Downtown Orlando Project Discussion

[jack]

31 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

I think we should tear down the library too but @prahabohememay want to move in as his new residence here at Lake Buddy Mary!

I think most people would want the library gone if you surveyed this city's residents. It is rare that I meet someone that enjoys that building as much as I do. 

2 hours ago, AmIReal said:

Anyone have a spare $10M laying around. The historic OUC building on Lake Ivanhoe is going on the market.

https://www.growthspotter.com/news/downtown-orlando-developments/gs-news-ivanhoe-building-20210615-fmmrqgkr3vbkrhh7wy7zmyjzhu-story.html

Before @spenser1058 goes apoplectic...  "The historic landmark designation creates additional layers of regulation on the property. Any changes to the building or the site would need approval from the city’s Historic Preservation Board."

I tried to buy it five years ago and was told flat out no. They were going to open it back up as a substation or power plant. 

54 minutes ago, popsiclebrandon said:

Market hall with condos/offices upstairs.

Probably one of the better uses. 

[nite owℓ]

2 hours ago, jack said:

I think most people would want the library gone if you surveyed this city's residents. It is rare that I meet someone that enjoys that building as much as I do.

I love the library too. The Brutalist architecture is unique for the area and the interior layout is well planned (I think it's usefulness has aged well). It has such a calming ambiance too.

Moving from NY to FL as a child was kind of a culture shock for me. In NY, we went to old historic schools with large auditoriums, performing Broadway plays, singing songs like "This Land is your Land" etc. Meanwhile in FL... I went to schools with portables, the auditorium was in the cafeteria and we were being taught "boot scoot boogie" line dance (no offense to anyone, and I do love country folk). Anyway, going to the library as a child always made me feel like I was back in the big city which I found comforting... the soul of the building feels much older than what it is.

Edited June 15, 2021 by nite owℓ

[jliv]

2 hours ago, nite owℓ said:

I love the library too. The Brutalist architecture is unique for the area and the interior layout is well planned (I think it's usefulness has aged well). It has such a calming ambiance too.

Moving from NY to FL as a child was kind of a culture shock for me. In NY, we went to old historic schools with large auditoriums, performing Broadway plays, singing songs like "This Land is your Land" etc. Meanwhile in FL... I went to schools with portables, the auditorium was in the cafeteria and we were being taught "boot scoot boogie" line dance (no offense to anyone, and I do love country folk). Anyway, going to the library as a child always made me feel like I was back in the big city which I found comforting... the soul of the building feels much older than what it is.

I have so many memories of that building.  It's something quite special and unique in Orlando; I hope someday it gets registered in the National Register of Historic Places.  Quick London fact:  Ian Fleming hated the Brutalist architecture popping up in council hi-rises around London in the 1960's so much he named a Bond villian after one of its most famous architects: Ernő Goldfinger.  Here's an example of the Goldfinger aesthetic:  

Edited June 15, 2021 by jliv

[prahaboheme]

My love for brutalist architecture is no secret.

I’ll go as far to say that Orlando’s brutalist library is one of our most important buildings. It is also an incredibly attractive brutalist structure for a movement that had a lot of misses. 
The polished concrete interior staircase is elegant, refined and calming (as stated already). 
I think concrete / brutalist in general against a semi-tropical backdrop provides an attractive contrast.

Happy to see Winter Park keeping the tradition alive with their new library and surroundings.

Edited June 15, 2021 by prahaboheme

[prahaboheme]

5 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

I think we should tear down the library too but @prahabohememay want to move in as his new residence here at Lake Buddy Mary!

If I could afford a contemporary concrete / neo-brutalist house I would have already built it!

[codypet]

14 hours ago, jliv said:

I have so many memories of that building.  It's something quite special and unique in Orlando; I hope someday it gets registered in the National Register of Historic Places.  Quick London fact:  Ian Fleming hated the Brutalist architecture popping up in council hi-rises around London in the 1960's so much he named a Bond villian after one of its most famous architects: Ernő Goldfinger.  Here's an example of the Goldfinger aesthetic:  

Looks like the old UCF Colbourn hall

[nite owℓ]

20 hours ago, jack said:

I tried to buy it five years ago and was told flat out no. They were going to open it back up as a substation or power plant.

BTW, what were your plans for the OUC building at the time?

[jack]

1 hour ago, nite owℓ said:

BTW, what were your plans for the OUC building at the time?

Residential with a market type retail on the ground floor. I did not have any plans drawn up but I knew parking would be an issue.  

[nite owℓ]

18 minutes ago, jack said:

Residential with a market type retail on the ground floor. I did not have any plans drawn up but I knew parking would be an issue.  

That would've been cool. The lack of on-street parking makes it difficult. I envision lofts similar to China Glass Warehouse for the upper portion, but not too many units to avoid crowding the parking lot. I suppose it would be challenging to make the numbers work when you take into account the costs of remediation, renovation and leasing/sales.

I remember the Metropolitan at Lake Eola (FKA Harley/Sheraton hotel) was sold to the developer for like $6M to be converted into condos. OUC's former HQ on Orange Ave sold for under $3M to be converted into ALOFT hotel. Granted those are old sales figures, but even asking $6M for the Ivanhoe OUC Building would be too much considering all the issues a developer has to deal with.

[codypet]

@jack Kinda reminded me of the Cotton Mill in Raleigh with retail

[jack]

8 hours ago, nite owℓ said:

That would've been cool. The lack of on-street parking makes it difficult. I envision lofts similar to China Glass Warehouse for the upper portion, but not too many units to avoid crowding the parking lot. I suppose it would be challenging to make the numbers work when you take into account the costs of remediation, renovation and leasing/sales.

I remember the Metropolitan at Lake Eola (FKA Harley/Sheraton hotel) was sold to the developer for like $6M to be converted into condos. OUC's former HQ on Orange Ave sold for under $3M to be converted into ALOFT hotel. Granted those are old sales figures, but even asking $6M for the Ivanhoe OUC Building would be too much considering all the issues a developer has to deal with.

It was partly the market at the time but the OUC headquarters building took forever to sell. And the price had to be low enough to account for all of the interior work that had to take place. 

Unfortunately, the land is worth more than the building so OUC needs to be realistic as to what they can sell it for. No one (hopefully) will knock it down but you know that interior is a mess. 

7 hours ago, codypet said:

@jack Kinda reminded me of the Cotton Mill in Raleigh with retail

North Carolina has some cool old textile and tobacco warehouses that have been converted. 

[jgardnerucf]

25 minutes ago, jack said:

North Carolina has some cool old textile and tobacco warehouses that have been converted. 

Mooresville NC has a great one in that. Giant antique mall, brewery, restaurants. A delight indeed.

[prahaboheme]

59 minutes ago, jack said:

It was partly the market at the time but the OUC headquarters building took forever to sell. And the price had to be low enough to account for all of the interior work that had to take place. 

Unfortunately, the land is worth more than the building so OUC needs to be realistic as to what they can sell it for. No one (hopefully) will knock it down but you know that interior is a mess. 

North Carolina has some cool old textile and tobacco warehouses that have been converted. 

A TimeOut Market in that location would be really nice. But as you've said, parking would be a major issue and probably would not make that a viable option.

[codypet]

11 hours ago, jack said:

It was partly the market at the time but the OUC headquarters building took forever to sell. And the price had to be low enough to account for all of the interior work that had to take place. 

Unfortunately, the land is worth more than the building so OUC needs to be realistic as to what they can sell it for. No one (hopefully) will knock it down but you know that interior is a mess. 

North Carolina has some cool old textile and tobacco warehouses that have been converted. 

Half of Durham

[jliv]

18 hours ago, prahaboheme said:

A TimeOut Market in that location would be really nice. But as you've said, parking would be a major issue and probably would not make that a viable option.

A large public market is a great idea for Orlando.  One of those really cool things in other cool cities which Orlando lacks (East End Market doesn't count because it's tiny).  The vendors would need to be carefully selected so you don't wind up with a bunch of tat vendors, like I saw at Plant Street Market in Winter Garden when I visited.  One cool thing they do at some of the TimeOut markets is the cooking school.  The cooking school gets a good mix of tourists watching the demonstrations and local corporations sending their employees for team-building events during the week.  

I think parking would be a problem for any new development in Ivanhoe Village.  Nothing a city-owned parking deck wouldn't solve.  A repurposed, renovated OUC building with a parking deck would be a steroid injection into an area ripe for walkable retail/restaurant/entertainment-type development as an alternative to Winter Park, without the dentists in Gucci loafers parading around like they're in the Cote d'Azur (that was my Winter Park slam, but so true).%3CmxGraphModel%3E%3Croot%3E%3CmxCell%20id%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3CmxCell%20id%3D%221%22%20parent%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3CmxCell%20id%3D%222%22%20value%3D%22%22%20style%3D%22rounded%3D1%3BwhiteSpace%3Dwrap%3Bhtml%3D1%3B%22%20vertex%3D%221%22%20parent%3D%221%22%3E%3CmxGeometry%20x%3D%22240%22%20y%3D%22280%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22320%22%20as%3D%22geometry%22%2F%3E%3C%2FmxCell%3E%3C%2Froot%3E%3C%2FmxGraphModel%3E

Edited June 17, 2021 by jliv

[jgardnerucf]

5 hours ago, jliv said:

parking would be a problem for any new development in Ivanhoe Village.

Ain't no Preps parking in the senior parking lot on weekends, just sayin'.

[dcluley98]

Weren't they talking about making another SR stop there too at one point? 

[orlandocity87]

10 hours ago, jgardnerucf said:

Ain't no Preps parking in the senior parking lot on weekends, just sayin'.

Do they tow in that lot? I have friends in NORA and parking has gotten increasingly hard to find with Reyes and others back in full swing, even on a weekday. Even the strip of parking on Magnolia went from completely empty to mostly full over the past month or so. 

16 hours ago, jliv said:

I think parking would be a problem for any new development in Ivanhoe Village.  Nothing a city-owned parking deck wouldn't solve.  %3CmxGraphModel%3E%3Croot%3E%3CmxCell%20id%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3CmxCell%20id%3D%221%22%20parent%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3CmxCell%20id%3D%222%22%20value%3D%22%22%20style%3D%22rounded%3D1%3BwhiteSpace%3Dwrap%3Bhtml%3D1%3B%22%20vertex%3D%221%22%20parent%3D%221%22%3E%3CmxGeometry%20x%3D%22240%22%20y%3D%22280%22%20width%3D%22200%22%20height%3D%22320%22%20as%3D%22geometry%22%2F%3E%3C%2FmxCell%3E%3C%2Froot%3E%3C%2FmxGraphModel%3E

 Would also love to see the Lymmo Expansion - North come to fruition, but I haven't heard anything about that in years. 

[spenser1058]

* ponders whether with that bold new MAA PARKSIDE sign we can look forward to a stunning new Pop Parlour sign also*

[nite owℓ]

On 6/15/2021 at 5:33 PM, jliv said:

I have so many memories of that building.  It's something quite special and unique in Orlando; I hope someday it gets registered in the National Register of Historic Places.  Quick London fact:  Ian Fleming hated the Brutalist architecture popping up in council hi-rises around London in the 1960's so much he named a Bond villian after one of its most famous architects: Ernő Goldfinger.  Here's an example of the Goldfinger aesthetic:  

That one isn't my cup of tea although there are elements that I like. RE: Bond villan, I'm more familiar with the Austin Powers parody "Goldmember" lol.

Edited June 22, 2021 by nite owℓ

[JFW657]

I'd love to see a more modern looking glass and precast panel version of that London building here in DTO.  

Same detached exterior elevator shaft connected by foot bridges, etc.

[orange87]

I had an idea. Since there's been talk of having two art museums in Orlando, why not keep the current one in Loch Haven as a traditional art museum and continue to call it The Orlando Museum of Art? And make the second one, which would probably be near DPCPA, a modern art museum and call it the Orlando Museum of Modern Art? Thoughts?

[spenser1058]

I think it would be an excellent idea. I do wonder if OMA has upped their fund-raising prowess, though. They always seem to have these grand plans but not much ever comes of them.

Just my own preference but I’d rather see any new facility go over at Creative Village. Who knows, we might even heal the residual bad blood between UCF and the City.

 

[JFW657]

On 6/24/2021 at 7:43 PM, orange87 said:

I had an idea. Since there's been talk of having two art museums in Orlando, why not keep the current one in Loch Haven as a traditional art museum and continue to call it The Orlando Museum of Art? And make the second one, which would probably be near DPCPA, a modern art museum and call it the Orlando Museum of Modern Art? Thoughts?

Great idea.

Go out and make it happen.

Then report back to us.  

[RedStar25]

I was just in a discussion with a potential buyer of the Old OUC plant. What they want to use it for would be awesome.