Metro Orlando Headlines

[spenser1058]

East side, west side, all around the town. First, Disney cranked up the minimum wage to $15 in the attractions era and now comes news Jeff Bezos is doing the same.

That will be good news for our Amazon fulfillment center over by Nona.

Given the high number of entry level workers in our local economy, that's going to have a big effect on spending hereabouts. Others like Target are moving in that direction - hopefully it will. keep going!

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2018/10/02/amazon-raises-minimum-wage-to-15-for-all-us-employees.html

From CNBC

[shardoon]

5 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

East side, west side, all around the town. First, Disney cranked up the minimum wage to $15 in the attractions era and now comes news Jeff Bezos is doing the same.

That will be good news for our Amazon fulfillment center over by Nona.

Given the high number of entry level workers in our local economy, that's going to have a big effect on spending hereabouts. Others like Target are moving in that direction - hopefully it will. keep going!

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2018/10/02/amazon-raises-minimum-wage-to-15-for-all-us-employees.html

From CNBC

Sadly, that still is not enough to qualify for an apartment without a cosigner or 2 incomes. Most apartments require 2.5-3X  monthly income of the rent. 

[JFW657]

15 hours ago, shardoon said:

Sadly, that still is not enough to qualify for an apartment without a cosigner or 2 incomes. Most apartments require 2.5-3X  monthly income of the rent. 

So, are there online roommate matching services similar to online dating services? Seems like they would be a current thing. Probably a large market for them.

[WAJAS]

On 10/3/2018 at 12:01 PM, JFW657 said:

So, are there online roommate matching services similar to online dating services? Seems like they would be a current thing. Probably a large market for them.

Yeah they’re a big thing! Some schools even have it built into their housing application system.

[spenser1058]

All you taxophobic folks out there, it might be time to move to the Center of Good Living*! They,ve jus cut their mileage rate for next year, citing lots of new businesses moving into town to spread the costs. Go, Cousin Rusty!

*Ocoee

https://www.orangeobserver.com/article/ocoee-lowers-millage-rate-for-2018-19

From the WOT/Observer

Edited October 8, 2018 by spenser1058

[jrs2]

On ‎9‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 10:29 AM, Uncommon said:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Bulletin-18-04.pdf

OMB has updated its MSAs and CSAs. There were a few slight changes in general. Orlando’s MSA wasn’t touched but on page 140, its CSA added Wauchula and Lakeland’s MSAs, which adds close to 750,000 people to Orlando’s CSA. Combined statistical areas are irrelevant to me but it’s still pretty interesting that Lakeland is viewed by the White House as more in sync with Orlando than Tampa (which doesn’t have a CSA for some odd reason).

so, was Polk not part of either Tampa or Orlando CSA until now, when they merged it with Orlando?

I'm curious the population breakdown between East Polk and West Polk.

[spenser1058]

1 hour ago, jrs2 said:

so, was Polk not part of either Tampa or Orlando CSA until now, when they merged it with Orlando?

I'm curious the population breakdown between East Polk and West Polk.

Polk has always been big enough (600K) to be on its own.

It's kind of interesting: Lakeland and Bartow think of themselves with Tampa while Winter Haven, Haines City and Auburndale are more with Orlando. I'm guessing some of that goes back to the radio and TV stations they picked up easiest.

Lakeland's the biggest town in Polk but I think all the towns in East Polk might add up to make it pretty comparable, but that's just a guess

[Urban Mail Carrier]

57 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

I'm guessing some of that goes back to the radio and TV stations they picked up easiest.

Lakeland's the biggest town in Polk but I think all the towns in East Polk might add up to make it pretty comparable, but that's just a guess

I would guess where ppl go to work. In this case either Tampa or Orlando. My guess would be Tampa.

[prahaboheme]

Polk has always maintained its own identity (culturally, politically, economically) and seems to exist outside either metro (even if the census tries to pull them in one direction or the other).  

Of course all of that changes as the metros sprawl toward each other.

Random side note: in my “slightly” younger years I played the Florida tennis circuit. Polk has a significant USTA sanctioned tennis presence in Lakeland, Auburndale, Winter Haven, and at Greenleaf (one of the few remaining grass courts in the US). The Polk youth circuit was linked to the Orlando metro, whereas Tampa was linked to the Gulf (such as the Bolliteri Academy).

Edited October 11, 2018 by prahaboheme

[jrs2]

On ‎10‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 7:39 PM, Urban Mail Carrier said:

I would guess where ppl go to work. In this case either Tampa or Orlando. My guess would be Tampa.

Apparently not because of how this went.  But I agree with you, ala Tampa.  Plant City seems so close to Lakeland it seems.

But I will say that CSX's Intermodal is in Winter Haven, and, the US 27 corridor is Polk and over the past few years, they've been building millions of square feet of distribution space just NE of that Interchange...

[spenser1058]

Sears is planning to shutter 142 more stores as a result of today's bankruptcy filing. There are 2 stores left in OC, 2 in Brevard, 1 each in Volusia and Lake. Any guesses as to which might close before Christmas (if any?)

[AmIReal]

1 hour ago, spenser1058 said:

Sears is planning to shutter 142 more stores as a result of today's bankruptcy filing. There are 2 stores left in OC, 2 in Brevard, 1 each in Volusia and Lake. Any guesses as to which might close before Christmas (if any?)

Florida

Kmart:

12350 SW 8th St., Miami

900 NW 76 Boulevard, Gainesville

Sears:

733 N Highway 231, Panama City

1050 S Babcock St., Melbourne

3100 SW College Rd., Ste 300, Ocala

3800 Us Highway 98 N Ste 500, Lakeland

303 Us Hwy 301 Blvd W, Bradenton

300 Mary Esther Blvd, Mary Esther

https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/15/business/sears-store-locations-closing/index.html

[spenser1058]

Unincorporated Orange County is expected to finally go to the dogs Tuesday with approval of doggy dining at long last:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orange/os-ne-orange-county-doggy-dining-ordinance20181015-story.html

From the Sentinel

 

[aent]

On 10/15/2018 at 1:35 PM, spenser1058 said:

Sears is planning to shutter 142 more stores as a result of today's bankruptcy filing. There are 2 stores left in OC, 2 in Brevard, 1 each in Volusia and Lake. Any guesses as to which might close before Christmas (if any?)

I don't think anything will close before Christmas. The liquidation of the stores won't start till November at the earliest, and likely will take 2 months at a minimum. It wouldn't make sense for the liquidation company to close them right before Christmas either. The liquidator also usually can bring in other items the liquidator is liquidating, so I'd expect most to stay fairly well stocked through  a week or 2 before Christmas, and the closures to take place early January.

[spenser1058]

5 minutes ago, aent said:

I don't think anything will close before Christmas. The liquidation of the stores won't start till November at the earliest, and likely will take 2 months at a minimum. It wouldn't make sense for the liquidation company to close them right before Christmas either. The liquidator also usually can bring in other items the liquidator is liquidating, so I'd expect most to stay fairly well stocked through  a week or 2 before Christmas, and the closures to take place early January.

When they announced the closing of 46 stores just before the bankruptcy filing and an additional 142, it noted that round was closing in November:

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/23/sears-is-closing-46-more-stores-heres-where-they-are.html

I found that odd but then Big Eddie's entire approach to running Sears into the ground has been odd.

[aent]

1 hour ago, spenser1058 said:

When they announced the closing of 46 stores just before the bankruptcy filing and an additional 142, it noted that round was closing in November:

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/23/sears-is-closing-46-more-stores-heres-where-they-are.html

I found that odd but then Big Eddie's entire approach to running Sears into the ground has been odd.

It is odd, but that was August with liquidation starting September, 2 months would be November, so it'd be a similar timeframe. Definitely a shame the poor management there.

[sunshine]

City plans to build more parks

100,000 Orlando residents have a long walk to a park — and the city plans to change that

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orange/os-ne-orlando-10-minute-park-20181010-story.html

[dcluley98]

Wow, that is awesome. 

Sunshine with a positive post breaking through the clouds!  The future is bright. 

[spenser1058]

6 minutes ago, dcluley98 said:

Wow, that is awesome. 

Sunshine with a positive post breaking through the clouds!  The future is bright. 

That's our sunshine!

[sunshine]

Now on to reality, park need in urban core was ranked low except the Curry Ford area. Here is the map

https://parkserve.tpl.org/mapping/index.html?CityID=1253000

[spenser1058]

9 minutes ago, sunshine said:

Now on to reality, park needs in urban core was ranked low except the Curry Ford area. Here is the map

https://parkserve.tpl.org/mapping/index.html?CityID=1253000

And the other shoe drops...

[dcluley98]

That's our Sunshine! 

Thanks for the info, reality, and posts though, seriously. 

[dcluley98]

Edit-Whoops, wrong street. That's the Sr. Rec center on Marks, apparently. 

Edited October 19, 2018 by dcluley98

[codypet]

We're still locked out of  Lake Como Fields.  They have kept that shut since the school was rebuilt saying they don't have the agreements in place to reopen it.  I don't have a lot of confidence it'll get fixed.

[spenser1058]

Early voting is still going on this week from 9am-7pm. 

Want things to change? GO VOTE!

https://www.ocfelections.com/