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Orlando Centroplex's Future

Draculus

By Draculus
in Orlando

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prahaboheme City

prahaboheme

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So, this is partly out of boredom at work, but I've created an idea of what I believe would be a better use of the old Centroplex complex. I like the idea of bringing in the "creative village" plans, but I also believe that we have an opportunity to create a great, large scale public space for the citizens and visitors to Orlando that can be both modern and timeless. I am, of course, imaging this in the vein of the great Millennium Park in Chicago.

So what I've done is set the Centroplex and Millennium Park to scale through Google Earth, and then superimposed (not at all well) images from Millennium Park (particularly the Frank Ghery stage pavilion, the "Bean", as well as fountain space), in a way that I think could work well with the landscape of the Centroplex. Particularly, the Centroplex lake already provides for a nice axis point for which the park could then grow out from.

The existing Centroplex aerial view:

ScreenShot021.jpg

My proposal:

CreativeVillageIdea.jpg

Just food for thought--I really just wanted to show that the Centroplex is a perfect size for something of this nature. It is almost exactly the same size at Millennium Park.

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prahaboheme City

prahaboheme

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This proposal will never fly: a Winter Park pastor wants to turn the old Amway Arena into a megachurch. Not only does he not have the congregation to back him up, he wants to just incorporate the church and parking lots into his plan, and as a religious establishment he would be tax exempt (meaning the city could not collect any revenue off the property to pay back the loans for the new arena).

Interesting, Ustler and friends have a proposal in place which I am excited to see, and another larger development firm with deep pockets have also submitted a proposal. I can't wait to see the renderings and plans.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-magic-arena-church-20100428,0,480709.story

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prahaboheme City

prahaboheme

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The other proposals were submitted by:

•Creative Village LLC, a partnership between Craig Ustler — the developer of Thornton Park Central, 801 North Orange, Eola South and the GAI building that's now under construction — and Banc of America Community Development Corp., which has led large-scale, mixed-use developments across the country.

•Co-developers KUD International and H.J. Russell & Co. KUD built AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants; and a complex of student housing, retail, parking garages and the arena at the University of Central Florida, among other things. Atlanta-based H.J. Russell is a minority-owned national developer that built the Georgia Dome, Centennial Olympic Stadium/Turner Field and Philips Arena in Atlanta.

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i_cre8 Whistle-Stop

i_cre8

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The other proposals were submitted by:

•Creative Village LLC, a partnership between Craig Ustler — the developer of Thornton Park Central, 801 North Orange, Eola South and the GAI building that's now under construction — and Banc of America Community Development Corp., which has led large-scale, mixed-use developments across the country.

•Co-developers KUD International and H.J. Russell & Co. KUD built AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants; and a complex of student housing, retail, parking garages and the arena at the University of Central Florida, among other things. Atlanta-based H.J. Russell is a minority-owned national developer that built the Georgia Dome, Centennial Olympic Stadium/Turner Field and Philips Arena in Atlanta.

BOACDC is also redeveloping a large parcel in downtown Tampa, dubbed ENCORE:

Encore Tampa

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dpalum Unincorporated Area

dpalum

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Cant belive nobody post this yet...

The Creative Village design is out. It looks like a second downtown. It just need to have more retails...but 7 parks sound pretty good.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/videobeta/4e8d8293-1540-4cf5-a388-afbc25b1c512/News/Animation-Remake-proposal-of-Orlando-Centroplex-including-Amway-Arena

DT.jpg

Compared to the model buildings in the background, the creative village will be far more dense. I like that they seem to be attempting to develop the area into a neighborhood. Mixed-income housing is necessary in attracting more people downtown. Thornton Park and the CBD are nice, but everyone cannot afford $1400/mo for rent.

I'd like to know what the plans are for the office towers, they look pretty tall (+400').

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prahaboheme City

prahaboheme

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ScreenShot055.jpg

This is the grant funded Lymmo expansion area (in the bubble).

Am I the only one that thinks this is a missed opportunity to connect downtown East and West, or North and South?

This expansion doesn't directly affect most downtown residents and visitors, although it will be helpful to get people from the lynx terminal to Amway Center with a direct connection (though this could have been achieved with the East/West link. I'd be interested to hear what others think about this proposal. It just seems to me a waste to invest in the Creative Village proposal when there are other already established areas in dire need of mass transit alternatives.

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John Hargrove Hamlet

John Hargrove

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Posted

ScreenShot055.jpg

This is the grant funded Lymmo expansion area (in the bubble).

Am I the only one that thinks this is a missed opportunity to connect downtown East and West, or North and South?

This expansion doesn't directly affect most downtown residents and visitors, although it will be helpful to get people from the lynx terminal to Amway Center with a direct connection (though this could have been achieved with the East/West link. I'd be interested to hear what others think about this proposal. It just seems to me a waste to invest in the Creative Village proposal when there are other already established areas in dire need of mass transit alternatives.

Couldn't agree more. The lack of an east-west connection really bothers me as a resident of the downtown core. I'd _really_ like to be able to ride the Lymmo to go to Publix or the farmer's market. As it is now, I'm driving if I plan on buying anything that weighs more than a few pounds.

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spenser1058 Gigalopolis

spenser1058

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Couldn't agree more. The lack of an east-west connection really bothers me as a resident of the downtown core. I'd _really_ like to be able to ride the Lymmo to go to Publix or the farmer's market. As it is now, I'm driving if I plan on buying anything that weighs more than a few pounds.

Could this be just the part of the grant in Corrine's district? (She only has the west side of I4 - those of us on the east side downtown belong in District 8 - vote for Amendments 5 & 6 to stop this crazy Gerrymandering of districts - but I digress.) Notice the press release is from her office- they may have just wanted to get it out there in advance of the election. I'm trying to find out if there's more.

UPDATE: From Oct 15 Streetsblog:

"One DOT source told Streetsblog that Secretary Ray LaHood would be signing the notification letters today, meaning decisions have been made. But no advisory has gone out and there is no press availability on Secretary LaHood’s schedule. Our source said to look for an announcement in the middle of next week."

http://dc.streetsblog.org/2010/10/15/tiger-ii-grants-to-be-announced-next-week/

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bic Burg

bic

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Couldn't agree more. The lack of an east-west connection really bothers me as a resident of the downtown core.

In addition, I'm not sure it's a great idea to run Lymmo through Parramore before things get developed over there. I hate to say but all you're doing is inviting the homeless that hang around the shelters over there to hop on board and ride an air-conditioned bus over to the CBD, possibly scaring potential riders away.

As others have echoed, the most obvious expansion route should take Lymmo east/west through South Eola and Thornton Park and south down Orange Ave.

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prahaboheme City

prahaboheme

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Couldn't agree more. The lack of an east-west connection really bothers me as a resident of the downtown core. I'd _really_ like to be able to ride the Lymmo to go to Publix or the farmer's market. As it is now, I'm driving if I plan on buying anything that weighs more than a few pounds.

castorvx I suggest writing to the Mayor and to Lynx and share your thoughts. They've been very receptive to feedback in the past. The biggest problem I see with this proposal is that the cost of maintaining it vs. actual ridership may not make this route a viable option which would only threaten further expansion of Lymmo in the future.

Top priorities for Lymmo expansion (IMO):

1) East / West from Amway Center to Thornton Park

2) North / South from Florida Hospital to Orlando Health

3) Mills/Colonial/Baldwin Park to Lynx Central Station

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gibby Burg

gibby

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I don't think the east/west expansion will quite make it to Thornton Park. I think the easternmost stop will be at Eola and Pine but that's still not too bad I guess. I was kinda hoping for a stop at Church and Summerlin, although I really wanted it to run down South Street.

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