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Mills/50


camstrang

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No ill will to the smoke shop.  Thank you for investing in downtown.

Or the cell phone repair store diagonally across from it.  

Or the CVS that doesn't have an entrance on the corner or the sides facing the two corridors.    

Or the Asian restaurant that has an entrance and every once in a while gets a 2nd entrance from a car plowing into it.

its just time to leverage whatever goodwill that area has to fix it all up.  SoDo is going to rework multiple entire corridors while this signature intersection remains daunting to linger at!

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On 7/6/2017 at 8:27 AM, Jernigan said:

No ill will to the smoke shop.  Thank you for investing in downtown.

Or the cell phone repair store diagonally across from it.  

Or the CVS that doesn't have an entrance on the corner or the sides facing the two corridors.    

Or the Asian restaurant that has an entrance and every once in a while gets a 2nd entrance from a car plowing into it.

its just time to leverage whatever goodwill that area has to fix it all up.  SoDo is going to rework multiple entire corridors while this signature intersection remains daunting to linger at!

This is not investing in downtown. It's a property owner waiting for values to rise, choosing to not fixing up the building or the planting bed or the parking lot and renting to whoever gives him money. Neither party is investing in downtown. 

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Since the city did such a splendid job with their requirements and approval of the architectural wonder that was Eckerd (now CVS)!

Yes, I'm being facetious and the intersection definitely needs to be rethought, but some of those buildings go back to the 20's and there needs to be a lot of consideration given before anyone fires up the bulldozers.

Let's also remember that the neighborhood is one of the "must see" places in almost every article written about what makes the "real" Orlando unique and not just a plasticized, theme park Hades. It was also one of the first places that Orlando came to embrace the diversity the city now revels in.

Edited by spenser1058
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Personally, I'd just have one building demolished on that corner - the one that iFixYouri is in. The two story building to the south and the one with Anthony's Pizza, I would like to see those to stay. That intersection should be redone on three corners - only the SW corner with the Anh Hong Restaurant is appropriate in its current state. To the north - that little building with the parking lot should have just been torn down and built as a two-three story building occupying the entire corner, instead of renovated.

The CVS is the most troublesome one as its rear faces the corner, that one would require being gutted and redesigned on the inside so they can work out a entrance on the corner. I've seen a few CVS stores in Miami where they actually did a good job of addressing the street instead of facing away from it. Then again, those were relatively new construction and not former Eckerds. CVS is actually overhauling a ton of their stores, I wonder if this one is in their sights.

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Yeah, Anh Hong can stay if they are able to make the intersection not suck.  It's a "must-see" place, sure.  It's also arguably the most-important intersection we have outside of the CBD, and it's a nightmare to urbanism.  I'd rather they not see it.  Buildings can go back to the 20s and still not be historically relevant.

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CP&H is well south of the intersection.  You would have to knock down two other buildings to get to it.  I had read somewhere that back when Publix was in the art deco building CP&H was just across the street in the two story building there.  CP&H along with Beefy King stand out to me as those timeless relics that I hope we don't ever lose.

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17 hours ago, UngaBungalow said:

Someone just posted this on Next Door. Fun shot of the corner in question. 

3ffbef4581dbcc708b7cce59b4a29c7d.JPG.max800.jpg

Amazing...I wish they hadn't rebranded the area "Mills 50"...About as silly as "ViMi", another strange portmanteau they tried in the 90's to make it sound "hip". It will always be Colonialtown to me, down to the big "Ralph Kazarian" sign or that crazy sign with the current temperature selling air conditioning to remind you of how bloody hot it is in Central Florida. (the "car crash" sound from those Ralph Kazarian commercials still haunts me in my dreams)...

Edited by jliv
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3 hours ago, codypet said:

CP&H is well south of the intersection.  You would have to knock down two other buildings to get to it.  I had read somewhere that back when Publix was in the art deco building CP&H was just across the street in the two story building there.  CP&H along with Beefy King stand out to me as those timeless relics that I hope we don't ever lose.

CP&H started out in the building just to the north of the old Publix with the big plate glass windows (which I think was a men's clothing store before my time.) When I was a kid, it was the first stop to blow my birthday money, then next door to Publix for a balloon (it didn't have a bakery back then so no cookie *sigh*) and then across the parking lot to the Schwinn Cyclery to check out the newest Sting Rays and Krates.  Life was good.

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2 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Bento Cafe announces it's opening at 1900 E Colonial in 2018 (location #4 in O-town for them.)

Does this mean they are building in that long awaited space next to Dollar Tree?  If so - great news!  Beats the previously planned and discussed Popeyes with a facade wall!

 

Edited by Jernigan
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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
32 minutes ago, smileguy said:

Silt fences are up around Hillcrest Elementary and interior demo has started. Unlike other recent OCPS projects, they are keeping the original (1964) building, demolishing 2 additions, and building 2 new classroom wings, plus a parking structure.

One small correction: the 1964 building was the second. It replaced the original structure (from the '20's, iirc) which was destroyed by a breathtaking Christmas fire.

Hillcrest is a testament to how urban public schools can thrive given the right leadership. It's a major asset in the drive to make a successful, well-rounded downtown.

 

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On 8/11/2017 at 6:50 PM, spenser1058 said:

Hillcrest is a testament to how urban public schools can thrive given the right leadership. It's a major asset in the drive to make a successful, well-rounded downtown.

Not to mention the school's excellent bilingual program (English + Spanish/Vietnamese/French), which is surprisingly rare in Florida.

Does anyone have an image of the original 1920s school? I saw in an article that it was designed by the same architect who did Cherokee Junior High, H.M. Reynolds, which means it must have been quite a building. 

EDIT: I guess it looked similar to today's school:

HillcrestInTimesPast%20003.jpgHillcrestInTimesPast%20001.jpg

via OCPS

Edited by alex
add'l info
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16 minutes ago, alex said:

Not to mention the school's excellent bilingual program (English + Spanish/Vietnamese/French), which is surprisingly rare in Florida.

Does anyone have an image of the original 1920s school? I saw in an article that it was designed by the same architect who did Cherokee Junior High, H.M. Reynolds, which means it must have been quite a building. 

EDIT: I guess it looked similar to today's school:

HillcrestInTimesPast%20003.jpgHillcrestInTimesPast%20001.jpg

via OCPS

The original 1960's replacement was actually a mostly windowless box which was hideous. The redo done a few years ago thankfully tried to capture the feel of the original. Orlando had some really amazing architects (James Gamble Rogers, II, just to name one that comes to mind). That's why I'm often amazed by the zeal to tear down old buildings to be replaced with mostly unremarkable structures.

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  • 2 weeks later...

There used to be a mini-post office over at Coytown but I have no idea if it's still there. 

The Colonialtown post office has been on various closing lists for ages and I guess the axe finally fell. The building has been remodeled various times over the years and not for the better. Losing the windows in front and the continuing addition of mailboxes in the back gave the place a bunker aesthetic.

I much prefer the downtown post office and each are about the same distance so I'm good (although I rarely mail things any more). Hopefully, the renovations will improve the exterior.

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I wonder if FedEx or UPS is looking at this location, but I doubt it since they already have locations not too far away. Could be a nice retrofit but I don't mind if we lose this one to the wrecking ball. Then again I haven't seen the inside of it. The best part of this building is honestly the lettering.

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