1058]

Interesting dive into office occupancy rates around the metro. Downtown and UCF are the places to be right now while Lake Mary, Maitland and the attractions area are less attractive.

The SunTrust move downtown is going to open up a lot of space next year (it's scary how much less space they'll be using.) This may allow businesses that needed 20000+ sf to consider downtown for the first time in several years.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/consumer/os-bz-orlando-office-space-vacancies-20180711-story.html

From the Sentinel

Edited July 15, 2018 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

I mentioned above that the attractions area is less attractive for offices but that's definitely relative.

In addition to the two multi-story office buildings and the accompanying parking garage that have been constructed just south of the proposed "7-star" hotel, and the long-empty Banco Popular credit card center bought by Entertainment, there are two YUGE office/warehouse type structures either completed or underway on Municipal Drive. The two lots being used have been vacant for decades.

[jrs2]

15 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

I mentioned above that the attractions area is less attractive for offices but that's definitely relative.

In addition to the two multi-story office buildings and the accompanying parking garage that have been constructed just south of the proposed "7-star" hotel, and the long-empty Banco Popular credit card center bought by Entertainment, there are two YUGE office/warehouse type structures either completed or underway on Municipal Drive. The two lots being used have been vacant for decades.

oh yeah, Carrier & Municipal...that's pretty big... east side of Municipal per Google Map.  Where is the second one at?

[spenser1058]

Just now, jrs2 said:

oh yeah, Carrier & Municipal...that's pretty big... east side of Municipal per Google Map.  Where is the second one at?

It's on the west side of Municipal between Vanguard and Carrier. It's the one under construction.

[jrs2]

7 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

It's on the west side of Municipal between Vanguard and Carrier. It's the one under construction.

wow.  that area, between those two industrial office buildings and the other two from Megastrom are really breathing new life into that area.

[spenser1058]

The CEO of one of Orlando's corporate HQs weighs in on possible effects of the looming trade war:

Orlando's Correct Craft on front line of trade war
http://bit.ly/2NUnPr3

From the Sentinel

[I am Reality]

OrlandoiX (AR & VR) coming in a few weeks. 

https://www.orlandoix.com/

[WAJAS]

2 hours ago, I am Reality said:

OrlandoiX (AR & VR) coming in a few weeks. 

https://www.orlandoix.com/

I remember how over hyped this was when it first started. It got nowhere close to the attendance they claimed!

[spenser1058]

Scott Maxwell digs in to where we're at and where we're headed with I4 Ultimate:

Interstate 4: Over budget, behind schedule and denying claims to damaged cars
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-ultimate-i-4-tolls-budget-schedule-scott-maxwell-20180716-story.html

From the Sentinel

[smonteserin]

The above headline made me think of this one back in the day.  I'm still disappointed. 

End Of Line For Light Rail

Orange County Commissioners' 4-3 Vote Effectively Killed The Controversial $600 Million Project

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1999-09-09/news/9909090055_1_lynx-auger-light-rail 

[orlandouprise]

Geez, I guess Clarence got a nice tip from Universal for that last minute flip...Ted Edwards was always a prick

[jrs2]

49 minutes ago, orlandouprise said:

Geez, I guess Clarence got a nice tip from Universal for that last minute flip...Ted Edwards was always a prick

What are the prerequisites for being a "prick" in politics?

You guys remember that with the Skyplex proposal a couple of years back, that the initial  plan was rejected by a commissioner who received a last minute phone call from Buddy Dyer to vote no, right?  And the City sent one of their reps to influence the county commissioners against it as well (catering to corporate special interests of Universal).  Dyer also blocked off Parramore with the stadium in a retaliatory move against the Parramore community instead of paying their church what they wanted.  Pretty "prick-ish" moves, wouldn't you say?  

www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-universal-orlando-politics-20151121-story.html  

Imagine that, a Democrat in the hip pocket of a major corporation.  Oh, wait, isn't that what the Republican's are always guilty of?  Or is there a double standard?

let's just keep it real.  

[gibby]

8 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

instead of paying their church what they wanted.  Pretty "prick-ish" moves, wouldn't you say?  

no

[codypet]

I was gonna say double market value was offered for that church including relocation costs, and the church still balked.

[jrs2]

9 minutes ago, gibby said:

no

oh yeah, and on top of that, the arguments I read on these boards supported the notion that a landowner should just pick up and sell their land and be downgraded as  a tenant on another piece of land just because the City wants to build a stadium for a sports team, in the African American neighborhood they claim they want to revitalize, by having them lose their community church in the process?  Seriously?  

And back to rail, with regard to California...do I even have to go there yet again?  Slam Ted Edwards, but you also better slam whomever approved CA's HSR plan which had no protection for cost overruns which is costing CA residents dearly and will probably have CA crying to the Fed to get bailed out with our tax dollars.  Oh wait, they were Dems so you won't slam them, right?

just keep it real is all I ask.  this partisan BS is really starting to get old.

 

9 minutes ago, codypet said:

I was gonna say double market value was offered for that church including relocation costs, and the church still balked.

Nevertheless Dyer screwed members of his own constituency, which is why Morgan is no longer a registered Dem.  The point is that if people want to keep slamming Republicans for nixing rail initiatives, before you do that, just look at rail initiatives that got passed and what financial disasters they've become, and be objective in the criticisms across the board.

That's it...that's all I'm saying...is that too much to ask, to be objective?

[spenser1058]

1 hour ago, orlandouprise said:

Geez, I guess Clarence got a nice tip from Universal for that last minute flip...Ted Edwards was always a prick

Irrespective of politics, that's a fair description of Ted. I'd say the same thing about Alan Grayson.

[gibby]

17 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

this partisan BS is really starting to get old.

Someone said something mean about a Republican and you've decided to derail this discussion into California high speed rail and then complain about "partison BS"?

[codypet]

17 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

Irrespective of politics, that's a fair description of Ted. I'd say the same thing about Alan Grayson.

I'd say the same thing about Bob Freeman during that time.  He did a world of hurt to Dr. Phillips particularly using Fenton St. as a pawn to get the people who lived there  to get behind things..  Funny because the whole time I lived out there they've continued to dangle Fenton out there, and there's nothing to show for it 20 years later.

[dcluley98]

JFC. . . let's not crap all over another thread with the politics back and forth. Can you guys just start something in the Coffee House to duke it out? 

Pretty please? 

[AndyPok1]

22 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Scott Maxwell digs in to where we're at and where we're headed with I4 Ultimate:

Interstate 4: Over budget, behind schedule and denying claims to damaged cars
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-ultimate-i-4-tolls-budget-schedule-scott-maxwell-20180716-story.html

From the Sentinel

This commentary isn't very fair IMO.  I'm assuming because it was written for print, so there was a word limit.

1) implies that congestion won't get better because of no new free lanes.  To my knowledge, that is completely untrue and express lanes have increased speed on general use lanes everywhere they've been installed.  Also, as with most reporting on the Ultimate project, it completely disregards all the redone interchanges and entrance/exit ramps which cause a good majority of the weaving and backups and thus accidents.  The Kaley exit literally has room for about 8 cars before stacking onto the auxillary lane and about 25 before onto the general use lanes.  That was fine in the 60s, not so much anymore.  The interchange reconfiguration will fix that.  We've already seen big benefits at the Kirkman exit because there aren't swaths of cars trying to cross 4 lanes arriving from the Turnpike trying to get to a left exit a mile away.

2) Overbudget and Past Schedule.  It's 100 million over budget in a 2 billion dollar project.  It's just past the halfway point in timeline I believe and only 5% over budget?  Seems well within standard construction variance to me.  Also, I haven't seen any specifics on the past schedule, but even those saying it's running late aren't saying it won't be done in 2021.  Did everyone forget about those two hurricanes we had that forced them to shut down construction and secure everything?  What's the old saying?  You can have something be done right, done quick, or done cheap... but you only get to choose 2 of those things.

Bunch of bluster for headlines as far as I'm concerned.

[HankStrong]

Nicely said Andy.

Watching the videos for the improvements, you can see a huge change in traffic flow.  Look at how much better JYP interchange got even before this when it was updated to current standards and SORT OF prepped for the I4 Ultimate project.  That was a huge game changer there and it was only a baby step improvement.  No more free lanes is a misleading statement indeed. 

The express lanes have made a massive difference in Miami from my own personal experience.  The studies done back this up.

Solid points on the budget/delay as well.  Things happened beyond anyone's control.

The not paying for damages is bad, if true.  However, I'm sure there is a level of fraud they have to work through, too.  I went to the theme parks in May and a friend's ticket wasn't working so we went to guest services.  The lady in front of me was arguing up and down that some character didn't show her kid the level of attention they should have.  I didn't see the incident, but I know for a fact she was demanding free stuff for whatever happened because she said so point blank "You need to compensate me for this!"  It was easy to tell that she wanted something for nothing by how she was framing her argument.  I'm going to guess plenty of folks want some free car repairs on the I4 dime.

[jrs2]

3 hours ago, gibby said:

Someone said something mean about a Republican and you've decided to derail this discussion into California high speed rail and then complain about "partison BS"?

I didn't derail any discussion.  The point is you can't judge things in a vacuum; be mad at Edwards for his anti-LRT stance, fine, but be equally mad at people who voted for CA's HSR and the financial disaster it is.