Other Metro Area Projects

[JFW657]

7 hours ago, Mark Baratelli said:

It's Lowes Home Improvement's new Orchard Supply Hardware. I did a video walk-around of the entire block last week. The Sears at Fashion Square is the site of a second one coming soon. 

I knew about the FS location, but not this one.

I'm really surprised they'd put two of them so close together.

Seems like they would've chosen a site further up 17-92 maybe around Maitland or Fern Park.

[codypet]

There's a Lowe's in Fern Park so it makes sense they wouldn't put it there since Lowe's owns Orchard.

[JFW657]

Didn't know there was a Lowe's in FP, so yeah it makes sense they wouldn't put an Orchard there.

But the WP location still seems awfully close to the proposed FS location.

But I suppose they know what they're doing.

[codypet]

They have their sights set on trying to run the Toole's ACEs and Miller HWIs out of business.  The FS one is not far from ACE in Coytown and the Aloma Bowl and Eat More Produce ones are equidistant from Millers.

[spenser1058]

Oh Thank Heaven! Yet ANOTHER 7-Eleven for us!

From Bungalower:

http://bungalower.com/2017/02/21/new-7-eleven-coming-corner-obt-south-street/

[codypet]

Next to the new police station.  I don't hate it at that location.

[HankStrong]

Oh thank heaven!

[JFW657]

Isn't there already a 7 Eleven just a few of blocks from there at Gore? Now they need another one???

Also, I notice that they're putting the main entrance on, and facing the front of building toward Jackson Street, with the back side facing South St. 

Seems kind of backwards to me.

[sunshine]

At the very leaset, 7- eleven has been building up to the street to try to give gas station an urban feel. Wawa on the other hand....

[JFW657]

Looking at it again, I see that the functional rear of the building is actually the east SIDE (in relation to the main entrance which is north facing Jackson) and faces the alley and the commercial building next door, while the ACTUAL "rear" of the building (in relation to the main entrance) is on the south side facing South St, and is made to look like a side.

Clever.

[metal93]

4 hours ago, JFW657 said:

Isn't there already a 7 Eleven just a few of blocks from there at Gore? Now they need another one???

Also, I notice that they're putting the main entrance on, and facing the front of building toward Jackson Street, with the back side facing South St. 

Seems kind of backwards to me.

There can never be enough 7-Elevens, Orlando is bent on having one in every corner.

[cwetteland]

2 hours ago, metal93 said:

There can never be enough 7-Elevens, Orlando is bent on having one in every corner.

You word this as if it's a decision Orlando is making instead of the reality, a decision 7-Eleven is making.  It's not like Orlando said, "We'd like a 7-Eleven on every corner" and 7-Eleven said "Oh well, if that's what you want".

[bqknight]

I mean, I get it's a joke but I really don't think we have that many 7-Eleven's compared to cities I have been to. Or - convenience stores I should say. That just happens to be the main one that is here and they're always busy - I don't mind them. I quite enjoy my drunk 7-Eleven food. 

[JFW657]

40 minutes ago, cwetteland said:

You word this as if it's a decision Orlando is making instead of the reality, a decision 7-Eleven is making.  It's not like Orlando said, "We'd like a 7-Eleven on every corner" and 7-Eleven said "Oh well, if that's what you want".

Apparently you are not familiar with the super secret and very powerful pro - 7 Eleven lobbyist cabal that is deeply entrenched in City Hall and Orange County Admin at the highest levels. They have their hands in every development decision that is made in Central Florida, all based on what is or is not good for 7 Eleven.

They make Disney and Universal look like little leaguers.

[metal93]

It's a conspiracy!

[AndyPok1]

Ya, the 7-eleven joke is really starting to run its course.  I like conveniently located fountain diet coke.  Proximity to one was part of my homebuying must-haves.

[spenser1058]

There is no doubt that convenience stores have a place in the community. The NY Times wrote about this recently:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/10/realestate/loving-the-bodega-downstairs.html?_r=0

And, 7-Elevens have been part of central Florida going back to a time when 7-11 meant the actual hours of a store. We were among Southland Corporation's first expansions outside of Texas and the older ones like the store on Summerlin go back to the early days when the front was nothing more than a large garage door. Employees like Bonnie have worked at  Summerlin for 20+ years. Generations of Howard students have stopped in after school for Slurpees most afternoons and it was an integral part of Eola's gay cruising culture in the pre-Grindr 70's and early 80's. The ubiquitous Jerry's Kids containers at every store leading to the big check presentation on the Labor Day MDA telethon are fondly recalled.

But today's 7-Eleven is mostly just another multinational corporation and the stores are owned by non-local franchisers. Whereas a Handy Pantry or the store at Mills and Gore can aspire to greater things, a chain store is what it is and will always be. A 7-Eleven represents the LCD (lowest common denominator) of retailing.

If you think of retail as an ecosystem, 7-Eleven has become an invasive species like water hyacinths or kudzu - initially awesome, but now threatening to crowd out the landscape.

It's not the 7-Eleven itself, but the representation of the health (or lack thereof) in our local market.

 

Edited February 23, 2017 by spenser1058

[HankStrong]

10 hours ago, AndyPok1 said:

Ya, the 7-eleven joke is really starting to run its course.  

Someone is begging to be put on double-secret probation...

[AndyPok1]

I'm happy to support Handy Pantry or Mills Market or your choice.  But they don't have fountain coke I can put on a credit card.  Therefore I'm happy with 7-eleven.

[JFW657]

10 minutes ago, AndyPok1 said:

I'm happy to support Handy Pantry or Mills Market or your choice.  But they don't have fountain coke I can put on a credit card.  Therefore I'm happy with 7-eleven.

Wawa!!!!!!!!!! 

[AndyPok1]

Just now, JFW657 said:

Wawa!!!!!!!!!! 

I almost added them (and do prefer them), but since they don't do standalone stores, they don't fit into urban spots as well.

[alex]

37 minutes ago, AndyPok1 said:

I almost added them (and do prefer them), but since they don't do standalone stores, they don't fit into urban spots as well.

I remember traveling to Philadelphia as a kid and seeing them. I didn't realize they were gas stations until they started taking over Orlando. But I guess urban versions of chain stores/restaurants are harder to pull off than new construction. 

[Jernigan]

I posted on the Philly for perspective before I began harassing Wawa to build a walkup one downtown and they said the chain was migrating away from non-fuel stores 

[Universe_Explorer]

4 hours ago, AndyPok1 said:

I almost added them (and do prefer them), but since they don't do standalone stores, they don't fit into urban spots as well.

Most of them weren't gas stations originally.  I grew up in suburban Philadelphia, and WaWa's were essentially the corner store.  Where I come from, people talk about WaWa "hoagies" the way Floridians wax poetic about Public subs...the addition of fuel pumps came as you drove closer to the Jersey shore (gas was cheaper in Jersey so everyone waited to fill up).  The whole computer ordering system didn't exist at all as far as I remember until they moved here - I assumed they changed to that paradigm in the years between me living there and them moving here.  I don't like it as much - seems cheap and more gas station-like.

[jrs2]

I'm not sure if there's a thread for this, but has anyone else noticed that in College Park, that they have already started building that massive multi-story apartment development?  I was on Princeton heading east from OBT and when I hit the light at Edgewater, there is was, up on the left, and close to The Wellsley.

I forgot the name.