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Downtown South (Sunrail/Amtrak, SODO, Orlando Health, Lymmo, Orange/Michigan Avenues)


SuperMan11MS

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Things are apparently not all happy in NID land....Downtown South is seeing a potential divide of "northerners" (408' to Kaley) led by Orlando Health and "southerners" (Kaley to Pineloch) let by the retail space giants. Will be interesting to see how it all plays out. The hospital holds the cards seemingly by design but the retailers aren't going to go out without a fight

 

What is the divide?

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They look like the townhouses found in the DMV region. I don't hate them, but I'm not exactly inspired either. I wonder why they put all that yard in the from rather than the back where they traditionally belong. Why the hesitation to build to the street in Orlando? Seems to me that the less grass to concern ones self with the more time to pursue ones true interests.

If you mean the units on Michigan, that sidewalk is as narrow as they come. 

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What is the divide?

 

 

It basically comes down to smaller businesses seeing the tax as a "financial burden" while the industrial properties wonder how the Orange/Michigan beautification would benefit them since they're tucked away in the back near Division Ave. The Sentinel wrote a 2 page article about the SODO NID back in Feb: http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2014-02-02/business/os-south-orlando-taxing-district-20140202_1_orlando-health-orange-avenue-industrial-property

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If you mean the units on Michigan, that sidewalk is as narrow as they come.

I'll have to take a look on my next trip down. From the images I saw there was a massive yard in front. I'm more accustomed to the private outdoor space in the backyard. There's more of an urban streetwall effect.

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It basically comes down to smaller businesses seeing the tax as a "financial burden" while the industrial properties wonder how the Orange/Michigan beautification would benefit them since they're tucked away in the back near Division Ave. The Sentinel wrote a 2 page article about the SODO NID back in Feb: http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2014-02-02/business/os-south-orlando-taxing-district-20140202_1_orlando-health-orange-avenue-industrial-property

Those landlords are just being cheap. Basic economics dictates that reinvestment in the district will increase property values for each landowner. They really need to see renderings. Most people have no imagination,

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Those landlords are just being cheap. Basic economics dictates that reinvestment in the district will increase property values for each landowner. They really need to see renderings. Most people have no imagination,

 

I didn't want to say it, but yes, it seems the property owners are freaking out over a nominal amount of money. Everyone stands to benefit, and the benefits clearly outweigh the cost. ORMC doesn't even pay property taxes and yet the hospital is willing to chip in (despite massive cost cutting & layoffs). The industrial properties should at least acknowledge their part in being a blight to the neighborhood and just fork over the cash already. SODO has improved immensely over the past couple years and it's clear that it will continue to improve as demand increases. Apparently some people would still prefer to slum it.

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I see the retailers point, from the little I have heard of this debate but overall am for it. The retailers make the point that the Hospital which is tax excempt as noted, is not contributing the equivalent of 1 millage. I think they are contending that the hospital is contributing just enough to have a majority voice and then will push for projects that will mostly benefit them directly or indirectly.

While I would agree with the retailers gripe in principal, I don't look at the project list and agree.

1) Yes there would be improvements to the train station. But that is the only station on the district. Once we have BRT and 15 minute SunRail frequency, that WILL be the stop to go to SoDo or other future developments down by Michigan.

2) Speaking of BRT, if the LYMMO expansion to Pineloch is the ONLY NID-funded project that goes past Kaley, Id propose that it is totally worth it for these retailers.

3) But that isn't the only project. On the preliminary list, there are improvements to the Orange/Michigan intersection as well as the awful stretch of Delaney between Michigan and Pineloch (freshfields farm area).

4) ...and let's be honest. We CANT count on the retailers to clean up these messes themselves. Look at the terrible entrances and exits at the Ross/Bealls plaza!

Edited by Jernigan
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I see the retailers point, from the little I have heard of this debate but overall am for it. The retailers make the point that the Hospital which is tax excempt as noted, is not contributing the equivalent of 1 millage. I think they are contending that the hospital is contributing just enough to have a majority voice and then will push for projects that will mostly benefit them directly or indirectly.

While I would agree with the retailers gripe in principal, I don't look at the project list and agree.

1) Yes there would be improvements to the train station. But that is the only station on the district. Once we have BRT and 15 minute SunRail frequency, that WILL be the stop to go to SoDo or other future developments down by Michigan.

2) Speaking of BRT, if the LYMMO expansion to Pineloch is the ONLY NID-funded project that goes past Kaley, Id propose that it is totally worth it for these retailers.

3) But that isn't the only project. On the preliminary list, there are improvements to the Orange/Michigan intersection as well as the awful stretch of Delaney between Michigan and Pineloch (freshfields farm area).

4) ...and let's be honest. We CANT count on the retailers to clean up these messes themselves. Look at the terrible entrances and exits at the Ross/Bealls plaza!

Weingarten.  They sure like to drag their feet improving developments.

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Man, what happened to planning in this area? The streets don't line up, and to make them flow you'd have to demolish buildings and cut up property. It looks like plates shifted, or surveyors started at opposite ends and met at Columbia with face palms all the way 'round. No wonder all the truck traffic goes down Orange Av., it's the only game in that part of town. Division might be able to take some but it would have to be widened and work done to the intersections that the current setbacks make tough if not impossible. I know driving around there is nuts, but never really saw how bad it is until I looked at Google Earth.

 

As an aside, Orlando Brewery is in a plum spot, albeit on the wrong side of the tracks.

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  • 2 weeks later...

There is a proposal for 25 townhomes in the empty lot on the east side of Orange between Muriel and Harding (between Kaley and Grant)

 

 

From May's MPB: A 28 unit (4 building) townhome development is being planned for the Wadeview park neighborhood. The townhomes will be built on the vacant lot facing S Orange Ave (the empty lot just North of Chipotle). I'm a little shocked this residential development is not mixed use, considering the location.

 

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Edited by nite owℓ
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The Downtown South Neighborhood Improvement District

tallied the votes today and the tax passes.

Yes votes $143,077,711

No votes $86,386,493

A total of 514 parcels out of 1161 voted in the mail-in referendum; 323 parcels voted yes; 191 parcels voted no.

A document for frequently asked questions about the NID is available at the following link:

http://www.cityoforlando.net/planning/cityplanning/PDFs/South%20Downtown%20VisionPL/NID/DSNID-FAQ2013.pdf

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  • 1 month later...

Interesting. My guess is that this is just going to flow through the Downtown South NID - and control of it will be given to Orlando Health as they pretty much control the NID.

I wasn't against the bridge before because it was going to serve a captive audience and not the general public so it wasn't really a threat to nearby street level businesses - but it does start to seem fishy. Private company was going to build something and now the hospital will build it potentially with NID money...

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  • 1 month later...

Downtown Orlando Amtrak station to get $2.1 million face-lift

 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/traffic/os-amtrak-station-rehab-20140822,0,4097803.story

 

Finally! Heaven knows it's a decade late, but at least it's not going the way of Tinker Field. This is so good to see at long last.

 

It's interesting that something this important to Orlando history isn't announced by the mayor's office. I continue to be absolutely amazed at how totally uninterested Buddy is in the city's past.

Edited by spenser1058
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