Downtown Orlando Project Discussion

[spenser1058]

25 minutes ago, HankStrong said:

I wonder what the number of 7-11 stores looks like in comparison.  I bet we crush them!

Actually, 7-Eleven was founded in Texas so they may have an edge. Oh, Thank Heaven!

[codypet]

I dunno.  I was just in Austin.  Its not exactly ped friendly.  Our AirBnB was on the other side of Lady Bird Lake, and you were fine on the city side, but on the suburb side definitely needed a car.  Even through downtown public trans was rough even compared to Orlando.

[nite owℓ]

4 hours ago, alex said:

Looks like it's next to the Lake Lucerne development:

"Orlando Health is planning the second phase for its new downtown office building near the Orlando Regional Medical Center campus...Orlando Health is seeking to update the existing plans for the 4.88-acre site at 55 W. Gore St., according to documents filed with the city of Orlando on Feb. 20...Phase 2 entails replacing more of the surface parking with an office building of up to 60,000 square feet, as well as an additional 305 parking spaces in the garage."

This could help turn Gore into quite the urban corridor...hopefully with some street improvements like mid-block pedestrian crossings.

Correct. After the OH Lucerne Rehab building property was demo'd and sold off to make way for the apartment redevelopment, OH demo'd the old HR building tucked away on the rear parking lot and renovated the remaining OH Lucerne medical annex building. I wish they would have sold off the entire OH Lucerne campus to allow Crescent/Novel Lucerne to transform the entire 2 blocks. Makes no sense to maintain satellite departments off site when there's plenty of undeveloped land surrounding the main campus... OH is way behind Fl Hosp in terms of campus connectivity. At FH you can pretty much move around each tower in shelter from the elements vs at OH to get from one building to the next you're exposed to hurricanes, rain, blazing heat... /rant.

Edited February 22, 2018 by nite owℓ

[Jernigan]

On 2/16/2016 at 10:20 PM, Jernigan said:

From the February ARB agenda - a strip on Magnolia is being renovated to include a 2nd floor balcony.  Dramatic difference.  

http://www.cityoforlando.net/city-planning/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2016/02/ARB2016-00003report.pdf

Work finally underway 

[jrs2]

Did you guys realize that Crescent Central currently has 7 businesses in it?  And, Skyhouse has 3.  So the OC Cthse now has 10 retailers around it that did not exist 3 years ago.

Edited February 27, 2018 by jrs2

[Jernigan]

And some of these Magnolia places are newer and very stable - except for the gourmet sneaker store 

[prahaboheme]

9 hours ago, jrs2 said:

Did you guys realize that Crescent Central currently has 7 businesses in it?  And, Skyhouse has 3.  So the OC Cthse now has 10 retailers around it that did not exist 3 years ago.

I cannot handle this attempt at positivity!

[jrs2]

11 hours ago, prahaboheme said:

I cannot handle this attempt at positivity!

I know!  I'm trying to compose myself.  I feel like Eric Cartman in that Sea People episode.

Oh, reality struck.  Time to troll the Magic Entertainment Complex thread...again...just kidding.

[codypet]

On 2/26/2018 at 4:51 PM, Jernigan said:

Work finally underway 

I like it.  Its cute.

[Jernigan]

On 2/26/2018 at 4:51 PM, Jernigan said:

Work finally underway 

 

[prahaboheme]

6 hours ago, Jernigan said:

 

Did Skyhouse also paint their stucco gray?

i don't recall if it was always that dark.

[JFW657]

Looks the same as always to me.

[popsiclebrandon]

They just installed stop signs to make it a 4 way stop at Central and Eola. There isn't any warning about the new signs like when they added them by Publix. I almost blew through them last night. Its a bit dangerous to just throw up something like that and not tell anyone.
Really not needed, its already backed traffic up from Summerlin. With this and the light coming to Summerlin and Washington we're really trying to create some serious gridlock in the area.

[bqknight]

1 hour ago, popsiclebrandon said:

They just installed stop signs to make it a 4 way stop at Central and Eola. There isn't any warning about the new signs like when they added them by Publix. I almost blew through them last night. Its a bit dangerous to just throw up something like that and not tell anyone.
Really not needed, its already backed traffic up from Summerlin. With this and the light coming to Summerlin and Washington we're really trying to create some serious gridlock in the area.

They need to put a 4 way stop at Osceola and Church. Half the people stop there and half don't it's always an awkward mess. 

[Jernigan]

It’s a pretty wide part of Central to cross relying only on drivers willingness to yield.  I’m able-bodied and still try to avoid having to cross there instead of Osceola or mid block.   Would be even harder for someone older or kids.

That said, completely agree they should have rolled it out with advanced notice like Lake

[prahaboheme]

I remember about 5 years ago when I would regularly cross Eola at Central that it was very difficult to assess how fast cars were traveling east on Central through that intersection.  I'd have to creep a bit into the intersection just to get a full view.

Definitely needed!

[JFW657]

Are wrecks becoming a common problem at that intersection?

[alex]

17 hours ago, prahaboheme said:

Did Skyhouse also paint their stucco gray?

i don't recall if it was always that dark.

I think it's unpainted concrete, but it looks a little darker in that photo than it does in real life.

13 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

Are wrecks becoming a common problem at that intersection?

Not sure if wrecks are common, but I take that intersection home every day and "almost wrecks" and "kamikaze pedestrians" are pretty common.

[JFW657]

2 hours ago, alex said:

Not sure if wrecks are common, but I take that intersection home every day and "almost wrecks" and "kamikaze pedestrians" are pretty common.

That reminds me of something topic-related that I experienced at that intersection one evening about 20 years ago in the mid- late 90's

I was walking west along the south side of Central, crossing Eola in the crosswalk. 

 

Just as I was approaching the curb on the west side of Eola, a well known WFTV reporter, I'll just call him Steve, was heading east on Central in a WFTV vehicle, and came tearing ass around the corner heading south on Eola. I literally had to jump to get out of his way and keep from getting hit. He never looked twice.

Musta been in a rush to get back to WFTV HQ because he was working on some hot local news story and wanted to get the scoop.

[Camillo Sitte]

14 hours ago, popsiclebrandon said:

They just installed stop signs to make it a 4 way stop at Central and Eola...Really not needed...

They absolutely needed to do something about that intersection [light, 4-way, whatever] and have needed to do so for years.

I have been hit twice at that intersection, once while going west on Central and once while going east, both times by people on Eola assuming that it already was a 4-way stop and assuming that I was going to/required to stop. The first resulted in a bit of front bumper cover damage, the second resulted is some pretty significant body work.

Both times the idiots in the other cars jumped out and immediately copped an attitude, acting all indignant as to why it was that I ran the 4-way stop.  And both times I replied as politely as I could muster "Because you dumb mothereffer it isn't a 4-way stop!" - a fact both drivers didn't fully embrace until after the responding OPD officer had issued them each failure to yield and at-fault citations.

Edited March 2, 2018 by Camillo Sitte

[JFW657]

They did a story about it on channel 9 this evening: 

City adds 4-way stop to busy intersection near Lake Eola <--- (link)

During the video, over the course of just a few minutes, several vehicles just blew right through the stop signs.

Cars, a city owned truck and even a couple of Lynx buses.

[popsiclebrandon]

People always blow through the stop sign at Osceola and stop at the not-stop sign at Eola. I've been hit twice at Osceola and for years many of us around here have written and called to get the police to just sit in the loop and write tickets for the 200 or so people each day that run the stop sign til the behavior changes.

This morning they've had a cop pulling people over there all morning. Kinda sucks because you really don't expect it but maybe it will start them finally watching the area.

[JFW657]

Maybe they should consider temporarily installing something along the lines of this...

If that doesn't get someone's attention...

[aent]

10 hours ago, JFW657 said:

Maybe they should consider temporarily installing something along the lines of this...

If that doesn't get someone's attention...

The problem is unnecessary stops don't garner the attention of drivers. To protect pedestrians, a button activated RRFB would probably make a lot more sense:

[dcluley98]

Eola North - I don't think I have seen this mentioned yet on the site, but on my walk home, saw some construction equipment on Concord just east of Magnolia and I stopped by. Apparently, it is 3 story townhomes project by David Weekley Homes according to the sign on the jobsite.  Haven't seen any renderings, but their website shows the project: 

http://www.davidweekleyhomes.com/new-homes/fl/orlando/orlando/eola-north

• Central Living by David Weekley Homes will soon bring award-winning townhomes to the energetic heart of downtown Orlando in Eola North. With its highly-desirable, walkable location, Eola North will combine location and luxury in an intimate community of 12 homesites.
• Three-story, modern craftsman-style townhomes with innovative, open floor plans
• Private front yards with decorative fences

Interesting infill project that I have not heard much about. Also interesting project location across from the eventually to be redeveloped Sentinel property (and conveniently located just a block away from your friendly neighborhood 7-Eleven, LOL). Twelve 3-story townhomes sounds like a pretty big project somebody should know about.  Maybe I missed it on here.  I would look into these, but I can't find any more information about it online. Growthspotter reported on it 2 years ago, but not much news since: http://www.growthspotter.com/news/residential-property-developments/gs-david-weekley-buys-site-for-downtown-townhomes-on-ferncreek-20161205-story.html "The denser townhome projects should carry a hard cost investment of close to $100 per square foot on Thornton Avenue for three-story, 2,000-square-foot units, while that investment could be $115 per square foot on Concord Street for four-story units of up to 2,500 square feet. " They seem to be trying to sell them for $400k, though, which is a pretty big markup for the area.

I also noted fresh Utilities Locs on the east side of Magnolia at the empty lot on Amelia. Not sure if that is for an upcoming project or just periodic work. That is another interesting lot downtown that has been vacant and fenced for a while.  

Edited March 3, 2018 by dcluley98