Mills/50

[codypet]

I'd have to imagine if they put a Publix in Mills and Nebraska, they'd close the tiny Publix on Colonial and Shine?

[Ocityst]

http://millsparkorlando.com/_downloads/Mills_Park_Brochure.pdf The project should mostly resemble the original plans from what I hear. Looks to be a nice urban mix-used neighborhood.

[prahaboheme]

The brick aesthetic will do well in Mills Park, and I'm happy to see more apartments in the area over condos.

[smileguy]

I know for this site, as well as a few others, people have said they hoped for a Trader Joe's. This article from Fortune pegs it as a no-go, based on supply-chain and demographic constraints.

"This distribution process helps determine where the company opens its stores. Texas and Florida have cities that boast consumers Trader Joe's covets, but insiders say the current distribution infrastructure makes it difficult for the company to efficiently get products to those states. To pick their next locales, employees look at demographics such as education level. In the past they've even looked at who's subscribing to high-end food and cooking magazines as a way of divining where the epicures are."

http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/20/news/companies/inside_trader_joes_full_version.fortune/index.htm

[prahaboheme]

Ouch.

[jack]

That is true. Worked on a Trader Joes a few years back and they could not get their products here.

[Jernigan]

Last holdout sells property to developer of Mills Park

Edited March 20, 2012 by Downtown Steve

[Pete C]

I am really looking forward to this project getting off the ground! I can't believe this guy originally turned down $700,000 for that place. He is out of his mind for sure.

Edited March 21, 2012 by Pete C

[jnorlando]

There has been some movement on the property. Some bulldozers and other heavy equipment. They've moved some dirt around but there is no clear indication of what they are doing.

[Jernigan]

The Locally Preferred Alternative for LYMMO will it's connection to Mills Park on the north extension.

[FLheat]

There has been some movement on the property. Some bulldozers and other heavy equipment. They've moved some dirt around but there is no clear indication of what they are doing.

This could be for the construction of the Urban Trail. As of last week they got up to Virginia. I will try to run that route in the next day or two. The construction of this trail is taking forever, I really don't know what the hold up has been on this and the sidewalks around Lake Ivanhoe.

[FLheat]

This could be for the construction of the Urban Trail. As of last week they got up to Virginia. I will try to run that route in the next day or two. The construction of this trail is taking forever, I really don't know what the hold up has been on this and the sidewalks around Lake Ivanhoe.

Nope, I don't think that's it, looks like the trail dead ends at Virginia for now.

http://www.cityoforlando.net/transportation/TransportationPlanningDiv/BikesPeds/pdf/engineering/Dinky_Line_Public_Information_Meeting.pdf

[Jernigan]

This one seems to be more current:

http://www.cityoforlando.net/transportation/TransportationPlanningDiv/BikesPeds/pdf/northeasttrailreduced.pdf

[bulldogger]

They have the trail going into that property now. It is paved for about 30 yards past Virginia Drive as of Friday. Also, the work at Lake Ivanhoe includes improvements to the exercise equipment along the trail. It is taking a long time, but they are also making enhancements to the lights and it appears to be drainage, irrigation, and electrical conduits. A nice touch overall. I just hope the Oak trees don't upend and break the sidewalks in 2 years like the old sidewalks. I'm guessing the size of the concrete "slabs" will deter this from happening.

[FLheat]

Here's an email I received from the city Project Manager:

Thank you for your interest in the Orlando Urban Trail and the Gaston Edwards Park Trail Projects. I have also been looking forward to the completion of the projects. I have been working on the various stages of the project development for several years. It is exciting that we are getting close to their completion. The process of acquiring federal grant funding, for the design, right-of-way and construction along with acquiring the property from the railroad and private developers has been challenging.

Both projects are currently scheduled for substantial completion in the middle of June. At that point the projects would be open to public use. Right now, the area is an active construction site and is not open to the public. That is why there are still some unfinished sections.

The City bid both projects together so one contractor could achieve of an economy of scale by completing two similar projects at the same time in a close proximity. The City's agreement with the contractor allowed them a certain number of days to complete the project by. The agreement allowed for approximately 4.5 months and the contractor has been granted an extension of approximately 2 weeks due to combination of some unforeseen conditions in the projects.

There are portions of the Gaston Edwards Park trail opening that have been delayed due utility conflicts near Magnolia and due to the replacement of two stormwater pipes in the park. The stormwater project is resulting in several major utility relocations that are taking a significant amount of time. That work is nearing completion so we will be able to complete the trail gaps in the park.

The paving of the Orlando Urban Trail including the segment behind Mills Park is now all complete and most of the concrete work is almost done. The irrigation system is in place and sodding has started. The dry conditions over the last few months made local sod availability difficult. Signage has been installed in many areas and the exercise equipment in Gaston Edwards Park has been installed.

In all fairness, our Contractor is committed to completing a quality project within the allowable amount of time. They really do take pride in their work. Over the next two to three weeks many items will be coming together and it will start looking more like a finished product. Several areas that were almost finished, but delayed due to the utilities should be done.

As far as the segment from Church Street to Magnolia, there are some smaller projects that make up the overall approach to finishing the complete trail.

• Gertrude's Walk from Church to Washington - Was renovated in 2010 and the concrete walkway is currently in place.
  
• There is a design build grant project that Lynx is managing to extend Gertrude's Walk from Washington St to Lynx Central Station. I believe this is currently planned to occur over the 2nd half of 2012 and in 2013. (Design Phase and Construction Phase)
  
• The City is pursuing grant funding for the segment from Lynx Central Station to Magnolia. This project is not currently funded, but we have applied for Federal Funding. It includes a trail overpass across Colonial near the railroad corridor.
  

The City is completing the Mills Park segment right now. The pavement is actually already done and our contractor has started sodding in that area. In 2010, we knew the timing of the part south of Virginia, yet Mills Park remained uncertain, so the City amended the agreement with the developer of Mills Park at the time, Pelloni and the City received all the needed right-of-way from them and the ability to build it ourselves so we would not have a gap in the trail. Next we get FDOT to provide us additional grant funding and they let us extend the limits of the grant. While Mills Park was originally required to build this segment, they were scheduled to build it several years ago. With the economy the way it has been, no development is certain.

As you may be aware, Debartalo Development recently purchased Mills Park and has started the process for amending the PD. We are hopeful that they will move forward with the development of their site soon. The prospects of some retail and restaurant uses right along the trail are exciting. They will be responsible for landscaping the trail and maintaining the landscaping. Right now we are just placing a bare bones level of just sod in this segment. The construction activity on the site is actually our trail contractor using it as a staging area.

I hope this answers your questions. I have also included a link to a recently completed Northeast Trails Map for the City.

http://www.cityoforlando.net/transportation/TransportationPlanningDiv/BikesPeds/pdf/northeasttrailreduced.pdf

It represents the network that is scheduled to be in place by Mid June. It also includes an extension of Cady Way that we completed in early December.

We are starting to plan a Ribbon Cutting event for the middle of July. We hope to see you there and look forward to seeing you out running on the trail.

[FLheat]

The City is pursuing grant funding for the segment from Lynx Central Station to Magnolia. This project is not currently funded, but we have applied for Federal Funding. It includes a trail overpass across Colonial near the railroad corridor

I am encouraged to hear this, currently it is a long wait and dangerous to cross Colonial. As I runner, I will use this path quite a bit.

[Jernigan]

Wow that is interesting!

Here's the City's proposal to Metroplan: http://www.metroplanorlando.com/files/view/colonial_overpass.pdf

Edited May 22, 2012 by Downtown Steve

[Jernigan]

Back to Mills Park -

Here is a more recent, and unfortunately scaled back rendering and brochure from DeBartolo - including a parking deck being replaced by a lot on the western half. Nothing that can't be added on to later though -

http://www.debartolodevelopment.com/downloads/119-fl-orlando-mills-park-ppt.html

Edited May 29, 2012 by Downtown Steve

[klstorey]

Wow, this new rendering is a huge let down from the original proposal. I was really looking forward to the density that the development was going to bring to the area. A strip mall with an apartment building next to it is not what the area needs. Surface parking, single stories, this is the exact opposite of what Orlando needs.

[smileguy]

They had another brochure with slightly more dense proposal. I wonder if this still needs City approval, and if there is a certain threshold they have to meet? If this is going to be the Mills park development, I don't think the LYMMO extension should serve it... there won't be the ridership.

[Jernigan]

I sort of agree but if it's possible to view BRT (Bus Rapid Transit, which LYMMO is) like rail (SunRail) - in terms of economic development....then you almost have to and the only problem is that it doesn't loop all the way around to Mills/50.

[SuperMan11MS]

From Ivanhoe Village Facebook feed:

[JFW657]

Found this rendering accompanying an article in Orlando Homes & Leisure dated April 2012...

Link to article:

http://www.ohlmag.co...ally-ready-roll

The long-delayed MILLS PARK mixed-use development, slated to take shape on a 14½-acre tract at Virginia Drive and Mills Avenue, is finally moving forward. The nearly finalized plan by DeBARTOLO DEVELOPMENT envisions a bustling project consisting of retail, restaurant and office space as well as multifamily homes. Leases are already being inked by national and regional chains, while an announcement about a formal groundbreaking and a construction schedule is expected by the end of this month. It’s rumored that a national gourmet grocery store will anchor the project’s retail section, with smaller eateries, shops and service-based businesses filling in the remainder of the rentable space. Leases should be finalized within the next few months, and tenant announcements will come shortly thereafter. Old-timers will remember this prime property as the site of the old MILLS & NEBRASKA LUMBER COMPANY.

Edited June 5, 2012 by JFW657

[smileguy]

If anyone can attend tonight, here are some numbers from the original project for a side-by-side comparison. Would love to see how the current project stacks up - I don't think it will be a third of what we were hoping for.

564 Multi-family Residential Dwelling Units (a mixture of rental units and condo units)

78,408 Gross Square Feet of Commercial Uses (primarily ground-floor retail uses)

272,992 Gross Square Feet of Office/Hotel

[Jernigan]

KLStorey will have better cliffs but I attended and think the residential will be closer to 300 and something. Mix of 1 2 and 3 bedroom units ranging from 800-1100 sq ft.

The biggest news is that the anchor store will be a Fresh Market. You take the good with the bad though - FM requires the surface parking that you see in a previously posted rendering.