Downtown Orlando Project Discussion

[JFW657]

1 hour ago, spenser1058 said:

Darn - I was thinking a 7-Eleven.

Oh, Thank.... never mind. 

[sunshine]

It has been awhile, anymore new highrises coming soon?

[AndyPok1]

Moderator troll.  That's one you don't see often!

[Dale]

2 hours ago, sunshine said:

It has been awhile, anymore new highrises coming soon?

Or maybe a massive vertical shopping mall a la Bangkok ?

[klstorey]

7 minutes ago, Dale said:

Or maybe a massive vertical shopping mall a la Bangkok ?

I had a friend visiting from South Korea. We passed Florida Hospital South and he asked if that was the mall. I then took him to the Florida Mall and he was severely unimpressed. I'm shocked Orlando still has no megamalls or downtown malls.

There were the plans for the one west of I-4 and south of 50 but when those plans died with the Great Recession so did any hope we have had for downtown shopping.

I'm curious with 100,000 sq ft of commercial in the Magic complex. I know they've hinted at an FEC like Andretti or Dave & Buster's but I think it could easily be ideal to others as well. Remember, Nike had plans pre-recession for a Nike Town in the CSS Exchange Bldg. I think a Nike Town in the Magic Complex would be a great addition to downtown. Definitely a better addition IMO than booze and sports and fake bowling. 

 

[sunshine]

No more Nike

[Dale]

4 hours ago, klstorey said:

I had a friend visiting from South Korea. We passed Florida Hospital South and he asked if that was the mall. I then took him to the Florida Mall and he was severely unimpressed. I'm shocked Orlando still has no megamalls or downtown malls.

There were the plans for the one west of I-4 and south of 50 but when those plans died with the Great Recession so did any hope we have had for downtown shopping.

I'm curious with 100,000 sq ft of commercial in the Magic complex. I know they've hinted at an FEC like Andretti or Dave & Buster's but I think it could easily be ideal to others as well. Remember, Nike had plans pre-recession for a Nike Town in the CSS Exchange Bldg. I think a Nike Town in the Magic Complex would be a great addition to downtown. Definitely a better addition IMO than booze and sports and fake bowling. 

 

True story: a few years back, I was walking downtown and met a mum, kids in tow. She told me she was visiting from Brum, UK and was looking for the downtown shopping mall. I had to explain to her that Orange @ Church would be the roughest facsimile.

[nite owℓ]

8 hours ago, klstorey said:

I had a friend visiting from South Korea. We passed Florida Hospital South and he asked if that was the mall. I then took him to the Florida Mall and he was severely unimpressed. I'm shocked Orlando still has no megamalls or downtown malls.

Just curious, why not Millenia?

[IAmFloridaBorn]

2 hours ago, nite owℓ said:

Just curious, why not Millenia?

I always recommend Florida over Millenia  too. It's better and has more stores.

[orlandouprise]

9 hours ago, IAmFloridaBorn said:

I always recommend Florida over Millenia  too. It's better and has more stores.

***mind blown***

FL Mall seems like such a tourist trap to me. Millenia seems so much more high-end. I avoid FL Mall like the plague

19 hours ago, sunshine said:

No more Nike

I actually think that would be great fit for the Magic complex/pulling from CV traffic. College kids are eating up the NIKE revolution. Goes well with a sports themed area as well.

[bqknight]

10 hours ago, IAmFloridaBorn said:

I always recommend Florida over Millenia  too. It's better and has more stores.

I'm always extremely conflicted with this. On one end, I do prefer Florida Mall - the stores are better. Half of Millenia I don't even step foot in because I don't shop at the high end boutiques. Millenia is the "nicer" mall - and the area has some good stores too. Florida Mall may be BUSY - and crowded with tourists but IMO it's the "better" mall. 

[RedStar25]

I hate malls. There. I said it. 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

19 minutes ago, orlandouprise said:

***mind blown***

FL Mall seems like such a tourist trap to me. Millenia seems so much more high-end. I avoid FL Mall like the plague

I actually think that would be great fit for the Magic complex/pulling from CV traffic. College kids are eating up the NIKE revolution. Goes well with a sports themed area as well.

Florida Mall is missing a Movie theater or bowling alley and it'd be hands down best mall in Central Florida. Pure opinion BTW.
I Also recommend FLorida Mall due to all stores and shopping around it. Mellinia Has that NOW to though.

Also easier to get to FLorida Mall.

[sunshine]

Florida Mall parking is the pain.  I like Millenia because of the high end stores although I dont spend much there.

Disney Spring is nice but it is so far away and more like a suburb setting.

Yes Dale, bring on the big boy mall. Even NYC doesnt have a good downtown mall like in Europe/Asia and I have yet to visit Brickell City Center. Brickell City Center looks nice and it is built by Hong Konger.

 

[leondecollao]

If you are a developer and try to build a mall in this retail climate, you need to check your sanity. 

All tourists I come across seem pretty impressed with our outlet malls.  They can’t believe such discounts are even a thing. In Latin America you still mostly buy everything at full price. 

Edited September 12, 2018 by leondecollao

[sunshine]

People that build Brickell City Center, American Dream Mall must be insane then.  Outlet mall is a mess. Wait till they wash all their purchase when they get home.   

[mdeancherry]

5 hours ago, orlandouprise said:

***mind blown***

FL Mall seems like such a tourist trap to me. Millenia seems so much more high-end. I avoid FL Mall like the plague

This. Caveat, I don't shop at malls much at all. But if I had to go to one for some reason, I'd much rather hang out at Millenia. Also, that Capital Grille is good - they have a happy hour, unlike the one at Pointe. 

I kind of like Crate & Barrel but I hardly ever buy anything even there. Other that I can't even think of the last time I bought anything at a mall.  

I guess I occasionally go around Christmas in the hopes that inspiration will strike for that hard-to-buy-for person. 

[dcluley98]

6 hours ago, RedStar25 said:

I hate malls. There. I said it. 

I've lived in Orlando for almost 5 years now and I have never been to any of them.

I do ride my bike past Fashion Square often, though. 

[spenser1058]

44 minutes ago, dcluley98 said:

I've lived in Orlando for almost 5 years now and I have never been to any of them.

I do ride my bike past Fashion Square often, though. 

I suppose I might have to use the Genius Bar at the Apple Store one day if my iPhone goes buggy. If I ever have to buy a new suit I'd probably go to Brooks Brothers. Other than that, I have a hard time thinking why I'd ever go to the mall again. 

[JFW657]

7 hours ago, orlandouprise said:

*mind blown***

FL Mall seems like such a tourist trap to me. Millenia seems so much more high-end. I avoid FL Mall like the plague

 

1 hour ago, mdeancherry said:

This. Caveat, I don't shop at malls much at all. But if I had to go to one for some reason, I'd much rather hang out at Millenia. Also, that Capital Grille is good - they have a happy hour, unlike the one at Pointe. 

I kind of like Crate & Barrel but I hardly ever buy anything even there. Other that I can't even think of the last time I bought anything at a mall.  

I guess I occasionally go around Christmas in the hopes that inspiration will strike for that hard-to-buy-for person. 

I've been in Millennia twice. The last time I walked all the way through trying to find a store that wasn't a clothing boutique, a shoe store or a jewelry-accessory store. Out of the entire place, I think there was an Apple Store and the Crate & Barrel and that was about it. I haven't been in Florida Mall in well over a decade, but I can imagine that it's not a whole lot better.

I used to really enjoy visiting Florida Mall back in the 80's before they remodeled it.

Back in those days, it was designed to be reminiscent Main Street in Disney World. It was kind of like a village, where all the smaller storefronts were like little shops on side streets off the main avenue with shingled overhangs, etc. There was even a village square with balconies and stuff, prior to the Universal Studios store they built in the middle of it. And it was all more colorful.

The variety of stores was better, too. They used to have places like The Discovery Store, Black Market Minerals, Game Stop, Walden Books, Sam Goody Music, Radio Shack, Spencer's Gifts, a toy store, a sporting goods store.... etc, etc. Places I would actually be interested in and go into.

Now it's just another mall. Everything is painted white and probably dedicated mostly to women's clothing and shoes.

Everything sucks nowadays!!!! 

[klstorey]

I like taking tourists to Florida Mall vs other malls simply because of its size and unique stores (like M&M World). I think malls are great when they have destination retail that is experiential based. The worst thing that ever happened to Pointe Orlando was FAO Schwarz closing. I think Florida Mall would do great if it had some more retail of that type. I'd love to see the Bass Pro Shop move over there. I miss the surfing simulator at Florida Mall. Ironically, the type of retail currently at the mall would likely do better downtown and some of the stuff planned for downtown (like an adult-focused FEC) would do better at the mall. 

[spenser1058]

30 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

 

I've been in Millennia twice. The last time I walked all the way through trying to find a store that wasn't a clothing boutique, a shoe store or a jewelry-accessory store. Out of the entire place, I think there was an Apple Store and the Crate & Barrel and that was about it. I haven't been in Florida Mall in well over a decade, but I can imagine that it's not a whole lot better.

I used to really enjoy visiting Florida Mall back in the 80's before they remodeled it.

Back in those days, it was designed to be reminiscent Main Street in Disney World. It was kind of like a village, where all the smaller storefronts were like little shops on side streets off the main avenue with shingled overhangs, etc. There was even a village square with balconies and stuff, prior to the Universal Studios store they built in the middle of it. And it was all more colorful.

The variety of stores was better, too. They used to have places like The Discovery Store, Black Market Minerals, Game Stop, Walden Books, Sam Goody Music, Radio Shack, Spencer's Gifts, a toy store, a sporting goods store.... etc, etc. Places I would actually be interested in and go into.

Now it's just another mall. Everything is painted white and probably dedicated mostly to women's clothing and shoes.

Everything sucks nowadays!!!! 

Admit it, JFW, you're just a slave to fashion! *teehee*

[JFW657]

1 hour ago, spenser1058 said:

Admit it, JFW, you're just a slave to fashion! *teehee*

More like a slave to unfashionable-ness. 

Seems like the more unfashionable something is, the more I like it. 

[dcluley98]

Picturing JFW riding a Razor scooter around downtown with a  Sleeveless-Jorts Canadian Tuxedo combo, a Bowtie, Crocs-with-Socks, a Visor and a Fannypack. 

[HankStrong]

11 hours ago, dcluley98 said:

Picturing JFW riding a Razor scooter around downtown with a  Sleeveless-Jorts Canadian Tuxedo combo, a Bowtie, Crocs-with-Socks, a Visor and a Fannypack. 

Don't forget the part where he screams at kids to get out of his way on the sidewalk.