Downtown Orlando Project Discussion

[klstorey]

Orlando Central Staff Report

 

The top of Orlando Central looks worse in the Staff Report. It looks flat with a trailer placed on top.

I'd honestly prefer Gertrude Avenue to just be shut down. Make it an outdoor dining area linked to Gertrude's Walk. A nice wider area of the walk with some patio space. Seems like a pointless road now. Something similar to Kevin Jvjeski Park meets the Lake Eola WOB would really make that area nice. 

I wish the city was more focused on the G-Walk and had the new buildings that are planned along it more active with the walk itself. 

[prahaboheme]

Id like to see a mid/high rise at this location of varying height (at least around 12 stories) to help offset the monolithic effect of the courthouse surrounded by 6 story apartment buildings -- this is assuming that there isn't a market for additional high rise buildings of the same height downtown. 

 

 

[JFW657]

New announcement.  AT&T Building across from Crescent Central and diagonal from courthouse garage, to be replaced by 350-unit 5-story apartments.  In comparison Crescent Central is about 279 units.  Ground floor retail ... of course.  OBJ.

Sorry if already posted

i thought I heard they were going remodel & use the existing buildng.

[cwetteland]

I think I read something like that months ago but the new OBJ article definitely says "... plan to raze the vacant 118,517-square-foot, five-story office complex at 500 N. Orange Ave. and build in its place a 350-unit apartment complex ..."  However, it seems that the original plan to revamp the old building for offices is still on the table.  The decision is yet to be made.  I vote for the apartments.

I would like to point out a grammatical error in the article's title.  "Downtown's former AT&T Building may become new apartments" uses the word "may" which means it has permission.  It should be "might" meaning it has a chance.  That's just a personal vexation of mine.

Edited July 21, 2015 by cwetteland

[mcn11]

Anyone heard anything about the renovations at the old Valencia building at Orange and Church? With Kasa doing a great business across the street and Wahlburgers coming on across Church, this intersection has the ability to become very active. It's be nice to not have a vacant building at one of heaviest used intersections (for pedestrians) in downtown.

[HankStrong]

I would like to point out a grammatical error in the article's title.  "Downtown's former AT&T Building may become new apartments" uses the word "may" which means it has permission.  It should be "might" meaning it has a chance.  That's just a personal vexation of mine.

"Who needs editors?" - any online content publisher in 2015

 

No worries.  My personal issue is with the phrase "I could care less."  These people are on the wrong side of caring.  Simply caring LESS means they could currently care anywhere from a little to a lot and still care less.  It's impossible to identify how much you currently care and only caring less still makes the amount you care after the event impossible to identify. 

If a person couldn't care less (the correct phrase) they don't care at all because you can't care in negative numbers.

 

Edited July 22, 2015 by HankStrong

[bulldogger]

But what if I actually want to care less?  To feel like a winner, I care least.

[prahaboheme]

If the sum of caring is zero, then those who care more are positive and those who care less are negative.  In this scenario one "could care less."

[HankStrong]

But as an emotion, you can't care in the negative.

[bulldogger]

I think you can care in the negative.  For instance, what level of caring is it if I stab you.

[bic]

Please stay on topic.

[tm68]

In some encouraging news for the area around the Citrus Bowl, the Washington Shores neighborhood is on track for a 200-unit garden style mixed-income housing development.  Will be called "The Villages at West Lakes" and is near the area of Gore/Tampa.  

[smileguy]

It looks like the Old Southern Bank Building is getting a facelift -- does anyone know about this? I'd think it would need to go in front of the ARB unless it's going back to the old color scheme/signage. 

Personally, I like it white. It feels much more contemporary.

[bic]

Looks like this building lost its game of Tetris.

[JFW657]

It looks like the Old Southern Bank Building is getting a facelift -- does anyone know about this? I'd think it would need to go in front of the ARB unless it's going back to the old color scheme/signage. 

Personally, I like it white. It feels much more contemporary.

I would like to see them do some kind of mixed color scheme using various pastels, possibly in geometric patterns.

Kind of Miami-ish

Something kind of like this, maybe:

Put some Palm trees on the roof.

Edited July 25, 2015 by JFW657

[EngineerNole]

There will be plans to expand beyond the limits of I-4 Ultimate to match the I-4 Ultimate sections.  Construction for this is probably years away.  However, they plan on keeping enough room in the median south of Orlando towards Tampa for a potential future high-speed rail or other transit corridor.

Edited July 26, 2015 by EngineerNole

[AndyPok1]

There will be plans to expand beyond the limits of I-4 Ultimate to match the I-4 Ultimate sections.  Construction for this is probably years away.  However, they plan on keeping enough room in the median south of Orlando towards Tampa for a potential future high-speed rail or other transit corridor.

For those that haven't been keeping track... it currently has the horrible name of I-4 Beyond The Ultimate.  But as we know, with Trans4mation and Moving 4-Ward, early names don't always stick.  Website is here: http://www.i4express.com/

[bic]

Random thought I had as I drove through downtown the other night:

How about shutting down the portion of N Eola Drive that fronts Lake Eola Park and turning it into green space, keeping just the east sidewalk for the dwellings and business that front the street? It seems those buildings could be accessed via Summerlin anyway. This would also allow for the closure of the E Washington extension/dead-end by the park's playground.

It's not a groundbreaker by any means-- I just think that the park could benefit from expansion and there isn't a lot of room for it so why not do it while Eola Drive is fairly superfluous. A nice peaceful pedestrian lane could be created and through-traffic could be detoured through Summerlin, which is better suited for that kind of traffic. 

[demon]

Random thought I had as I drove through downtown the other night:

How about shutting down the portion of N Eola Drive that fronts Lake Eola Park and turning it into green space, keeping just the east sidewalk for the dwellings and business that front the street? It seems those buildings could be accessed via Summerlin anyway. This would also allow for the closure of the E Washington extension/dead-end by the park's playground.

It's not a groundbreaker by any means-- I just think that the park could benefit from expansion and there isn't a lot of room for it so why not do it while Eola Drive is fairly superfluous. A nice peaceful pedestrian lane could be created and through-traffic could be detoured through Summerlin, which is better suited for that kind of traffic. 

Great idea. The only potential complaint I see is the loss of street parking. 

[nite owℓ]

I'm pretty sure Spenser suggested this idea a few months ago.... I haven't seen a post from him in a while though.

[bic]

I'm pretty sure Spenser suggested this idea a few months ago.... I haven't seen a post from him in a while though.

My apologies if he did. I must have missed that post.

[HankStrong]

I suggested I-4 Ultimate 2: Electric Boogaloo

[cwetteland]

Yeah, I'm hoping the folks at the CFXway get their stuff together soon.  They've delayed (understandably with the chaos, corruptions, and nonsense the end of the OOCEA had) their 2040 Master Plan by almost 18 months at this point.  I'm sure they are tired of me asking when it will get done.

Basically "Beyond the Ultimate" is same treatment (center toll lanes) down to US 27 and up to SR 472 in Deland. Part of this will be restoration the marsh just north of the St Johns bridge.  I think I read they hoped to begin in '19, so it'll start 2 years before they finish the ultimate.

Edited July 28, 2015 by cwetteland

[prahaboheme]

Having just scanned through the Ultimate plans again, it doesn't appear that much is being done to address the "viaduct" section of I-4 that runs through downtown.  Am I missing something?  I thought there were plans considered to better utilize the space beneath I-4.

[prahaboheme]

Closure of the E. Washington extension seems like a no-brainer and quick win for increasing capacity in the park with minimal disruption to Lake Eola neighbors.  A eastern entrance to the park could be built as a replacement, with access points going north / south to improve connectivity of the park overall.