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On the 10th City Council will be approving RIDA to replace coming soon signs with project signs.

Between this and the Skyhouse ground breaking announcement, im sure thet this forum just collectively exhaled. It had been quiet for a while.

Ok, now back to holding our breath!

Running down Palmetto toward Livingston this morning, I had to hurdle over newly installed silt screens around the perimeter of the Skyhouse site.

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Downtownorlando.com has updated the development profile for 2012 Quarter 2.

A few things to note:

1) 899 North Orange (the GDC Properties apartment complex in Uptown) has a slightly updated rendering. Groundbreaking Quarter 4 2013

2) 30 South Orange (vacant lot across from the Plaza) has a significantly updated rendering. Gone is the mediterranean revival elements. Larger windows, balconies, etc. A better look for Orlando. Groundbreaking Quarter 3 2012.

BortzGroup are the investors in this property -- a Chicago-based entertainment group who specialize in "experimental" concepts.

3) Ustler's O&C Hotel: Groundbreaking Quarter 4 2012. Still no word on an investor / tenant.

4) Cambria Suites: Groundbreaking: TBD

http://www.downtownorlando.com/site/uploads/2012/08/Development_Profile_2Q12_RS1.pdf

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not to get off Topic, but has there been any discussion about how Cambria would handle the insane amounts of homeless people that have almost daily feedings/festivals/gatherings hosted for them behind the church and general lounge in the area?

I would assume a nice hotel would not want this in its backyard.

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not to get off Topic, but has there been any discussion about how Cambria would handle the insane amounts of homeless people that have almost daily feedings/festivals/gatherings hosted for them behind the church and general lounge in the area?

I would assume a nice hotel would not want this in its backyard.

I've wondered that, too. And I've also wondered if that's why there's been a delay in the project (purely conjecture on my part).

And to slide further off topic, in another post someone mentioned that Buddy was considering a run for governor...while I think he has been an overall great mayor, his biggest failing IMO is unwillingness to seriously address the city's homelessness issue.

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The dilemma on homelessness is that it needs a regional solution. Just as no matter how much Buddy wanted the venues, it would have been all for naught if the county and the Chamber (representing the business community) hadn't stepped up. There was an attempt to get some traction on that just in time for the economy to fall apart. Mostly, though, the county commission, the Chamber (hello, Jacob!) and the other cities in the area have yet to really get on board to address this.

A couple of hopeful signs: last week, during the DNC, a program was mentioned regarding a program to assist homeless vets. I had not heard anything on it before this and I'm nosing around - if true and there are sufficient $$$$, it could be huge depending on how they ramp up. The second thing is that if Buddy does leave to go to Tallahassee, one of the likely candidates to replace him would be Commissioner Robert Stuart, whose day job currently is running the Christian Service Center for the homeless. Robert (who would be my first choice for our next mayor) would likely move the issue up on the to-do list.

Meanwhile, on Cambria, it has been my gut feeling since it was announced (and nothing more) that this was another developer project thrown out there to see if it might stick. Just as developers on I-Drive who had a spare lot all announced thrill parks, downtown developers always announce another hotel. This despite the fact that occupancy in the downtown hotels is rarely stellar. With the OUC project green-lighted, I suspect there's little reason for another hotel downtown unless and until either the Sheraton or the DoubleTree close. Given that Craig Ustler has yet to make headway on the hotel at the Creative Village only confirms my doubts. As usual, if someone breaks ground tomorrow, I have some salt and Heinz 57 close at hand to nibble on my straw boater.

Edited by spenser1058
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Downtownorlando.com has updated the development profile for 2012 Quarter 2.

A few things to note:

1) 899 North Orange (the GDC Properties apartment complex in Uptown) has a slightly updated rendering. Groundbreaking Quarter 4 2013

2) 30 South Orange (vacant lot across from the Plaza) has a significantly updated rendering. Gone is the mediterranean revival elements. Larger windows, balconies, etc. A better look for Orlando. Groundbreaking Quarter 3 2012.

BortzGroup are the investors in this property -- a Chicago-based entertainment group who specialize in "experimental" concepts.

3) Ustler's O&C Hotel: Groundbreaking Quarter 4 2012. Still no word on an investor / tenant.

4) Cambria Suites: Groundbreaking: TBD

http://www.downtowno...le_2Q12_RS1.pdf

I'm crossing my fingers that the groundbreaking for 899 N Orange was a typo. The completion date is listed as quarter 1 2014. So it would make sense that the groundbreaking might be Q4 2012, right?

Edited by jnorlando
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The dilemma on homelessness is that it needs a regional solution. Just as no matter how much Buddy wanted the venues, it would have been all for naught if the county and the Chamber (representing the business community) hadn't stepped up. There was an attempt to get some traction on that just in time for the economy to fall apart. Mostly, though, the county commission, the Chamber (hello, Jacob!) and the other cities in the area have yet to really get on board to address this.

A couple of hopeful signs: last week, during the DNC, a program was mentioned regarding a program to assist homeless vets. I had not heard anything on it before this and I'm nosing around - if true and there are sufficient $$$$, it could be huge depending on how they ramp up. The second thing is that if Buddy does leave to go to Tallahassee, one of the likely candidates to replace him would be Commissioner Robert Stuart, whose day job currently is running the Christian Service Center for the homeless. Robert (who would be my first choice for our next mayor) would likely move the issue up on the to-do list.

Meanwhile, on Cambria, it has been my gut feeling since it was announced (and nothing more) that this was another developer project thrown out there to see if it might stick. Just as developers on I-Drive who had a spare lot all announced thrill parks, downtown developers always announce another hotel. This despite the fact that occupancy in the downtown hotels is rarely stellar. With the OUC project green-lighted, I suspect there's little reason for another hotel downtown unless and until either the Sheraton or the DoubleTree close. Given that Craig Ustler has yet to make headway on the hotel at the Creative Village only confirms my doubts. As usual, if someone breaks ground tomorrow, I have some salt and Heinz 57 close at hand to nibble on my straw boater.

I agree that's it's not just Buddy. But the high-profile bungling of the Food Not Bombs/park feedings was just terrible policy and terrible optics. A twofer. But, yes, it's a regional issue that will take a lot of effort to address.

As for the Cambria, I had assumed it was more of a done deal.

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Ahhh the homeless issue. This one is important to me. The number of times I've been physically threatened by homeless/impoverished people are too many to count. There was a stretch for several weeks where a specific individual would follow me home from work yelling threats because I failed to acknowledge him some weeks back when he approached me on Pine Street. I'm 6'7", 350lb and I can handle myself. I can't imagine what it must be like to be a normal sized person living alone in downtown.

This problem has significantly worsened, even in the last 2 years. I recall a recent occasion in which I was working a Saturday at my office in the Plaza (as I often do) and I decided to walk up to Jimmy John's for some lunch. At about 3pm on a Saturday afternoon in downtown I encountered easily double the number of homeless/vagrants as I did healthy, sane individuals. As I walked in front of Pour House, there was a couple trying to enjoy their lunch while two guys hunched over the railing talking to the couple's dog. Of course, the dog was barking and growling furiously. This continued long enough that the situation had not changed on my trip back to the office. I was confronted by 4 separate people for money during that walk. If you know downtown, you know the distance between the Plaza and Jimmy John's is incredibly small.

That is an anecdote, but it is not an exceptional one. This has become the norm down here, and I'm not sure anyone who has the power to address the issue gives two fudges. If you drive down Pine Street any time after about 8pm on any day of the week, the situation is unbelievable. Both sides of the street are covered in bodies of sleeping homeless.

What can be done? I feel for these people. I don't want to see them shipped off to the next bus stop of sadness. I also know that there is nothing I can do for them on my own, and I'm losing patience.

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Interestingly, since the FNB kerfuffle, I have noticed the problem declining a good bit over here towards Thornton Park. The vacant lot between my building and Lowndes, Drosdick was becoming a homeless camp at one point and there was no attempt to even be neat about it (the Sentinel neighborhood blog at one point took pictures of the dump the area was turning into). Thankfully, all that is now gone.

I'm a progressive Democrat who firmly believes we need a drop-in shelter (especially for single males) and would support an increase in the sales or other taxes to assist in funding it, but I also firmly believe that for every right there is a corresponding responsibility. Too often, due to mental illness, drugs or other issues (and yes, just plain antisocial behavior in a few cases), our transients refuse to recognize that downtown is our home and we expect civilized behavior from ourselves and everyone else here. It has been my experience there is some truth in the "broken windows" theory; in fact, I've watched it as downtown came back from the dead over the last 25 years. There is also the totally separate issue we've noted elsewhere that Eola Park is already overused as it is, and daily feedings for masses of people takes us even further past the breaking point.

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Interestingly, since the FNB kerfuffle, I have noticed the problem declining a good bit over here towards Thornton Park. The vacant lot between my building and Lowndes, Drosdick was becoming a homeless camp at one point and there was no attempt to even be neat about it (the Sentinel neighborhood blog at one point took pictures of the dump the area was turning into). Thankfully, all that is now gone.

I'm a progressive Democrat who firmly believes we need a drop-in shelter (especially for single males) and would support an increase in the sales or other taxes to assist in funding it, but I also firmly believe that for every right there is a corresponding responsibility. Too often, due to mental illness, drugs or other issues (and yes, just plain antisocial behavior in a few cases), our transients refuse to recognize that downtown is our home and we expect civilized behavior from ourselves and everyone else here. It has been my experience there is some truth in the "broken windows" theory; in fact, I've watched it as downtown came back from the dead over the last 25 years. There is also the totally separate issue we've noted elsewhere that Eola Park is already overused as it is, and daily feedings for masses of people takes us even further past the breaking point.

The homeless population has definately shifted from Lake Eola since the feedings stopped. The area around Pine and Central (near the library and the Greek Orthodox church) seems to be the new gathering spot. In my experience, the aggressive panhandling has decreased significantly over the past few years (but I don't work downtown, so my experiences are limited). As for drop in shelters, is the Coalition for the Homeless working on a men's shelter on Central? What's the status of that?

Big problem, no easy solutions, and part of the reality of living in an urban area.

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I live and work downtown and do not see a shift away from Eola.

I walk around the lake sometimes during lunch and you'd be hard pressed to find a bench not occupied by a homeless person. The walk to and from work can be a discomfort... you can feel their eyes track you sometimes. That said, I've only been hassled for money a few times around Eola where as walking down Orange and passing wall street it is almost guaranteed and from multiple people.

I'm not sure how a shelter would help. I know it would help them in that they would have a place to sleep, but during the day why would they not go back to camping around lake eola and eyeing the hot girls who jog around the lake?

I feel for the homeless, but I am very frustrated by how the well meaning church community has decided to lessen their plight. It is easy to be humanitarian when you bear none of the negative consequences of your actions... I can't imagine these well meaning church folk would like the homeless sleeping on their lawns. There are better answers to these problems. Its easy to give out food instead of fixing the real problems. /end rant

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Wow. I lived downtown in the Summerlin & Pine/Church area throughout the 80's & 90's & it was completely different. I walked all over the place down there at all hours of the day & night & can count the number of times I was accosted on one hand. Rarely ever even saw a homeless person. But that is one of the things that comes with growth.

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There hasn't been much talk on here (or anywhere really) lately about the Turnpike Service Plazas. I was headed out to Lake County from south Orlando recently so I stopped by the Turkey Lake Service Plaza and snapped some photos. It's really starting to come together. I'm excited about the new plaza even though I won't use it often.

Picture This: A new and improved Turkey Lake Service Plaza on Florida's Turnpike

P9070010.JPG

P9070023.JPG

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Wow. I lived downtown in the Summerlin & Pine/Church area throughout the 80's & 90's & it was completely different. I walked all over the place down there at all hours of the day & night & can count the number of times I was accosted on one hand. Rarely ever even saw a homeless person. But that is one of the things that comes with growth.

I think it depends where you live downtown. The chances of encountering a homeless person increase especially if you live on one of the main arteries & the closer you are to the CBD. I've noticed the contrast between living in one of the residential neighborhoods vs living in the CBD. I used to live on Summerlin near Lake Davis and rarely ever saw a homeless person... mainly joggers, and people walking/biking to Thornton Park at all hours of the day & night. Minus shopping cart guy who makes his rounds through each neighborhood during trash nights - I hear he lives in a house so I won't count him as homeless. One afternoon I discovered a jittery homeless man sitting on my porch drinking a beer and smoking. Non-emergency promptly took care of the situation & the police officer treated him with dignity.

In the CBD, I too have been repeatedly asked for money while walking down the street, caught a homeless woman using the bushes near Lake Eola as a toilet, and have seen homeless guys passed out on the sidewalk in the middle of the day. On any given night, the covered entrance to the church on Rosalind/Pine is filled with bodies of homeless people who use it as an outdoor sleeping area. On the flip side, I've seen a non-homeless, horny couple use the Lake Eola sidewalk as a bedroom at 2am... To be honest, the group that annoys me the most have been loud obnoxious people who have actual homes to live in. But that's not to say that I'd willingly walk down Pine St by myself at night either.

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I think it depends where you live downtown. The chances of encountering a homeless person increase especially if you live on one of the main arteries & the closer you are to the CBD. I've noticed the contrast between living in one of the residential neighborhoods vs living in the CBD. I used to live on Summerlin near Lake Davis and rarely ever saw a homeless person... mainly joggers, and people walking/biking to Thornton Park at all hours of the day & night. Minus shopping cart guy who makes his rounds through each neighborhood during trash nights - I hear he lives in a house so I won't count him as homeless. One afternoon I discovered a jittery homeless man sitting on my porch drinking a beer and smoking. Non-emergency promptly took care of the situation & the police officer treated him with dignity.

In the CBD, I too have been repeatedly asked for money while walking down the street, caught a homeless woman using the bushes near Lake Eola as a toilet, and have seen homeless guys passed out on the sidewalk in the middle of the day. On any given night, the covered entrance to the church on Rosalind/Pine is filled with bodies of homeless people who use it as an outdoor sleeping area. On the flip side, I've seen a non-homeless, horny couple use the Lake Eola sidewalk as a bedroom at 2am... To be honest, the group that annoys me the most have been loud obnoxious people who have actual homes to live in. But that's not to say that I'd willingly walk down Pine St by myself at night either.

I encountered the guy with his cart a few times on Summerlin. But last week, I was loading the car for an early flight, I saw him pushing his cart at 5:30 in the morning. I was shocked he was out that early and it made me freeze and I watched him until he passed. This was on Summerlin and Gore. I see a few homeless people heading to the Park every not and then. I even paid a guy to help me move a tree in my yard.

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Back before the towers were built along the south side of Eola I had a friend who allowed a homeless man to sleep on his front porch (all the old houses there had the best porches on them), in return the homeless guy cleaned his yard and took care of the plants. I think part of the problem we see downtown now is that these unofficial answers to homelessness are now being forced out and forcing the homeless into the public eye more.

I'm hoping that the new Men's Pavilion will address the issue some but I've got to wonder if monitoring more would also help. I live in downtown Winter Park and occasionally we do have homeless people (even had a few stumble into our courtyard and knock on our door asking for $, one at 2 in the morning!) but these incidents are few and far between. The few I do know of make money performing along the Ave. I've got to think that easing the performance laws downtown would help the panhandling some.

I do think downtown is much better than it used to be, homeless and violence both. I'm tempted to tell stories of the old Wall Street gang. I do believe Orlando isn't nearly as bad as Tampa but we do need to get a handle on it now or it will only grow.

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Good News for downtown and GAI: http://articles.orla...ler-development

So the GAI Building looks to be basically done:

2011-01-01-1.jpg

2011-01-01-2.jpg

2011-01-01-3.jpg

GAI looks like it was built with offices on the 1st floor - anyone know if they'll be retail of any kind? There's a good amount of offices nearby - the right modest mix could do okay.

According to their website, the bottom floor is partially office / garage / main lobby.

http://www.gaibuildi...floorplan08.pdf

http://www.gaibuilding.com/pdfs/floorplan10.pdf (Fifth Floor)

Edited by FLheat
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Re: The Sevens - 777 N. Orange Avenue

September 20th APR Committee:

Request for a Courtesy Review for a new mixed-use, nine story building with approx. 10,000 sq ft of ground foor retail, up to 325 rental apartments with associated parking garage and amenities.

This has been one of my favorite projects for a while. I'm excited to see if it actually happens. They've kept their website up the past few years: http://www.sevensorlando.com/, lots of good renderings.

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This has nothing to do with your post, but I noticed your location and was curious... Where is "the real Downtown Orlando"? It's always interesting to hear different interpretations as people try to pinpoint downtown's boundaries, etc.

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