Downtown Orlando Project Discussion

[Jerry95]

1 hour ago, spenser1058 said:

Y’all should just move to Maitland Center and be happy in your Stepford wonderland. Or maybe Lake Mary.

Ironic that this building would be better suited in either of those locations. All of the surface parking and a two storey building? It's time to say goodbye. 

[spenser1058]

36 minutes ago, Jerry95 said:

Ironic that this building would be better suited in either of those locations. All of the surface parking and a two storey building? It's time to say goodbye. 

We’re only suggesting keeping the newsroom - the parking lot, the former printing press room and loading dock may all be removed. As to the building, much of the exterior (not unlike what happened to St James Cathedral - folks were amazed how beautiful it is once taken back to its original ‘50’s appearance) got “blanded” to death sometime in the late ‘70’s - early ‘80’s and a restoration would remove all that.

Therein lies the problem- the bulldozer crowd is so anxious to run the Caterpillar and start building yet another Baker Barrios monstrosity (or, in this case, even worse, a stucco-on-plywood apartment complex or big box ) that they neglect to look at how interesting the original structure was. Remember this building was erected by an entrepreneur who deeply cared about the business he was moving in there (heck, his office was in the building for 25 years). It was built with a lot more caring than the dreck that will be built by some out-of-towner (as may be seen in the mural that got covered up after the Chicago crowd took over).

Edited November 3, 2020 by spenser1058

[elefants]

C'mon Orlando.  Step up and buy the property.  Integrate the newsroom into the new art museum you're building downtown.

[nite owℓ]

I thought the old OPD station was quite nice and actually worth saving. The Orlando Sentinel building is a non-contributing structure and has no redeeming qualities IMO. Not every old thing needs to be saved @spenser1058. It's not a historic building like the Chicago Tribune or even close to the Miami Herald building. I'd rather see a more pedestrian-friendly development with a better streetwall take it's place.

Using your logic, in another 50 years I'd expect you to start fawning over Solaire at the Plaza just because it's old. Ridiculous.

3 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Y’all should just move to Maitland Center and be happy in your Stepford wonderland. Or maybe Lake Mary.

Winter Park is more my speed... historic & classy.

Edited November 3, 2020 by nite owℓ

[Uncommon]

3 hours ago, elefants said:

C'mon Orlando.  Step up and buy the property.  Integrate the newsroom into the new art museum you're building downtown.

Which museum is that?

[elefants]

2 minutes ago, Uncommon said:

Which museum is that?

OMA.  I'm being a little ambitious here if I'm honest, nothing is for sure.

[dcluley98]

Save the Clock. 

Raze the rest

 

[spenser1058]

Maki Hibachi, an upscale Japanese eatery, will open in the self-storage building at Colonial Dr and Magnolia:

https://m.orlandoweekly.com/orlando/maki-hibachi-the-swish-lake-nona-japanese-joint-will-open-a-location-in-a-mills-50-storage-center/Content?oid=28226435

From Orlando Weekly 

[spenser1058]

On 11/3/2020 at 4:51 PM, nite owℓ said:

I thought the old OPD station was quite nice and actually worth saving. The Orlando Sentinel building is a non-contributing structure and has no redeeming qualities IMO. Not every old thing needs to be saved @spenser1058. It's not a historic building like the Chicago Tribune or even close to the Miami Herald building. I'd rather see a more pedestrian-friendly development with a better streetwall take it's place.

Using your logic, in another 50 years I'd expect you to start fawning over Solaire at the Plaza just because it's old. Ridiculous.

Winter Park is more my speed... historic & classy.

A building is significant not only because of its architecture but also its use. For decades , the publisher of the Sentinel was one of those responsible for just about every important postwar milestone (both good and bad) that led Orlando to become a major city. And he didn’t just move into the building one day after picking up the keys - he was a part of its development. The building itself was quite attractive before it was Carterized and could be again.

As to the Municipal Justice Building, it was obsolete almost from the day it opened. I think we made a wise choice in choosing to preserve the old OUC building as the example of that era, along with OPL. Had there been any attempt to save it (OPD, especially, had wanted out of there forever), I would have welcomed that discussion but it never took place. Nevertheless, it never played the role in the city that Andersen’s Sentinel building did. I suppose you could make the case it was a perfect example of just how inept the Langford administration often was.

As to Winter Park, I’ll readily agree they’ve generally done a better job of preserving their traditions and heritage of the downtown than the mayor of Orlando is doing.

Edited November 4, 2020 by spenser1058

[jgardnerucf]

5 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Winter Park is more my speed...

Lol, worst traffic ever!

[codypet]

On 11/4/2020 at 5:16 PM, spenser1058 said:

A building is significant not only because of its architecture but also its use. For decades , the publisher of the Sentinel was one of those responsible for just about every important postwar milestone (both good and bad) that led Orlando to become a major city. And he didn’t just move into the building one day after picking up the keys - he was a part of its development. The building itself was quite attractive before it was Carterized and could be again.

As to the Municipal Justice Building, it was obsolete almost from the day it opened. I think we made a wise choice in choosing to preserve the old OUC building as the example of that era, along with OPL. Had there been any attempt to save it (OPD, especially, had wanted out of there forever), I would have welcomed that discussion but it never took place. Nevertheless, it never played the role in the city that Andersen’s Sentinel building did. I suppose you could make the case it was a perfect example of just how inept the Langford administration often was.

As to Winter Park, I’ll readily agree they’ve generally done a better job of preserving their traditions and heritage of the downtown than the mayor of Orlando is doing.

You bring up an interesting point because I love what Aloft did to OUC.

[jack]

On 11/4/2020 at 5:16 PM, spenser1058 said:

A building is significant not only because of its architecture but also its use. For decades , the publisher of the Sentinel was one of those responsible for just about every important postwar milestone (both good and bad) that led Orlando to become a major city. And he didn’t just move into the building one day after picking up the keys - he was a part of its development. The building itself was quite attractive before it was Carterized and could be again.

As to the Municipal Justice Building, it was obsolete almost from the day it opened. I think we made a wise choice in choosing to preserve the old OUC building as the example of that era, along with OPL. Had there been any attempt to save it (OPD, especially, had wanted out of there forever), I would have welcomed that discussion but it never took place. Nevertheless, it never played the role in the city that Andersen’s Sentinel building did. I suppose you could make the case it was a perfect example of just how inept the Langford administration often was.

As to Winter Park, I’ll readily agree they’ve generally done a better job of preserving their traditions and heritage of the downtown than the mayor of Orlando is doing.

You probably think I want to tear everything down but I wish we kept OPD headquarters and not just because of the Magic failing to move forward so far. I thought it was interesting. Same with fire station 1 and and the round building. 

The library is my favorite building downtown. That and 1 n orange. 

I don't care for the buildings on the Sentinel site. 

[spenser1058]

The Center State/ Morgan & Morgan (“For the Stoners “) building is up for sale again.

The next time someone suggests the mayor of the city has no way to affect the buildings constructed downtown, refer them to this one.

Originally constructed in 1983 for Atlantic Bank, it was a clone with variations across Florida. Then Mayor Bill Frederick used his influence to convince the developers to set the tower at an angle, the only one in the state to do so. In that way, he felt it would reduce the cookie-corner quality of the frequently reproduced design and make downtown a little more interesting.

Someday, we’ll have a mayor again that takes that kind of interest in what’s happening to what should be the city’s flagship area.

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2020/11/09/20-north-orange-downtown-orlando-tower-for-sale.html

From OBJ

 

[orange87]

[spenser1058]

6 minutes ago, orange87 said:

It’s interesting to ponder that as first-tier cities like BOS, SEA and SFO have been dismantling towering highways that cut through their downtowns, we’re going in the other direction.

[Jerry95]

2 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

It’s interesting to ponder that as first-tier cities like BOS, SEA and SFO have been dismantling towering highways that cut through their downtowns, we’re going in the other direction.

To be fair, they’re burying them. The traffic is still there. But man, what a barrier between Paramore Oaks and the CBD

[spenser1058]

Just now, Jerry95 said:

To be fair, they’re burying them. The traffic is still there. But man, what a barrier between Paramore Oaks and the CBD

Good point!

[orange87]

2 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

It’s interesting to ponder that as first-tier cities like BOS, SEA and SFO have been dismantling towering highways that cut through their downtowns, we’re going in the other direction.

I don't know. I kind of think the extremely complex looking highway looks pretty cool. Underground highways seem like a much better use of space, but you'd lose the views of downtown when you're driving. Also, isn't it way more expensive to have everything underground?

2 minutes ago, Jerry95 said:

To be fair, they’re burying them. The traffic is still there. But man, what a barrier between Paramore Oaks and the CBD

And the gentrification of Paramore continues.

[spenser1058]

8 minutes ago, orange87 said:

I don't know. I kind of think the extremely complex looking highway looks pretty cool. Underground highways seem like a much better use of space, but you'd lose the views of downtown when you're driving. Also, isn't it way more expensive to have everything underground?

And the gentrification of Paramore continues.

Building underground would be more expensive, although even small cities like Mobile have done it in the past (no doubt with the feds probably paying 90% of the cost).

As to the gentrification of Parramore, building big complexes like that are done more to enrich land bankers and developers than to improve the community, which Jane Jacobs pointed out way back in the ‘60’s. Which, of course, is why as a community Parramore is no better off today than it was in 2003. But I’m sure after another 18 years, Buddy will have everything all fixed up!

[prahaboheme]

The  difference is that Orlando doesn't have now, and likely ever will, a Tip O'Neill and Ted Kennedy to pull off a "big dig."

[spenser1058]

10 minutes ago, prahaboheme said:

The  difference is that Orlando doesn't have now, and likely ever will, a Tip O'Neill and Ted Kennedy to pull off a "big dig."

But we had Bill McCollum, who saved our Navy Base! Oh wait...

We did, of course, have Bill Clinton, who tried his darndest to give us light rail, but the Republicans on the county commission simply weren’t having it. Oh well, Charlotte certainly made good use of those hundreds of millions of dollars.

[Urban Mail Carrier]

They sure did!!!

[jack]

16 hours ago, orange87 said:

I don't know. I kind of think the extremely complex looking highway looks pretty cool. Underground highways seem like a much better use of space, but you'd lose the views of downtown when you're driving. Also, isn't it way more expensive to have everything underground?

And the gentrification of Paramore continues.

Parramore Oaks is affordable housing. 

There is no gentrification in Parramore. 

[AndyPok1]

Also, the teardown of the old 408 trumpet feeder ramps is arguably more important than direct "barrier" to the CBD.  Parramore and Westmoreland are good "major neighborhood" streets.  Similar to Delaney in SoDo.  And they lead you right to Church St. ... Once Under I is built, it'd be an enjoyable walk.

[AmIReal]

1 hour ago, AndyPok1 said:

Also, the teardown of the old 408 trumpet feeder ramps is arguably more important than direct "barrier" to the CBD.  Parramore and Westmoreland are good "major neighborhood" streets.  Similar to Delaney in SoDo.  And they lead you right to Church St. ... Once Under I is built, it'd be an enjoyable walk.

Agreed.

https://www.wftv.com/news/orlando-construction-project-aims-reconnect-divided-parramore-community/NWY4EEJNF5F2LI5DTNFT6LIKWM/