Downtown Orlando Project Discussion

[bqknight]

3 hours ago, gibby said:

I did a day trip to downtown Tampa via Amtrak a few weeks ago and I was very impressed.  The Riverwalk is really excellent and Ybor is great.  There was way more downtown residential that I had expected.

Ybor isn’t downtown Tampa. 

I’ve only been on the Riverwalk during Gasparilla. Don’t know what it’s like during normal times. 

[spenser1058]

A Sentinel real estate round up article notes Thornton Park Central has been sold and the office space will become hq for a medical supplies company. It's a bit vague but suggests the business will use only half the space. I guess that means the lofts and ground floor retail will remain.

Also noted is that 520 East will be 12 stories. Did we already know that?

Thornton Park offices to get medical supply headquarters
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/classified/realestate/os-cfb-real-estate-orchid-medical-equipment-orlando-20180420-story.html

[nite owℓ]

My heart sank when I read that article, but I don't think it's the part of Thornton Park Central with condos and ground floor retail (10 N Summerlin Ave). I believe the portion that sold is the multi-story glass front office building located on Washington St (622 E Washington St). Although they were all built at the same time as part of Thornton Park Central complex, I believe the office building with garage is a separate entity from the lofts with ground floor retail (which I believe also have their own parking garage).

Edited April 22, 2018 by nite owℓ

[spenser1058]

Thanks for that. I know there's an entrance on Washington that's very different from the lofts entrance on Summerlin, but I've never known exactly what was on that side or how the two are connected to each other.

Edited April 22, 2018 by spenser1058

[smileguy]

11 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Thanks for that. I know there's an entrance on Washington that's very different from the lofts entrance on Summerlin, but I've never known exactly what was on that side or how the two are connected to each other.

It's two buildings connected by a common garage. 

[popsiclebrandon]

Never knew about that rooftop Starbucks. Seems like oversaturation, even for them.

[jrs2]

17 hours ago, smileguy said:

It's two buildings connected by a common garage. 

never noticed before, but this has a very similar orientation to that Maitland City Center project

[IAmFloridaBorn]

On 4/22/2018 at 9:34 AM, spenser1058 said:

 

Also noted is that 520 East will be 12 stories. Did we already know that?

 

Yes, that was the plan all along. to be  a bit taller than 420 by a few stories.

[JFW657]

12 hours ago, popsiclebrandon said:

Never knew about that rooftop Starbucks. Seems like oversaturation, even for them.

They had to close it.

Too many people were running out the door and attempting to jump off the roof when they got the check.

[spenser1058]

Sounds like Whole Paycheck Market!

[shardoon]

Just curious, with everything going on downtown...... would you all call this the largest building boom in downtown history? Between the new residences, office towers, creative village etc....... I think this beats out even back in the early 2000's, Now if we can only get a proposal like the SMOG. I don't know if anybody remembers that one from 15 years ago lol. 

[Jernigan]

It might be - although when I did the google timehop back to 2007 I was amazed at how many things were going up at once (Vue, Aspire, Paramount, Plaza)

This one won’t have the same dramatic impact on the skyline since Church Street is further away but it would be interesting to do a sq ft comparison for residential office and retail.

My question would be - when did this boom begin?  With Nora and Steel House or some point more recent?

[orlandouprise]

The BOOM begins when we get a Chelsea Market in the CS exchange building...and real retail near it...and the OMA to relocate DT next to  DPAC.

[sunshine]

Downtown Orlando is booming but it is on a smaller scale compared to Tampa and Miami.  Tampa is doing some grand urban renewal. Archictecture quality in Orlando is low, (yes you Baker Barrios). Devos is one of the riches sport team owner. I hope he would drop 4 billions dollars in downtown Orlando. But he cant even get his Magic Complex off the ground.

[sunshine]

Bags, Inc. favored for more city-owned land next to Orlando HQ site, despite higher bid

They bought more land to build training facility.

"Bags told the city it would indeed build a training facility there, in conjunction with its plans next door for a five-story headquarters building with 84,000 square feet of office, 5,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and attached parking garage.  "

[sunshine]

Developer seeks help from city of Orlando for 10-acre redevelopment in Parramore

http://www.growthspotter.com/news/downtown-orlando-developments/gs-bob-snow-concept-plan-parramore-park-downtown-orlando-20180430-story.html#nt=oft03a-1la1

[codypet]

Wow just like that historic church doesn't exist.

[alex]

15 minutes ago, codypet said:

Wow just like that historic church doesn't exist.

That was my first reaction, but then I saw the small rectangle south of where the church sits now. Maybe the idea is to move it?

The plan stretches over 10 acres and is supposed to include mixed-use buildings and affordable housing. Here's a 3D view from the article:

That said, the article makes it sound like the plan is very unlikely to succeed, with a dozen different land owners—one of them being the owners of 532 W Church St, where that restaurant is planned.

[Kaz]

Ideally this design would incorporate some of the historic buildings (like the greater refuge memorial church) rather than knock them down. 

[sunshine]

sounds like the Orlando Magic Complex....

[Jernigan]

Is this Bob Snows project?

[popsiclebrandon]

Sounds like Bob trying to convince the city to take his bid on the Bags land. This project is as likely as our 100 story unicorn medical project.

[metal93]

9 hours ago, sunshine said:

Developer seeks help from city of Orlando for 10-acre redevelopment in Parramore

http://www.growthspotter.com/news/downtown-orlando-developments/gs-bob-snow-concept-plan-parramore-park-downtown-orlando-20180430-story.html#nt=oft03a-1la1

Incoming and unpopular rant, but:

I've never liked proposals like this. Absolutely no regard for the historic parts of Parramore or the character of the neighborhood. Most of the buildings along this stretch wouldn't be missed (except for the refuge church and the buildings flanking the west side of Parramore between Church and Jackson, the gas station of course should be torn down), but that's besides the point. The residents should be alarmed about this sort of thing. Houses, places of worship, and black businesses all getting cleared away and pushed further out in the name of gentrification. Instead of ploping down block-long buildings, a far more interesting proposal would be smaller buildings inserted into the gaps left by the existing buildings - some of which could be demolished and others renovated to a presentable state. It allows for a better streetscape of old and new buildings instead of blocks of similar looking new buildings built by the same developer.

I know there's a lot of talk about lack of park space, but I don't feel that putting park space in this location is appropriate. Church Street is supposed to be urban. The Amway Center arguably has plaza space on the corners of its block, the MEC will feature a plaza, next to the stadium and the temple there's going to be another plaza. Go a little east and you're in the future Bridge District park. Not sure what happened to that little park off the southeast corner of Church and Lee, the city just walled up the whole thing. It just seems over saturated to me to add yet another park space. Luckily, I don't see it happening. There would be too much pushback from Parramore residents.

[spenser1058]

6 minutes ago, popsiclebrandon said:

Sounds like Bob trying to convince the city to take his bid on the Bags land. This project is as likely as our 100 story unicorn medical project.

Thank you. Bob Snow doing affordable housing? Not to mention Bob is the last person to have the diversity cred to navigate Parramore.

Sorry, but I'm really skeptical about this one.

[JFW657]

1 hour ago, metal93 said:

Incoming and unpopular rant, but:

I've never liked proposals like this. 

....blocks of similar looking new buildings built by the same developer.

My thoughts exactly.

Agree 100%.

Wind up with Soviet era style blocks of nearly identical buildings.