Atlanta firm plans $40M apartments

[spenser1058]

As the first commenter to the article on Atlantic Cities noted, it leaves out an awful lot. I think Orlando is a typical case of a post-war agricultural market town whose chief industries have historically located outside town and continue to do so.

Having said that (and as both a native and longtime downtowner), I am stunned at how difficult is to find a parking spot downtown these days at night, even midweek. It's a far cry from the early 1980's when I first moved downtown and you could have fired off a cannon down Central Blvd after 8pm and likely not have hit anyone but the occasional hustler or transient. Somehow, other than our struggles with bringing back retail, we've done something right for a bunch of good ol' boys (and girls) from the orange groves.

[DeepEyez]

I came across this article in The Atlantic Cities; relevant to our discussion:

What Your Skyline Says About Your City

http://www.theatlant...your-city/3030/

What type of city do you think we are, based on the "Skyline Types" mentioned in this article?

I would say we are sort of like Houston, Texas. Most of the major action that takes place in Orange County happens outside of Orlando. It would take a major institutional investment to fill in the empty parking lots in Downtown Orlando.

I, for one, am in favor of moving the Federal Reserve Bank that is in Jacksonville to Orlando...along with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

[tc01]

I agree with the Jags moving here. Jags will make a lot more money if they move here.

[Jernigan]

Steel House had as many suits (leasing/marketing people) wandering the site today as they did hard hats. The entry ways facing Colonial are gated like the Post Parkside ones.

[CaptainJustice]

Still don't like this project, but I have to admit it looks good.

[gibby]

I walked around the site on Sunday morning and I really think it looks sharp.  I hope there is easy rear access to Gertrude's Walk in the future when the pedestrian bridge is built.  I know they set aside an easement back there but I hope the residents will have good access to it.  Too bad the future FDOT turn lane made the facade along Colonial jog like that though.

[JFW657]

Not to be negative or anything, but for the life of me, I cannot imagine who would want to look out their living room window, step onto their balcony or outside their front door, & have Colonial Drive right there. Sounds depressing. Gotta be kinda noisy too.

[John Hargrove]

Not to be negative or anything, but for the life of me, I cannot imagine who would want to look out their living room window, step onto their balcony or outside their front door, & have Colonial Drive right there. Sounds depressing. Gotta be kinda noisy too.

 

The same group of people who lease from Camden, I presume. I'd rather live at O+50 than live in a suburban maze in this urban sprawl nightmare.

[CaptainJustice]

Not to be negative or anything, but for the life of me, I cannot imagine who would want to look out their living room window, step onto their balcony or outside their front door, & have Colonial Drive right there. Sounds depressing. Gotta be kinda noisy too.

Why not? Where is the problem in that? People seem to like Action. It's cool sometime to sit out and people watch or traffic watch. If you ever just get a chance to stop and watch life, people do some funny things.

[Jernigan]

Counterpoint- there's a party every night at that tattoo parlor with the deck above the gyro place across the street. Maybe the view is better than it seems

[JFW657]

The same group of people who lease from Camden, I presume. I'd rather live at O+50 than live in a suburban maze in this urban sprawl nightmare.

Well, I don't think that is the only alternative. Lots of nice places in the downtown area that don't overlook a noisy, congested, smog-choked four lane major commercial thoroughfare. Orange Ave. is a bit nicer than Colonial Drive., & of course there are lots of rentals in & around Thornton Park & Eola Heights, etc. Don't really see it as an either/or situation. But hey, for anyone who feels like they can be comfortable living spitting distance from a giant, heat absorbing asphalt slab that is clogged with carbon monoxide belching traffic most of everyday, more power to them. I'm not judging them, I was just wondering how comfortable one could be living in such an environment.

[JFW657]

Why not? Where is the problem in that? People seem to like Action. It's cool sometime to sit out and people watch or traffic watch. If you ever just get a chance to stop and watch life, people do some funny things.

Sure, that kind of "action" would be OK if you lived along Central across from Lake Eola, with all the foot traffic & the trees & the atmosphere, etc. But it just seems to me that Colonial Drive is a bit too much of the kind of action I don't think a lot of people will be too eager to have right outside their door. I feel the same way about those Copely Square or Copely Place townhouses that front E. Michigan.

[nite owℓ]

Well, I don't think that is the only alternative. Lots of nice places in the downtown area that don't overlook a noisy, congested, smog-choked four lane major commercial thoroughfare. Orange Ave. is a bit nicer than Colonial Drive., & of course there are lots of rentals in & around Thornton Park & Eola Heights, etc. Don't really see it as an either/or situation. But hey, for anyone who feels like they can be comfortable living spitting distance from a giant, heat absorbing asphalt slab that is clogged with carbon monoxide belching traffic most of everyday, more power to them. I'm not judging them, I was just wondering how comfortable one could be living in such an environment.

 

I own an older duplex in the area, so I'm basing my opinion on what I've experienced while screening tenants. Rentals in the core are limited, expensive and quite a few go without upgrades. For example, there's a small but nicely updated 300 sq ft studio in a condo conversion bungalow on Pine St that rents for $800/month, while only a few blocks down the street you can find a very ugly & outdated 1,000 sq ft duplex unit for about $1,000/mo. Single unit condos in the Vue, Waverly & Paramount etc rent for over $1,200month. Even single units @ Post are overpriced for what you get IMO. The more reasonably priced apartments don't last long and rent quickly. Then you have to factor in utilities, and everyone knows OUC's chilled water rates aren't cheap - it takes a lot of energy to cool those units with high ceilings & floor to ceiling windows.

 

I think developments like Steel House will satisfy the demand for smaller, single unit apartments while offering an affordable compromise for those seeking close proximity to downtown with the benefit of living in an updated unit. Especially for those who don't have the best of credit and are starting over from a short sale or foreclosure. I think the traffic noise and the lack of a view are just things they are willing to live with. I agree, people watching can be fun. Sometimes people forget buildings have eyes... haha

[JFW657]

I think developments like Steel House will satisfy the demand for smaller, single unit apartments while offering an affordable compromise for those seeking close proximity to downtown with the benefit of living in an updated unit. Especially for those who don't have the best of credit and are starting over from a short sale or foreclosure. I think the traffic noise and the lack of a view are just things they are willing to live with. I agree, people watching can be fun. Sometimes people forget buildings have eyes... haha

 

Oh yeah,  have no doubt they will fill up & stay filled up. I just don't think living in the units right off of Colonial will be a particulary pleasant experience. I would think they might offer a lower rent for those units. But then again, they'll probably charge whatever they can get. Maybe living on the upper floors of that side would be nice, especially considering the view down Orange Avenue. It would suck living in the ground level ones, though.

[Pete C]

Orlando firefighters respond to downtown apartment complex

 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-orlando-police-orange-avenue-20140703,0,7580288.story

[nite owℓ]

^^Saw that article too. Another reason not to build apartment communities out of wood:

 

[aent]

^^Saw that article too. Another reason not to build apartment communities out of wood:

 

To be fair, that is a building under construction without its firestopping and fire suppression systems in place. The materials placed on top of the wood in modern construction are fire suppressants, and there is an effort to provide for a fire-rated wall between every unit around here I believe (2 hour firewall?) and sprinklers. And needless to say, plenty of fires happen in concrete buildings too. UCF had a fire in one of its towers a few years ago, which are precast concrete.

[jack]

I think they should have done less recording and more evacuating! 

 

Seriously, the building would not have burned like that if it was occupied. The sprinklers were not installed yet. 

[John Hargrove]

^^Saw that article too. Another reason not to build apartment communities out of wood:

 

 

Muted that video pretty quickly.

[JFW657]

Muted that video pretty quickly.

Yeah that gal doing all the "OMG"ing was incredibly annoying.

[Jernigan]

Observation - the 50 widening from I-4 to Orange essentially brings Steel House to the street.  Too bad there's no retail on first floor!

 

Also, sorry to get anyone excited about a new project/investment.   Thread could use a better subject!

[metal93]

Yes, Colonial is going to become really wide there, eating up the old sidewalk and the grass. Maybe in the near future when cars are roaring 30 or so feet closer, those 1st floor units might not be so profitable and could potentially be turned over to retail/commercial uses. I imagine increased pedestrian traffic from the upcoming trail bridge spilling on to Colonial might incentivize retail there as well.

[dcluley98]

Trail bridge spits out on the North side of the property on Orange. The Colonial side gets completely bypassed. I doubt they will change anything.

[smileguy]

In fact, the ground floor units of Camden Orange Court were originally going to be retail and were converted into residential. With the trends in retail, I don't see either Steelhouse or Camden going back.

[jrs2]

23 hours ago, Jernigan said:

Observation - the 50 widening from I-4 to Orange essentially brings Steel House to the street.  Too bad there's no retail on first floor!

 

Also, sorry to get anyone excited about a new project/investment.   Thread could use a better subject!

We should probably celebrate this project, as it was the first post-bust project in downtown.  Right?  It got the ball rolling again...