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Orlando: SoDo (South of Downtown) development


zaadee

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The only thing I'm really excited about right now is that Super Target.

Man, is that place looking like it's gonna be nice!!!

I hope they have really low grocery prices ala Super WalMart.

And I dig those escalators!!! :thumbsup:

Also, I noticed there is what looks to be a fast food place going up where the Taco Hell used to be.

Hopefully it will be another one. :P

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I did a comparison on googlemap. Midtown Miami is roughly 2-2.5 times the size (footprint-wise) as Sodo. I compared them b/c they're both within each city's city limits. Now, if you include Mills Park in the comparison, it's roughly a 1 for 1 comparison (that is, if they ever get Mills Park going).

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I know what you mean, it's really just the name of a shopping/lifestyle center. That's why I hope the name spreads throughout the neighborhood. But when you think about it, SoHO in NYC means south of Houston St., someone must of come up with that name as kind of a marketing tool for probably an abandoned neighborhood, isn't it all mostly art galleries and lofts? The ViMi District is a combo of Virginia Dr. and Mills Ave., they got the idea from that neighborhood in Atlanta, can't think of it now by I know part of it is Hi for Highland Ave. I noticed in the Charlotte forum they have an area that they call NoDa. All I can figure in maybe that stands for North of Davidson (not sure if that's the name of the street, but I know that there is a major street that starts with Davis. Denver has a LoDo, San Fran has a SoMa, which is south of Market St. and also the name of a muscle relaxer. What is the name of that part of town anyway, where SoDo is going up? Is it Wadeview Park, I know the old shopping center on Michigan is called Southside. I wonder when Mills Park goes up if that name will overcome ViMi.......

virginia-highlands baby! oh yeah. When wifey-pooh was getting her masters at emory used to go there a bunch.

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The site plan shows a new Taco Bell right on the prime corner of Orange Ave in this development. How can they build such an urban project and put a fast food joint right out front? I have to say I'm very disappointed--this is a missed opportunity, IMO.

The new Taco Bell stores have a more casual dining look to them like Chipolte. One just opened in Lee Vista on New Goldenrod Rd. and it is still Taco Bell but much nicer look to it. The super Wal-Mart that opened in the same center seems bigger than the average super WM, and it has three entrances and lists new signage on the entrances, like Indoor Living, Market & Pharmacy and Outdoor Lifestyles. I wonder how the new Target at The Current down the street will look? This new Wal-Mart and The Current are both in the city limits of Orlando and may have some stricter building codes imposed on them. But there has to be a Taco Bell in the south Orange market, why not let it be a nice new one and also make SoDo a place for all incomes. I think that McDonald's Bistro Gourmet should be demolished and rebuilt, maybe in the classic style like on East Colonial.

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Fast food not urban? I disagree. I wish DT had one of those quirky two story McDonalds or something that just fits the old space it goes into. That to me says urban more than any corporate designed stand-alone. If you are saying the Taco Bleh should have been incorporated better, sure! But I'm glad there is one!

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agree to both of these last posts.

golden arches would be a welcome signal on orange avenue or magnolia or rosalind. how much impact would a mcdonalds have if it replaced the tattoo shop at the corner of orange and central?

the drive thru's take up too much space and they do make it unfriendly to pedestrians. the taco bell is welcomed by me, but i would rather see a lawn/park-like area fronting orange. a few trees and shrubs surrounding a lawn would be nice. make a well shaded park with lots of trees and benches. something other than asphalt, please.

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agree to both of these last posts.

golden arches would be a welcome signal on orange avenue or magnolia or rosalind. how much impact would a mcdonalds have if it replaced the tattoo shop at the corner of orange and central?

the drive thru's take up too much space and they do make it unfriendly to pedestrians. the taco bell is welcomed by me, but i would rather see a lawn/park-like area fronting orange. a few trees and shrubs surrounding a lawn would be nice. make a well shaded park with lots of trees and benches. something other than asphalt, please.

There was a BK downtown for a time in one of the existing buildings between Central and either Pine or Church (west side of the block) when Manny Garcia still held the local franchise - I believe it was closed when BK corporate bought Manny out. There was also a Boston Market in the Church Street Market for several years. In both cases, I believe I read that lack of evening business did them in. Obviously, much has changed downtown in the last few years, so hopefully one or more of the major chains will revisit those decisions (I especially miss Boston Market).

Oh, and going way back, there used to be a Royal Castle on Church St. I miss their Birch Beer!

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agree to both of these last posts.

golden arches would be a welcome signal on orange avenue or magnolia or rosalind. how much impact would a mcdonalds have if it replaced the tattoo shop at the corner of orange and central?

the drive thru's take up too much space and they do make it unfriendly to pedestrians. the taco bell is welcomed by me, but i would rather see a lawn/park-like area fronting orange. a few trees and shrubs surrounding a lawn would be nice. make a well shaded park with lots of trees and benches. something other than asphalt, please.

I actually thought the exact same thing--what a nice urban park that would make fronting Orange. Then, encourage the businesses surrounding the park to the North, South, and West to build up to 5-6 stories like SODO, and you've got yourself a nice, new urban space. Oh well...

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Again I am not talking about Taco Bell, I am talking about a drive thru. This has nothing to do with a fast food chain being urban or not.

I know what you mean.

the urban cluster stops a few hundred feet from Orange... and then we have conventional drive-thru's. Maybe if they mixed it up a bit with a store bldg. right up on Orange on one side of the entrance road to SoDo, then, you would preserve a part wall to the project. maybe they will place the food joints right up on Orange like the CVS at Mills & 50.

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There was a BK downtown for a time in one of the existing buildings between Central and either Pine or Church (west side of the block) when Manny Garcia still held the local franchise - I believe it was closed when BK corporate bought Manny out. There was also a Boston Market in the Church Street Market for several years. In both cases, I believe I read that lack of evening business did them in. Obviously, much has changed downtown in the last few years, so hopefully one or more of the major chains will revisit those decisions (I especially miss Boston Market).

Oh, and going way back, there used to be a Royal Castle on Church St. I miss their Birch Beer!

I remember the BK. It has been a few things since and the latest tenant/restaurant just bit the dust recently. I used to use it mainly for breakfast downtown. The problems I found is that they nuked too much of their food and the vagrants used to stay in there long after eating (soaking up free coffee refills) and smelling up the place. A smelly, urine-soaked bum sitting near you when you are trying to eat a sausage croissanwich is not appetizing to say the least.

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I seem to recall that the Taco Bell site owner never sold to the developers and still owns the "out-lot" --- possibly getting some nice income for the staging area - anyone know for sure or have site plan showing just what they own?

I checked the property appraiser website and the whole site is owned by RITA development including the old Tropigrill/Pollo Tropical, KFC, and Taco Bell. Only the Target is owned by someone else.

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I drove by there today. this place is really primo. if any of you out there ever have an out of town guest who wants to go to Target, take them to that one, even if it is out of the way.

what an asset to the City... can't say it enough times.

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agree to both of these last posts.

golden arches would be a welcome signal on orange avenue or magnolia or rosalind. how much impact would a mcdonalds have if it replaced the tattoo shop at the corner of orange and central?

the drive thru's take up too much space and they do make it unfriendly to pedestrians. the taco bell is welcomed by me, but i would rather see a lawn/park-like area fronting orange. a few trees and shrubs surrounding a lawn would be nice. make a well shaded park with lots of trees and benches. something other than asphalt, please.

Yeah, only after checking out the massing models on the SoDo website have i realized truly how retarded the Taco Bell & other outparcels at the front of this project are. Why even bother with the attempt at urbanism if you're going to throw one-story, stand-alone buildings with parking lots at the front of the project?

http://www.sodo-orlando.com/shop/Massing%20Plans.pdf

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From what I could see they don't look so bad. I guess they didn't want to hide the rest of the development behind multi story structures along the front. Possibly some zoning issue as well.

What I'm wondering now is after this thing opens for business & starts cranking, what kind of development will occur along Grant St. behind Ace Hardware & Crystal Lake behind McDonalds.

Right now all those properties are just run down old shacks or grimy repair shops.

I'll bet the owners of those parcels are licking their lips in anticipation of what's going to happen to their property values & some of the offers that will likely begin coming their way.

I know I would be.

And what kind of new downtown skyline view are we gonna get from the rooftop parking at Target?

Should be awesome!!!! :good::camera:

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  • 2 weeks later...

I remember the BK. It has been a few things since and the latest tenant/restaurant just bit the dust recently. I used to use it mainly for breakfast downtown. The problems I found is that they nuked too much of their food and the vagrants used to stay in there long after eating (soaking up free coffee refills) and smelling up the place. A smelly, urine-soaked bum sitting near you when you are trying to eat a sausage croissanwich is not appetizing to say the least.

I remember that little BK. I think it opened in the early 90's while downtown Orlando was internationally renowned for it's nightlife and underground house music clubs and DJ's. Aahz, The Edge, and then Firestone. Apparently Glenda Hood didn't like Orlando having a reputation as an international party city and got right on getting it all shut down. But I like the new "adult" downtown that is emerging, actual neighborhood residents frequenting the new artsy restaurants and lounges. And while Orlando is not a big corporate hub, it is quickly getting known for it's "creative class" and may of the employees downtown work for smaller firms or their own firms. I believe that Orlando is finally going to stand out in the arts area, and not so much a sports town. Back on topic, I don't remeber the Royal Castle downtown, I do remember one in Azalea Park and one in Cocoa. We did have that food court in the Exchange. I could really see a McDonald's downtown, just because you see them in all great cities, from NYC to Shanghai. Chipolte or one of the other newer casual dining fast food concepts would work well downtown. Urban Flats is doing well, and they also have suburban locations. Hamburger Mary's was a shocker, opening up on Church St. in the heart of everything. That is a good sign that tolerance is not a problem in Orlando (Hamburger Mary's is a gay chain.) and it will provide interesting entertainment for downtown dining.

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