Orlando Attractions Area News & Developments

[jrs2]

So.  Based on the new plan for a 600 room tower... we know that Peabody's new tower has 750 rooms and is 400' tall; 35+ stories.  Will Universal make the 600 room tower 200' tall or will they apply for a variance (which they should get with no problems from the City)?  It is a block off of Turkey Lake Road but closer towards Wallace.  I wonder.

[aent]

15 hours ago, jrs2 said:

So.  Based on the new plan for a 600 room tower... we know that Peabody's new tower has 750 rooms and is 400' tall; 35+ stories.  Will Universal make the 600 room tower 200' tall or will they apply for a variance (which they should get with no problems from the City)?  It is a block off of Turkey Lake Road but closer towards Wallace.  I wonder.

They apparently don't want these hotels visible from inside the theme park, but there also doesn't seem to be too much space there. Will be interesting to see what they'll do

[Dale]

Just for s**** and giggles, the Skyplex developer should fight Universal on height.

[JFW657]

Heard on the news this afternoon that, among several changes that are coming to I-Drive 360, The Orlando Eye will soon become known as The Coca-Cola Orlando Eye.

 

 

[HankStrong]

Like the Coca-Cola London Eye.  I sense a theme!

Having now been on both Eyes... our little brother Eye isn't a tenth as good. 

 

Just a quick comparison:

• London = 135m (443') tall and has 32 cars that can hold 25 people (800)
• Orlando = 122m (400') tall and has 30 cars that can hold 15 people (450)

If the Orlando eye was built closer to anything, it would be a lot more impressive.  The London Eye is right in the heart of London on the Thames River.  You can see hundreds of cool things as opposed to seeing a bunch of junk on I-Drive and vaguely seeing Disney/Universal/Sea World and in the distance our downtown which is a bunch of medium-height buildings in a small cluster.  The view was incredibly underwhelming.

 

[John Hargrove]

I enjoyed The Eye. That said, you are quite right that there is not much to see up there.

 

[uncreativeusername]

35 minutes ago, castorvx said:

I enjoyed The Eye. That said, you are quite right that there is not much to see up there.

 

I imagine it might be cool to see a night launch at KSC from the top of the Eye.

[tc01]

In the next few years it will have a better view. 

[HankStrong]

On ‎7‎/‎15‎/‎2016 at 1:31 PM, uncreativeusername said:

I imagine it might be cool to see a night launch at KSC from the top of the Eye.

That would be amazing, I'm guessing.

[AndyPok1]

Couple of interesting things from June's MPB.

1) Fun Spot is turning their overflow parking lot into an actual parking lot.  Not sure I've ever seen Fun Spot so filled that they need over 1000 parking spaces, but good for them.

2) Probably the largest undeveloped parcel on North I-Drive got a Master Plan... I can't see much moving forward for a few years until Grand National reopens though - http://www.cityoforlando.net/city-planning/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2016/06/MPBStaffReport2016-06_MPL2016-00024.pdf

3) Artegon is getting a helipad.

[HankStrong]

37 minutes ago, AndyPok1 said:

3) Artegon is getting a helipad.

For the extremely rich to get handmade soap, beef jerky, surfboards, and fishing lures!!!

[TRENCH]

10 hours ago, AndyPok1 said:

Couple of interesting things from June's MPB.

2) Probably the largest undeveloped parcel on North I-Drive got a Master Plan... I can't see much moving forward for a few years until Grand National reopens though - http://www.cityoforlando.net/city-planning/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2016/06/MPBStaffReport2016-06_MPL2016-00024.pdf

 whole area does not need anymore apartment building/residential/etc. the overflowing amount of people and traffic in that area is unbearable

[AndyPok1]

34 minutes ago, W7edwin said:

 whole area does not need anymore apartment building/residential/etc. the overflowing amount of people and traffic in that area is unbearable

I never find it to be *THAT* bad, but I'm only there during work hours, so perhaps its different at other times.  Either way, the new I-4 express entrance off of Grand National, and the overpass to Major creating a second connection instead of forcing everyone to Kirkman or Radebaugh should help enormously.

[smileguy]

If only this was workforce housing that allowed service workers in the area to live nearby, instead of having to commute in, then it could help relieve the traffic problem. 

[Dale]

Saw where the pedestrian bridge on I-Drive might not be completed until the 2020's ?!?!

[Dale]

News on I-Square Mall, paid subscription only: http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2016/07/exclusive-isquare-megamall-revises-cost.html?ana=e_orl_bn_newsalert&u=RBoUTrdCxlwWR8B+%2F80UeA081c0d9a&t=1468950796&j=74985082

[tc01]

What did it mention? 

[Dale]

Can't access it. Hoping someone else could.

 

[John Hargrove]

Project cost up to 500M from 400M. GC changed from Balfour Beatty to PCL. Subcontractor bidding starting from scratch. Developer anticipating groundbreaking Late '16 early '17.

That's it. Very brief article. 

[Dale]

Thanks!

[TRENCH]

On 7/18/2016 at 10:24 PM, AndyPok1 said:

I never find it to be *THAT* bad, but I'm only there during work hours, so perhaps its different at other times.  Either way, the new I-4 express entrance off of Grand National, and the overpass to Major creating a second connection instead of forcing everyone to Kirkman or Radebaugh should help enormously.

between 7:30-9:00 am and 3-6 pm theres a lot of traffic (specifically West O.K. from i-drive to the OBT intersection)  Also, West Oakridge is mostly the easiest route to get to North I-Drive 

[jrs2]

I was in LA for 10 days up until last week.  apples and oranges, I know, but there is nothing that rises to the level of bad traffic or congestion in Orlando that approaches LA on an average day by any stretch.  I know, LA is an extreme example, but, I think Orlandoans need to get baptized by driving in LA's traffic for a few days straight to put things in perspective back home.

When they open up the Grand National bridge, which is u/c as we speak, it will give so many needed transportation alternatives

[John Hargrove]

Yes, as someone who grew up in the LA area, I am always amused when people complain about Orlando traffic. 

That said, I think it's good to complain, because if something isn't done about it ... it will become LA. More transit. More building near transit. Less sprawl. You have to actually plan these things. 

[Dale]

5 hours ago, jrs2 said:

I was in LA for 10 days up until last week.  apples and oranges, I know, but there is nothing that rises to the level of bad traffic or congestion in Orlando that approaches LA on an average day by any stretch.  I know, LA is an extreme example, but, I think Orlandoans need to get baptized by driving in LA's traffic for a few days straight to put things in perspective back home.

When they open up the Grand National bridge, which is u/c as we speak, it will give so many needed transportation alternatives

Preach it, brother! I've driven in virtually every major US city. Orlando has the best roads, hands down.

[HankStrong]

11 hours ago, Dale said:

Preach it, brother! I've driven in virtually every major US city. Orlando has the best roads, hands down.

I cannot agree with that at all.  It's certainly better than some of the extreme examples, but of cities that are comparable in size, it's way worse to me.

If you go by actual city population, Orlando is down in the 70s in the US.  Almost no city within 20 of them has worse traffic than Orlando.  Not even close.

However, metro area is a better judge with Orlando.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metropolitan_areas_of_the_United_States  lists Orlando as the 20th largest metro area in the US.

Admittedly, I haven't driven in all of them, but I have in several.  No way would I call Cleveland, Denver, or Minneapolis worse traffic.  Barring a snowstorm, obviously.  My time in Phoenix was limited to a week, but I was driving around in the middle of the work week and only experienced spots of jammed traffic.  It happened, certainly.  However, Phoenix is MUCH MUCH larger in population.

I have no experience driving in Portland or San Diego.  However, I didn't find St. Louis or Pittsburgh to be nearly as bad.  However, I'll admit my experience in both cities is several years old.