Downtown Orlando Project Discussion

[JFW657]

2 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Personally, I liked the Masonic Lodge better when it was an ABC...

Same here.

Unfortunately, during all the years I lived right around the corner from the place, just a short walk down Pine St. then a couple of blocks down Mills, I only went there once that I can remember. I always figured it was a seedy dive where one might run into trouble or get into a fight.

Same with Burton's and that basement place beneath Post Parkside or whatever it was called back in the 80's when I lived on Pine St.

Woulda been a lot more convenient for me and safer, to have done my drinking at places I could've walked to rather than all the risky driving I did.

[spenser1058]

If you’ve been missing Terror On Church Street the last few years, maybe this will be right up your alley: the latest axe-throwing venue for our hipsters is coming to 55W:

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2019/08/14/new-axe-throwing-spot-in-orlando-could-battle-epic?media=AMP+HTML

From Orlando Weekly

I have to admit It beats cigar bars *cough*

[KJHburg]

is this being talked about in Orlando a study about moving the Florida capital to "Central Florida"  to me as an outsider that would mean Orlando.  But what do I know.

https://www.thenextmiami.com/florida-could-study-moving-capital-from-tallahassee-if-newly-filed-bill-passes/

I would find this highly unlikely but who knows.  

[spenser1058]

2 hours ago, KJHburg said:

is this being talked about in Orlando a study about moving the Florida capital to "Central Florida"  to me as an outsider that would mean Orlando.  But what do I know.

https://www.thenextmiami.com/florida-could-study-moving-capital-from-tallahassee-if-newly-filed-bill-passes/

I would find this highly unlikely but who knows.  

Someone mentioned it earlier but it’s unlikely to happen. 

(1) It was proposed by a Democrat and they have been out of power in Tallahassee for 20 years;

(2) Former Governor Claude Kirk tried to move the capital to Orlando in 1968 or so. It was shot down by the Democratic- controlled legislature at the time because Orlando was Republican (as was Kirk). Now it gets shot down by the GOP who controls Tallahassee because Orlando is Democratic;

(3) By the way, the “Pork Chop Gang” that controlled Florida at the time (very conservative Democrats mostly from the Panhandle) erected a plaque in the new Capitol thanking those for their folly in trying to move the capital and resulting in the newly built monstrosity that is now our state Capitol, aka “The Erection” (due to the vertical shaft with round domes on either side);

(4) They changed it to “Central Florida “ this year to avoid the political problem so, who knows, maybe The Villages will be selected. Sarah and The Donald would like that;

(5) Most importantly, too many legislators like the capital being in a small town closer to Atlanta than Miami as it allows them to go about their business unwatched by constituents and the rapidly fading big-city press.

So, we’re not holding our breaths but it is a shame. When it was proposed in the ‘60’s, a Capitol building was envisioned along Lake Ivanhoe that would have been a beautiful sight coming into Orlando via I4 from the east.

 

 

 

Edited August 16, 2019 by spenser1058

[prahaboheme]

Is there a rendering floating around of the proposed lake Ivanhoe state capitol?

[spenser1058]

4 hours ago, prahaboheme said:

Is there a rendering floating around of the proposed lake Ivanhoe state capitol?

If there is, I’m unaware of it. The place I saw it (in the late ‘80’s) was in the collection of Tom Tart, a longtime OUC exec who was also a huge Florida history buff. So far as I know, it wasn’t official because the entire effort never progressed that far.

The idea was to make use of land OUC had in the area.

Edited August 16, 2019 by spenser1058

[smileguy]

Here's a rendering from the 2012 Orlando Weekly April Fools edition. I like how it references the region's iconic architecture while keeping the form of the current capitol. 10/10!

[dcluley98]

Foundry released CM RFP for Third & Urban 150 N Orange Ave Renovation (AECOM).  Demo would begin next month and reno begin in approximately November. About $3-5 million worth of work and new GF retail expected to open next year. 

 

[nite owℓ]

On 8/12/2019 at 10:43 PM, gibby said:

That lodge needs to go.  They need to upzone the remaining three corners to encourage some kind of positive development for that intersection.

I agree, but a little lipstick on that pig would make a big difference now. Not holding my breath for any upzoning to happen in the near future.

 

On 8/15/2019 at 11:34 AM, spenser1058 said:

Personally, I liked the Masonic Lodge better when it was an ABC...

Never knew that... Spencer's always coming through to drop obscure historical tidbits on us lol. I think I would prefer the Lodge as an ABC too; at least ABC remodels their buildings over time to modernize them.

[codypet]

6 hours ago, nite owℓ said:

Never knew that... Spencer's always coming through to drop obscure historical tidbits on us lol. I think I would prefer the Lodge as an ABC too; at least ABC remodels their buildings over time to modernize them.

I recall some movie in the 80's that had a police chase that started at the Comfort Inn (Now Vacation Lodge) at OBT and 408 and ended next to that ABC back when that ramp on Mills still existed.  IIRC the car had to jump the median barrier to end up driving in the wrong direction.

As for ABC, Curry Ford West posted a pic a few months back of Curry Ford and Crystal Lake from the 50's complete with ABC liquor on the NW corner.  Unfortunately ABC decided to permanently close that location a few months prior.   Seems like if they don't have the square footage to modernize them, rather than have a smaller location, they'd just rather shut it down.  Same goes for the location on Gore St.

[JFW657]

Duplicate post deleted.

 

Edited August 20, 2019 by JFW657

[JFW657]

3 hours ago, codypet said:

I recall some movie in the 80's that had a police chase that started at the Comfort Inn (Now Vacation Lodge) at OBT and 408 and ended next to that ABC back when that ramp on Mills still existed.  IIRC the car had to jump the median barrier to end up driving in the wrong direction.

As for ABC, Curry Ford West posted a pic a few months back of Curry Ford and Crystal Lake from the 50's complete with ABC liquor on the NW corner.  Unfortunately ABC decided to permanently close that location a few months prior.   Seems like if they don't have the square footage to modernize them, rather than have a smaller location, they'd just rather shut it down.  Same goes for the location on Gore St.

The movie was called D.A.R.Y.L. a story about some kind of computer robot boy.

Here's the exciting chase scene.

Look for glimpses of the CNA building on the East-West Expressway now known as the 408.

 

This was the house he lived in...

I watched them filming a scene there one afternoon.

[AndyPok1]

8 hours ago, codypet said:

As for ABC, Curry Ford West posted a pic a few months back of Curry Ford and Crystal Lake from the 50's complete with ABC liquor on the NW corner.  Unfortunately ABC decided to permanently close that location a few months prior.   Seems like if they don't have the square footage to modernize them, rather than have a smaller location, they'd just rather shut it down.  Same goes for the location on Gore St.

I've talked about this with numerous friends.  It really seems like ABC is having an identity crisis.  ABC's whole gimmick was, "No frills, but we're in your neighborhood, and have better prices and selection than a corner liquor mart so come shop here."  Their newer stores (like the one on Orange) are more of a, "We want to be Total Wine, but we're closing neighborhood locations in favor of bigger more central ones while having worse selection, and still being $2 more expensive."

[spenser1058]

35 minutes ago, AndyPok1 said:

I've talked about this with numerous friends.  It really seems like ABC is having an identity crisis.  ABC's whole gimmick was, "No frills, but we're in your neighborhood, and have better prices and selection than a corner liquor mart so come shop here."  Their newer stores (like the one on Orange) are more of a, "We want to be Total Wine, but we're closing neighborhood locations in favor of bigger more central ones while having worse selection, and still being $2 more expensive."

You’re right. They’ve gone back and forth on this ever since founder Jack Holloway passed the torch to the kids. 

Jack was a no-nonsense good ol’ boy and his original gimmicks were to place his stores (and the dive bars attached) just over the city limits line because OC used to be more lenient than Orlando about hours and such; the other was to name the chain “ABC” to make folks from states where the government was the only game in town for booze (Alcoholic Beverage Commission) think that was the deal in Florida. Pretty basic stuff but it worked and, especially, after buying out Jax Liquors in north Florida, it made for a pretty solid base.

The kids wanted to experiment with more sophisticated lounges (which never really took hold) and going upscale with more emphasis on wine (which did) and moving away from some of the sketchier old locations (Masonic Lodge, anyone)?

Nevertheless, a lot of folks still think of ABC as an everyday package store and they made money from that and so you see the split personality of the chain.

it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out as the next generation comes along or if they sell out altogether.

Sooner or later, Florida’s going to allow sales of liquor at the big boxes and online (Publix is currently holding the line against that). When it finally happens, the business is going to change a lot.

[jgardnerucf]

6 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Sooner or later, Florida’s going to allow sales of liquor at the big boxes and online

Shipt has been liqouring for years now.  And animal kingdom Target has full liqour since last year. And a growler bar!

[spenser1058]

7 hours ago, jgardnerucf said:

Shipt has been liqouring for years now.  And animal kingdom Target has full liqour since last year. And a growler bar!

In Florida, you can have it delivered but only wine can be shipped. To sell liquor, there must be a separate entrance. It cannot be sold in the same store like beer and wine is.

[codypet]

Which is why buying liquor at BJ's is hilarious because it literally is in the same store with a chain link fence separating it.  Or Walgreen's which has a separate entrance in the loosest sense of the word.

[spenser1058]

6 minutes ago, codypet said:

Which is why buying liquor at BJ's is hilarious because it literally is in the same store with a chain link fence separating it.  Or Walgreen's which has a separate entrance in the loosest sense of the word.

It’s a stupid law and Hank won’t let me tell you which party is propping it up but I bet you can guess.

[spenser1058]

See? Shrinking towers were a curse in the olden days, too!

[Urban25]

It’s not even funny anymore smh 

[JFW657]

1 hour ago, spenser1058 said:

See? Shrinking towers were a curse in the olden days, too!

I wonder if it was going to be wider, too.

Or if it was just going to be a very narrow 10 story tower.

We may have never had the Pipe and Pouch if it had gone both up and out.

 

[AmIReal]

I went to check out the City map of downtown developments to see if it had been updated with CSP2 and DXV (it hasn't). I noted the project at Orange and Amelia (#45) is named the 500. I guess that was common knowledge, but not to me. 

I'm also not sure how complete the list is as they list some rehabs such as the Marriott and Citrus Center, but not the Sun Trust building or John Morgan building (whatever its called).

Anyway, the map that is listed below is different than the map I downloaded last week (dated August 2019), but now I can not find a link to the map I downloaded.

This is the link online and here is what is listed as in process; https://gis.orlando.gov/PDF_Docs/DowntownCRAMaps/DowntownProjects.pdf

Elan Residences and M15 Ray Multifamily (not on Aug map)

CV Parcel U

The 500

409 N. Magnolia

Golden Sparrow

Zoi House

Magnolia mixed use

Eola Park Center renovations (not on Aug map)

Cambria Suites

Sports Entertainment District (not called Magic Entertainment Center)

Parramore Oaks II

These are the ones on the downloaded map that are not online

CV Modera

Orange Robinson Apartments

Orlando Health Corporate

Vertical Medical City (oh yes it is)

If I can relocate the link to the updated map I downloaded I will post it. Also, it would be great if the City had a City wide map like this and not just the core area.

[AmIReal]

Update. Found the link on the downtown Orlando site.

http://www.downtownorlando.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Project-Maps-August-2019.pdf

 

[codypet]

That chiller line route is interesting.  Up Rosalind, left on Washington for a block then up palmetto then left on Jefferson again.

[nite owℓ]

44 minutes ago, codypet said:

That chiller line route is interesting.  Up Rosalind, left on Washington for a block then up palmetto then left on Jefferson again.

I wonder if it's because they only run lines to buildings that use the service rather than pre-install lines for future development? Having seen that, it will be interesting to see if the new hotels in the area hook up to OUC's chilled water, build their own chillers or use traditional HVAC. I always thought OUC's chilled water would eventually become as commonplace as NYC's steam system, but I guess not.

Edited September 9, 2019 by nite owℓ