Orlando Attractions Area News & Developments

[sunshine]

Titanic resurfaces at science center

Attraction to reopen in December for yearlong run.

Orlando Business Journal - September 7, 2007by Bob MervineStaff Writer

http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/sto...9396800^1516637

[JRS1]

Lake Eve resort (condotel) on I-Drive just north of Floridays is U/C.

Neiman's Last Call is opened at Prime.

Mona Lisa at Celebration is topped off and the exterior looks close to done.

The Point Orlando condotel on Carrier Drive is looking very sweet; darkhorse development; very nice and ornate and good coloring scheme. sorry, no pix yet...

[sunshine]

I think they should start making I-drive urban like a real downtown. It would be great.

[Supermetro]

Hilton on Palm Parkway

[bulldogger]

is that an oil rig on the left?

[JRS1]

great shots... you know, I thought I saw a glimpse of that tower in a small clearing on I-4 last night...

^^

I think I drive is actually becoming very urban, Sunshine. very quickly too. empty lots are filling in steadily. My friend in the industry told me also that Peabody stated an October groundbreaking, and that the Pointe Orlando redo is a HUGE hit with conventioneers.

OPA! is now opened at Pointe Orlando (Greek); and another restaurant; I think there's like a half-dozen or more places that have opened since the renovation: Maggiano's, Grape, Opa, Capital, Tommy, seafood place, another place(can't remember the name- saw it last night); I think Marino's went to Veranda Park;

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Sand Lake Hospital's new tower is in full swing also;

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Dellagio-- they put up barrier walls along Sand Lake and the side street (change in elevation walls); moving forward...

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Celebration-- they built out the old parking area at the edge of DT (perhaps last year), and the grassy area near the Stetson building--- much more dense now;

Titanic resurfaces at science center

Attraction to reopen in December for yearlong run.

Orlando Business Journal - September 7, 2007by Bob MervineStaff Writer

http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/sto...9396800^1516637

I guess they are going to demo the former Guiness bldg the Titanic exhibit was inside of.

I went to Old Town last night. Mercado reminded me of it a little bit...

[lauderdale75]

Lake Eve resort (condotel) on I-Drive just north of Floridays is U/C.

Neiman's Last Call is opened at Prime.

Mona Lisa at Celebration is topped off and the exterior looks close to done.

The Point Orlando condotel on Carrier Drive is looking very sweet; darkhorse development; very nice and ornate and good coloring scheme. sorry, no pix yet...

Here are some progress pics of the Lake Eve Resort you mentioned (sorry about the repost)

[JRS1]

Midtown update:

a former client of mine works at an engineering firm handling the structural aspects of the Wyndham twins. THey are preparing to submit the schematics for them this month. good news... it is moving forward. from there, may or may not break ground in the Fall.

[bic]

Unicorp has landed a hotel to accompany The Square, the new retail complex under construction on the site of the soon-to-be-razed Mercado. Dubbed Amalfi, it will be 16 stories tall and feature 424 rooms by the Hostmark Hospitality Group.

Source

[orlandonative]

I'll get you guys some renders when I get back in the office monday. If im not mistaken the print version of the OBJ might have them.

[sunshine]

If they put a big giant clock there would that make it Times Square?

[bic]

As far as the mysterious tower proposed near Dr. Phillips on Sand Lake Road (its address is 7212 W. Sand Lake Road), it is being called Phillips View Tower and will be 11 stories tall, featuring 108,000 sq. ft. of Class A office and 7,000 sq. ft. of retail space. It is located on a small site between the gourmet McDonalds and the existing office mid-rise to its west (link to map). Already under construction across the street from this site is The Rialto and Intermezzo at the Rialto. Also under construction a few hundred feet down Sand Lake Road is a new Whole Foods store and half a mile in the other direction is Unicorp's Dellagio. Here's a rendering:

[shardoon]

so the mcdonalds was saved after all

[sunshine]

All these developments are great but they are not really urban, plus you have a walmart down the street....

[codypet]

As far as the mysterious tower proposed near Dr. Phillips on Sand Lake Road (its address is 7212 W. Sand Lake Road), it is being called Phillips View Tower and will be 11 stories tall, featuring 108,000 sq. ft. of Class A office and 7,000 sq. ft. of retail space. It is located on a small site between the gourmet McDonalds and the existing office mid-rise to its west (link to map). Already under construction across the street from this site is The Rialto and Intermezzo at the Rialto. Also under construction a few hundred feet down Sand Lake Road is a new Whole Foods store and half a mile in the other direction is Unicorp's Dellagio. Here's a rendering:

WOW! That's a big building for that small spot.

[bic]

I drove down I-Drive today and saw that demolition of The Mercado has begun. Things seem to be on schedule as far as The Square goes.

I'd also like to add that I'm extremely impressed by the Pointe Orlando renovation. Now that it's almost complete, it looks sooo much better than what was there before-- there's big name quality restaurants that command your attention, outdoor seating, plenty of places to enter the complex, and it just seems so much more inviting. Pointe Orlando gets:

[JRS1]

Unicorp has landed a hotel to accompany The Square, the new retail complex under construction on the site of the soon-to-be-razed Mercado. Dubbed Amalfi, it will be 16 stories tall and feature 424 rooms by the Hostmark Hospitality Group.

Source

I missed your post earlier on this.

well, that's good news. I'll tell ya, the "island" of development between Universal and I'Drive will be even more pronounced when The Square comes to fruition, with it's buildings actually bordering both Universal and I-Drive, much like Pointe Orlando. It in and of itself will become even more of an entertainment district. Once the Peabody expansion fill in the lot SE of Pointe Orlando, this place will be unreal.

I know it's not Downtown, but so what.

[codypet]

I drove down I-Drive today and saw that demolition of The Mercado has begun. Things seem to be on schedule as far as The Square goes.

I'd also like to add that I'm extremely impressed by the Pointe Orlando renovation. Now that it's almost complete, it looks sooo much better than what was there before-- there's big name quality restaurants that command your attention, outdoor seating, plenty of places to enter the complex, and it just seems so much more inviting. Pointe Orlando gets:

Ok that's funny right there.

[bulldogger]

I'm thinking that we may be having a downturn in construction in downtown, but it is shifting to the tourist area right now. Most cities don't have that. They only have the downward spiral.

The I-drive corridor is building up now. When some of these get topped off, maybe the construction will head back downtown with the "community works" buildings (PAC, arena, CB refurbishment). We have a couple small projects being worked on right now as well. (small building at Lutheran Towers area, OUC).

Also, Jack mentioned the sales center for +1 going in soon. I just heard that the spot on Robinson that was going to be the sales center for Historic Creations is now going to be turned into an art gallery.

Edited September 18, 2007 by bulldogger

[bic]

Here's a quick shot of the Whole Foods under construction at the corner of Sand Lake and Turkey Lake Road.

[That Crazy Guy]

Here's a quick shot of the Whole Foods under construction at the corner of Sand Lake and Turkey Lake Road.

I can't wait for this to open. Whole Foods blows every other grocery store out of the water. Trust me if you live nearby you want to do your shopping there.

[prahaboheme]

The visor returns!

[bic]

The visor returns!

Haha...I don't think there's any question as to who's behind this design.

I noticed that the rendering on the construction fence is more or less what is pictured above but with a couple of subtle differences; one being a design element that Baker Barrios used on one of the original designs for Dynetech. It's a vertical rectangular extrusion near the base of the building that curves outward towards the street as it descends.

[JRS1]

I'm thinking that we may be having a downturn in construction in downtown, but it is shifting to the tourist area right now. Most cities don't have that. They only have the downward spiral.

The I-drive corridor is building up now. When some of these get topped off, maybe the construction will head back downtown with the "community works" buildings (PAC, arena, CB refurbishment). We have a couple small projects being worked on right now as well. (small building at Lutheran Towers area, OUC).

Also, Jack mentioned the sales center for +1 going in soon. I just heard that the spot on Robinson that was going to be the sales center for Historic Creations is now going to be turned into an art gallery.

part of me thinks that once the current projects are completed DT, new construction will begin (other than what we know about).

however, there's still the possibility of Verde getting a plan together that works (ala Orlandonative), and TT breaking ground by 2008, and then there's the 19 story apt bldg behind Paramount they claim will break ground this Fall. continuing talks with EA and their deal, etc... is a wait and see I guess. OUC is rolling along and the new Firestation bldg. is another, right?

as for the attractions area... yes, yes, the ORL has a slew of construction going on and slated to begin. this town is good. losts of things popping up all over the place. it is exciting...

^^

I am particularly excited about the office bldg above next to McD's; it adds a Palm Beach flair to that area. What a freakin oasis that corridor will become in less than 2 short years when those current projects are completed.

[codypet]

part of me thinks that once the current projects are completed DT, new construction will begin (other than what we know about).

however, there's still the possibility of Verde getting a plan together that works (ala Orlandonative), and TT breaking ground by 2008, and then there's the 19 story apt bldg behind Paramount they claim will break ground this Fall. continuing talks with EA and their deal, etc... is a wait and see I guess. OUC is rolling along and the new Firestation bldg. is another, right?

as for the attractions area... yes, yes, the ORL has a slew of construction going on and slated to begin. this town is good. losts of things popping up all over the place. it is exciting...

^^

I am particularly excited about the office bldg above next to McD's; it adds a Palm Beach flair to that area. What a freakin oasis that corridor will become in less than 2 short years when those current projects are completed.

I miss the Days Inn

Edited September 19, 2007 by codypet