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Downtown Orlando Project Discussion


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I love when good, unexpected things happen.

Regions Bank Tower sold yesterday and it appears to be a record price of $275/ ft. It is a JV of one of the current owners and a Miami based capital firm. 

"It's a game changer for downtown Orlando," said Jeff Patterson, Orlando market director with Columbus, Ohio-based Equity Construction Solutions Inc., who was not involved in the deal. "The new buyer is very bullish on downtown."

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2019/12/19/orlando-tower-fetches-67-8m-in-game-changerdeal.html?iana=hpmvp_orl_news_headline

 

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A courtyard event space for City Arts Orlando will be added next to the Rogers Kiene Building on Magnolia.

https://www.thedailycity.com/post/new-downtown-courtyard-event-space-coming-to-rogers-kiene-building

From The Daily City

Filling in the empty lot will definitely enhance the exterior of downtown’s oldest building and help to make the street more welcoming to pedestrians. At the moment, that stretch has a bit of a neglected look.

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2 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

A courtyard event space for City Arts Orlando will be added next to the Rogers Kiene Building on Magnolia.

https://www.thedailycity.com/post/new-downtown-courtyard-event-space-coming-to-rogers-kiene-building

From The Daily City

Filling in the empty lot will definitely enhance the exterior of downtown’s oldest building and help to make the street more welcoming to pedestrians. At the moment, that stretch has a bit of a neglected look.

They could really do something nice there.

I'd like to see some type of arched entryway sign similar to Wall St Plaza.

Cover the concrete with brick or stone pavers, maybe.

Some kind of high screen wall along the back to hide the parking garage, too.

6910a6_a4454c4c2fb24986b005f43b0a4a068c~

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11 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Can the connection between downtown and Parramore wait another two years until I4 Ultimate and UnderI are finished?

The Orlando Opinion says no:

http://orlandoopinion.com/i4-corridor/orlando-leaders-must-improve-hideous-approach-to-amway-center-and-exploria-stadium-caused-by-ultimate-i4-construction/

Meh... handwringing over nothing. While I have already said it is detrimental I don't think it warrants any concern. I'm sure our visitors can recognize that a major construction project is underway and deal with the trauma of that 100 yards.

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25 minutes ago, AmIReal said:

Meh... handwringing over nothing. While I have already said it is detrimental I don't think it warrants any concern. I'm sure our visitors can recognize that a major construction project is underway and deal with the trauma of that 100 yards.

Has anyone been to Disney lately?  The entrances are complete construction zones at all the parks and the Ticket/Transportation Center.   Terrible first and last impressions for every visitor possibly for their entire trip.

Sometimes you gotta so what you gotta do. The only difference here is this plea plays to our insecurities about downtown.   

It will be fine.  Hope the Cure Bowl fan enjoyed the rest of their time here.

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On 12/22/2019 at 9:36 PM, spenser1058 said:

Can the connection between downtown and Parramore wait another two years until I4 Ultimate and UnderI are finished?

The Orlando Opinion says no:

http://orlandoopinion.com/i4-corridor/orlando-leaders-must-improve-hideous-approach-to-amway-center-and-exploria-stadium-caused-by-ultimate-i4-construction/

That might be the dumbest article I've seen.  I've been to dozens upon dozens of events where the surrounding area was under construction.  Hell, my one visit to MSG was in 2011 when they were in the middle of a 3 year redo.  Extremely common.

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On 12/26/2019 at 10:44 AM, AndyPok1 said:

That might be the dumbest article I've seen.  I've been to dozens upon dozens of events where the surrounding area was under construction.  Hell, my one visit to MSG was in 2011 when they were in the middle of a 3 year redo.  Extremely common.

The sarcastic comments of the woman quoted is pretty funny 

“Wow, this is pretty.” the lady said sarcastically, as her family walked underneath I4 on their way to watch the Cure Bowl at Exploria Stadium.

I lived in a building in NY that had scaffolding on it for 3 years. These are city problems and Orlando is lucky to even have the construction in the first place, lol.

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Orlando leaders must improve hideous approach to Amway Center and Exploria Stadium caused by Ultimate I-4 construction

Yeah, I think that would fall under the heading of "completing the project according to the proposed timeline".

Something that, barring any unexpected major delays, will happen anyway, Captain Obvious.

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The funny part is that the rebricking of downtown had little to do with “traffic calming”. As downtown came back in the early ‘80’s and we were trying to embrace the historic core, it seemed a fun idea. It fit Mayor Bill’s aesthetic vision. Then the Junior League ladies (including Mayor Glenda) got carried away.

Major streets like Summerlin never should have been taken back to brick, especially since Summerlin has been overtaxed both by the demise of the grid connections with Delaney Park (thanks to the E-W) and the botched rerouting of Rosalind and Delaney.

it was even worse once downtown began to achieve its goal of being more and more popular.

The whole “traffic calming” thing, although sure it slowed people down (heck, dirt streets would do an even better job of that - let’s turn into Windermere!, who, btw, didn’t do that to their main roads).

No, it was mostly about Mayor Buddy blowing the budget to pay for the venues just as we headed into the recession and putting lipstick on a pig as to why the city’s streets were accordingly falling apart.

Buddy’s never been a detail guy and cares even less about neighborhoods so here we are.

Side streets are wonderful with brick. Main roads tasked with carrying more traffic than they were ever designed for are not.

Edited by spenser1058
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47 minutes ago, codypet said:

^Truth.  Look at Marks St between Highland and Mills as to what happens when you overtax a brick street.

You’re right, it is horrible also (it is I think worse than the stretch of Summerlin by Howard). I have to deal with it every few weeks when I get a haircut. My condolences to the LHPS soccer moms that have to travel along there twice a day 180 days/year ferrying their kids.

Another nightmare is Mills (I believe it’s actually Brown Ave. on that stretch) northbound from South St. to Robinson (and it’s a freakin’ state road - SR 15 -that the city somehow convinced FDOT to allow them to decimate).

Long-timers among us can recall, as Dale has often pointed out, that Orlando always had well-maintained streets. That changed significantly in the reign of Buddy.

We might add it’s not only the brick streets. Delaney Ave. between about Briercliff down to Kaley is a miasma of patched potholes that should have been resurfaced years ago. I often have pondered if Buddy has a side deal going with the alignment shops - those of us who live downtown are paying a fortune for them.

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So, we're no longer interested in slowing traffic down to create walkability and pedestrian friendly neighborhoods?

Seems to me, that if we want to slow traffic down on a major commercial thoroughfare like Rosalind, we wouldn't want to speed it up on residential streets like Summerlin, Mills and Delaney.

On the contrary,  I'd think slowing traffic down on those streets would be an even bigger concern.

Accomplishing it with bumpy brick streets seems like as good a way as any, I think.

Anythings better than those consarned speed humps.

Back in the 80's I was living on E. Pine right off of Summerlin when they redid both and put in all new drainage and sewer pipes, etc.

I talked to some of the guys working out in front of my building while they were re-laying the old bricks as they were finishing it all up. I was told that some of the bricks were intentionally made a fraction of an inch higher than the others and were placed randomly throughout the streets, for the specific purpose of making the ride bumpier and causing people to drive slower.

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There are plenty of ways to slow traffic without destroying vehicles and knocking out the fillings in your teeth to do it. Otherwise, let’s just save money and not pave any roads - it’s the ultimate “traffic calmer”!

Speed limits do it. 4-way stops do it (I welcomed those on Central and have practically begged for one at Summerlin and Washington). Let’s not pretend a failure  to maintain streets because of poor budgeting is a feature, not a bug. DC may  do so these days, but local government need not “repaint the barn” like Orwell’s “Animal Farm”.

 

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Certainly the brick streets could be better maintained, but a lack of maintenance and keeping them brick, are two separate issues.

Keep the brick, but do a better job of keeping up with repairing the bad spots where the bricks have sunken in. 

As for speed limits, half the people I see ignore them anyway. Stop signs? They'd need one on almost every cross street to slow down the lead foots and having to constantly stop and go is IMO, worse than a slightly bumpy ride.

I never had a problem with those bumpy brick streets when I lived downtown because I always drove over them slowly which also enabled me to better avoid those bad spots that can damage cars.

And they weren't any better maintained back then than they are now.

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13 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

We might add it’s not only the brick streets. Delaney Ave. between about Briercliff down to Kaley is a miasma of patched potholes that should have been resurfaced years ago. I often have pondered if Buddy has a side deal going with the alignment shops - those of us who live downtown are paying a fortune for them.

So not for nothing, but I have received positive feedback from the city streets and stormwater division about making low cost improvements when they're needed.  Earlier this year the pavement markings along Bumby from Gore to Anderson had worn off and I had emailed the city that it posed a safety threat since a. ) you couldn't tell which lane you were supposed to be in, b.) there are bike lanes that were being used as queing areas when the light caused backups on Bumby. and c.) there was now nothing on Lk Como Cir that told you it was one way (two approaches didn't even have one way signage).  I got a response from the city that they added it to their 2019/2020 list of things to fix and by last month they had added signs and painted so many markings on Bumby I assume the painter got paid by the gallon.

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On 12/29/2019 at 10:26 PM, JFW657 said:

I never had a problem with those bumpy brick streets when I lived downtown because I always drove over them slowly which also enabled me to better avoid those bad spots that can damage cars.

As somebody who owns only cars and no SUVs or trucks, I too slow down on all the brick roads as a car suspension simply can't handle going faster without damage. Usually when this happens I get a huge lifted truck behind me 2 feet from my bumper trying to bully me to go faster. This causes road rage, one day I will snap when somebody does this....

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3 minutes ago, Jvest55 said:

As somebody who owns only cars and no SUVs or trucks, I too slow down on all the brick roads as a car suspension simply can't handle going faster without damage. Usually when this happens I get a huge lifted truck behind me 2 feet from my bumper trying to bully me to go faster. This causes road rage, one day I will snap when somebody does this....

The best thing to do with those guys is find a place to pull as far to the right as you can get, put your arm out the window and wave them past.

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21 hours ago, Jvest55 said:

As somebody who owns only cars and no SUVs or trucks, I too slow down on all the brick roads as a car suspension simply can't handle going faster without damage. Usually when this happens I get a huge lifted truck behind me 2 feet from my bumper trying to bully me to go faster. This causes road rage, one day I will snap when somebody does this....

Sorry!  That was me.  My bad.

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Charlotte has used some speed tables which elevate the intersection of a non signalized intersection to slow traffic. One time you might go over fast but the next time you will slow down LOL. 

Plus NC is putting up little traffic circles everywhere in the city, the suburbs, at end of interstate off ramps and also out in the countryside to slow traffic down.

Let me know where this brick street and I will drive my truck over it later in the month LOL when I visit the City Beautiful.  My winter vacation in the I-4 corridor cities. 

Please tell me I-4 through downtown Orlando is done please. 

Edited by KJHburg
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1 minute ago, KJHburg said:

Charlotte has used some speed tables which elevate the intersection of a non signalized intersection to slow traffic. One time you might go over fast but the next time you will slow down LOL. 

Plus NC is putting up little traffic circles everywhere in the city, the suburbs, at end of interstate off ramps and also out in the countryside to slow traffic down.

Let me know where this brick street and I will drive my truck over it later in the month LOL when I visit the City Beautiful.  My winter vacation in the I-4 corridor cities. 

Please tell me I-4 through downtown Orlando is done please. 

Sadly, it’s probably more messed up now than your last visit. Prepare for pain but we’ll be glad to have you back with us!

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Just now, spenser1058 said:

Sadly, it’s probably more messed up now than your last visit. Prepare for pain but we’ll be glad to have you back with us!

well when I am stopped in traffic I will be taking photos like a foreign tourist.  Expect photo overload when I roll into town. 

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