Orlando's Main Streets

[Jernigan]

Staying on the topic of (picking on) Mills/50 -

I read this blog the other day and it really made me think of this intersection in our area.

http://www.strongtowns.org/sid-tv/2012/9/6/episode-14-framing-a-corner.html

In this case, Mills/50 has 4 corners that are each unique and 3 out of 4 don't work.

SW Corner: Anh Hong Vietnamese Restaurant: The best of the 4 corners. Biggest negative is the sidewalk on Mills is narrow and has obstructions (electric box, cables/red light poles) and no windows on that side of building.

NW Corner: Old Anthony's Pizza: This is the only corner that doesn't frame the intersection at all. I was hoping that when they moved the building would go, but alas it is "for lease." I'm not sure how it was allowed in the first place?

NE Corner: CVS: If the entrance was on the corner and there were some windows, this would add value to the intersection. Another "how did this happen?" moment

SE Corner: "Ralph Kazaraian" building: Very strange building - like the CVS, the entrance is not facing the corner. The windows are narrow and above sightline. Unlike Anh Hong's corner, the super-narrow sidewalk is now on Colonial while a wider sidewalk is on the Mills side. "Hats and Heels" is the current tenant and has added a small mural which helps - it would be nice if they could just paint the whole building!

Yet despite this, we do have some pedestrian life there thanks to a few things like the major bus transfer from Colonial (28, 29) to Mills (102, 125). If this intersection could be tackled, corner by corner, I couldn't think of a better use for Main Street funds, small business funds, facade improvement funds, and whatever else is available.

[FLheat]

Here's some good national recognition of an often forgotten part of Orlando:  Audubon Park one of 3 2016 Great American Main Street Winners

http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/24/travel/best-us-main-streets-2016/index.html

Hopefully this will add interest in getting the county off its ass and redesign Corrine to better reflect the neighborhood it is becoming.

 

[John Hargrove]

Yeah ... every time I hear Audubon Park mentioned as this great neighborhood I look at that street with its horrible/non-existent sidewalks and crumbling asphalt and ask myself, "this place?"

Long stretches of that road need wider sidewalks made of concrete, asphalt parking lots pushed back and trees for shade. That would make an enormous difference, I think.

[JFW657]

I don't get it either. It's certainly not a bad area by any stretch and it does have its attractions. But it really does need a lot of work along Corrine.

I especially like the trees idea. Lots of trees improves any street. 

A landscaped median would do a lot, too.

 

 

 

[nite owℓ]

IMO, Audubon Park has become what it is because of it's affordability to Millennials. It's central location, amenities (shopping, niche restaurants, etc), established neighborhood & mid-century homes speak to a broad "hipster-ish" demographic. When one cannot afford gentrified neighborhoods like College Park, Winter Park, Baldwin Park, Thornton/Delaney Park, Eola heights, etc one begins to search for the next best thing... It's a grassroots community of sorts that has transformed what is old into something new & unique. That's just the general vibe I pick up on... I could be wrong.

That said, while I admire those qualities in Audubon Park, but the neighborhood itself isn't really my style. I prefer Thornton Park's style, but I wish it had Audubon Park's amenities.

[spenser1058]

Bungalower is reporting activity on the Corrine Drive redo:

http://bungalower.com/2017/02/06/metroplan-orlando-launches-complete-streets-project-contentious-corrine-drive/

[JFW657]

Reported on channel 9 yesterday....

I-Drive Vision Plan gets final approval

International Drive has a cohesive development plan, more than two years after district business leaders and county officials first started meeting to discuss the tourism corridor’s future.

The plan was unanimously approved at the Orange County Board of County Commissioners meeting Tuesday. The plan, called the I-Drive 2040 Vision Plan, will shape construction on International Drive similarly to that of traditional urban cores, with buildings set closer to the street and transit options improved for conventioneers and tourists.

It also updates county codes and ordinances to reflect the growth happening in the district, including future amusement attractions and housing.

Orange County Planner Alberto Vargas made Tuesday’s presentation at the commissioner’s meeting, concluding the effort he’s led since late 2014.

The plan divides I-Drive into eight districts, defining each with a certain set of rules and acceptable land uses. District categories are the convention center, retail & hospitality, entertainment, SeaWorld, Destination Parkway, Universal Boulevard, Rosen and Shingle Creek, and Universal Orlando.

[metal93]

Good news for both Corrine and International Drive, hope these plans translate to wider sidewalks (or sidewalks where there currently are none), bike lanes, and more street trees, get that complete streets thing going on.

Bungalower might want to clean up the comment section on that article and probably on other recent articles as well, looks like they fell victim to a bunch of bot accounts that spammed it with shady links.

[spenser1058]

Not Orlando, but the West Volusia Beacon shares that (Delightful!) DeLand has won the America's Main Street contest. Congrats to one of the best downtowns in central Florida!

https://www.beacononlinenews.com/articles/2017/06/05/downtown-deland-wins-americas-main-streets-contest

[Jernigan]

Audubon Park won last year.   Nice to see it stay in the region 

[JFW657]

Glad to see DeLand win.

Nice little town.

[codypet]

On 5/25/2016 at 1:32 AM, nite owℓ said:

IMO, Audubon Park has become what it is because of it's affordability to Millennials. It's central location, amenities (shopping, niche restaurants, etc), established neighborhood & mid-century homes speak to a broad "hipster-ish" demographic. When one cannot afford gentrified neighborhoods like College Park, Winter Park, Baldwin Park, Thornton/Delaney Park, Eola heights, etc one begins to search for the next best thing... It's a grassroots community of sorts that has transformed what is old into something new & unique. That's just the general vibe I pick up on... I could be wrong.

That said, while I admire those qualities in Audubon Park, but the neighborhood itself isn't really my style. I prefer Thornton Park's style, but I wish it had Audubon Park's amenities.

I agreed with all of that except the affordability to Millenials.   That area has now become so overpriced that most of my Millenial friends bought houses along Bumby south of Curry Ford.

[HankStrong]

I think the tiny house movement is not as cool in Florida, home of hurricanes, but I'm still shocked that some enterprising group of millennials hasn't started a smaller house neighborhood full of new homes.  I know there is some sort of minimum size in both the city/county, but it seems like the 2017 version of a bungalow neighborhood would be HUGE.

Much more affordable.  It could be really walkable and such.  This probably hasn't happened because it's not as profitable.