Other Metro Area Projects

[JFW657]

1 minute ago, WAJAS98 said:

They've had the new covered stadium for a decade at this point.

Even with the roof, I'm sure it's still hot and humid as hell.

Pretty much anything you do outside in Florida during the summer, aside from swimming, water skiing or surfing is uncomfortable.

[spenser1058]

7 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

Even with the roof, I'm sure it's still hot and humid as hell.

Pretty much anything you do outside in Florida during the summer, aside from swimming, water skiing or surfing is uncomfortable.

Given that the Trop is enclosed, I’m not sure weather is the problem (although certainly a consideration). After all, Atlanta ain’t no picnic in the summer, either (and without any ocean breezes nearby) and the Braves seem to be fine.

For whatever reason, MLB in Florida is simply not popular. Just like FBS football is a yawn (see UCONN) in the Northeast. I’m not sure why we’re making this complicated.

BTW, because of being farther from the coast, Orlando in the summer generally feels hotter than Miami or St. Pete (which is why it took the advent of a/c before a major city sprang up inland).

Edited November 27, 2019 by spenser1058

[JFW657]

6 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

Given that the Trop is enclosed, I’m not sure weather is the problem (although certainly a consideration). After all, Atlanta ain’t no picnic in the summer, either (and without any ocean breezes nearby) and the Braves seem to be fine.

For whatever reason, MLB in Florida is simply not popular. Just like FBS football is a yawn (see UCONN) in the Northeast. I’m not sure why we’re making this complicated.

BTW, because of being farther from the coast, Orlando in the summer generally feels hotter than Miami or St. Pete (which is why it took the advent of a/c before a major city sprang up inland).

It's pretty odd that baseball, a sport that has featured so many Hispanic players over the years (Base-a-ball been-a berry berry good to me!) would not be popular in a city known for being more Latin American than Anglo American. Maybe there's just too much other stuff going on down there for baseball to compete. Or maybe cities that have had baseball since early last century just have baseball ingrained into their psyches.

[spenser1058]

6 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

It's pretty odd that baseball, a sport that has featured so many Hispanic players over the years (Base-a-ball been-a berry berry good to me!) would not be popular in a city known for being more Latin American than Anglo American. Maybe there's just too much other stuff going on down there for baseball to compete. Or maybe cities that have had baseball since early last century just have baseball ingrained into their psyches.

I’m a good ol’ boy from the orange groves and my ancestors are all Southerners going back almost 250 years, so I can’t pretend to know. I have read, however, that soccer is beginning to eclipse baseball in the Caribbean and South America. That may have something to do with it.

Also, you’re right. It’s generally been observed that Florida having so many things to do is a challenge not only for sports but also voter turnout.

When you can go to the beach for free, why pay to sit in a stadium? Just listen on the radio from your beach towel or stream it for a few.

[Uncommon]

19 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

I’m a good ol’ boy from the orange groves and my ancestors are all Southerners going back almost 250 years, so I can’t pretend to know. I have read, however, that soccer is beginning to eclipse baseball in the Caribbean and South America. That may have something to do with it.

Also, you’re right. It’s generally been observed that Florida having so many things to do is a challenge not only for sports but also voter turnout.

When you can go to the beach for free, why pay to sit in a stadium? Just listen on the radio from your beach towel or stream it for a few.

This argument might hold some weight if California, which has its own beaches and bevy of activities, didn’t house successful baseball teams. The Dodgers, Giants, and Padres all do pretty good. The lone exception is the Oakland Athletics, but they’ve got stadium issues. 
 

There is no discernible reason why baseball doesn’t work here. It just is what it is.

[spenser1058]

2 hours ago, Uncommon said:

This argument might hold some weight if California, which has its own beaches and bevy of activities, didn’t house successful baseball teams. The Dodgers, Giants, and Padres all do pretty good. The lone exception is the Oakland Athletics, but they’ve got stadium issues. 
 

There is no discernible reason why baseball doesn’t work here. It just is what it is.

It’s all good. Personally, I’d rather any investments go toward UCF Athletics than in the pockets of billionaire owners and millionaire players with no ties to the community. Coach Lovelady is building a great team in beautiful downtown Oviedo that I enjoyed watching last year. 

Or, given the DeVos clan’s hatred for public education, there’s always our Rollins Tars.

I still wonder why, if Pat was as invested in baseball as Bianchi was pitching in his column, he didn’t spend the last ten years or so building a first-class minor league team and demonstrate Orlando’s interest in baseball. Maybe he knows that dog won’t hunt and this is the last gasp of an old man trying to relive past glories. One thing’s for sure, we’ll find out soon enough.

https://ucfknights.com/staff-directory/greg-lovelady/542

Edited November 27, 2019 by spenser1058

[spenser1058]

In another sign that Mayor Jerry Demings is finally clearing out the cobwebs that have long made OC the stodgy stepchild to Orlando, he has hired the county’s first innovation and chief technology officer.

It’s hard to overstate what a turnabout it is for the energy in local government to now be coming from the Brick Bunker instead of under the Dome. It’s gonna be fun to see where this takes us.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orange-county/os-ne-andrea-wesser-brawner-innovation-czar-20191127-6uavnowql5ayjnsvjczz5c3wxq-story.html

From the Sentinel 

[Uncommon]

1 hour ago, spenser1058 said:

It’s all good. Personally, I’d rather any investments go toward UCF Athletics than in the pockets of billionaire owners and millionaire players with no ties to the community. Coach Lovelady is building a great team in beautiful downtown Oviedo that I enjoyed watching last year. 

Or, given the DeVos clan’s hatred for public education, there’s always our Rollins Tars.

I still wonder why, if Pat was as invested in baseball as Bianchi was pitching in his column, he didn’t spend the last ten years or so building a first-class minor league team and demonstrate Orlando’s interest in baseball. Maybe he knows that dog won’t hunt and this is the last gasp of an old man trying to relive past glories. One thing’s for sure, we’ll find out soon enough.

https://ucfknights.com/staff-directory/greg-lovelady/542

I get it. I might be in the minority in Florida but I couldn’t care less about college sports. Even during UCF’s undefeated run the last couple years, I only casually paid attention. On the other hand, I’m a die-hard NFL fan and while I pay zero attention to college basketball or baseball, I’m at least mildly interested in the NBA and MLB. I would absolutely love to have a pro baseball team here and even though pro sports is typically viewed as a lot more “evil” than college sports, I think it would increase civic pride, give people another element of Orlando to root for, and would help continue to transition the City Beautiful into a “real” city. Hopefully that makes sense.

[JFW657]

3 hours ago, Uncommon said:

This argument might hold some weight if California, which has its own beaches and bevy of activities, didn’t house successful baseball teams. The Dodgers, Giants, and Padres all do pretty good. The lone exception is the Oakland Athletics, but they’ve got stadium issues. 
 

There is no discernible reason why baseball doesn’t work here. It just is what it is.

I mentioned this earlier, but I think it could have something to do with the fact that traditionally, Florida has never been a "baseball state".  Many places that have consistently high baseball attendance numbers have a large loyal fan base due to a history with baseball dating back a century or more. Baseball is a part of life in these places because generations have grown up with it. Guys who went to games with their dads who went with their dads, etc. Here in Florida, maybe it just hasn't been around long enough to really catch on.

And I still think the heat and humidity (and daily thunderstorms) might play a role, too. Even in a covered stadium, just getting out and getting to a game in our summer weather is a pain. 

 

 

[spenser1058]

One way to gauge interest in Florida sports is to look at their specialty tag sales. College football rules the roost in the Sunshine State and, accordingly, UF and FSU are top of the heap.

The two pro baseball teams are well down the list - even the Tampa Bay Lightning (hockey - in Florida!) outsells them.

https://myfloridaspecialtyplate.com/statistics.html

[spenser1058]

When is a fish farm really a sand mine? When it’s up to Lake County to regulate it:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-op-lauren-ritchie-fraudulent-fish-farm-eustis-20191224-2mxifibvbfeulk6flnbyb4okqm-story.html

From the Sentinel 

[HankStrong]

2.8 million SF of warehouses to be built in East Orlando.

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2019/12/23/breaking-3m-sf-development-planned-between-ucf-and.html

It's behind the paywall, but the gist is that Dalfen Industrial LLC just bought almost 250 acres of land and is building 2.8M SF of warehouses without a specifically stated company to lease them yet.  It's supposed to be about a $182M project to build with a lot of construction jobs for many months.  It is located SE of Lee Vista & the 417.

It seems like a good use of land that is very close to the very smelly landfill.

[codypet]

5 minutes ago, HankStrong said:

2.8 million SF of warehouses to be built in East Orlando.

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2019/12/23/breaking-3m-sf-development-planned-between-ucf-and.html

It's behind the paywall, but the gist is that Dalfen Industrial LLC just bought almost 250 acres of land and is building 2.8M SF of warehouses without a specifically stated company to lease them yet.  It's supposed to be about a $182M project to build with a lot of construction jobs for many months.  It is located SE of Lee Vista & the 417.

It seems like a good use of land that is very close to the very smelly landfill.

No brainer with the proximity to SR 528 (Port and Airport).

[HankStrong]

2 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

When is a fish farm really a sand mine? When it’s up to Lake County to regulate it:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/os-op-lauren-ritchie-fraudulent-fish-farm-eustis-20191224-2mxifibvbfeulk6flnbyb4okqm-story.html

From the Sentinel 

It's horrible, but so was the writing in that article.  I could hear the banjos playing as I read it.  Was that a middle school beat reporter?

[jgardnerucf]

.

Edited December 26, 2019 by jgardnerucf
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[orange87]

New owner takes over site that once was slated for $400M I-Drive mega mall

Article: https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2019/12/23/exclusive-new-owner-takes-over-site-that-once-was.html?ana=TRUEANTHEMFB_OR&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR0sUKhG8KRjd6BOJ4MPauD2Sun4ct0ZeE_nLcgvNd2T3CoMrUeme3OyMzA

[JFW657]

11 hours ago, orange87 said:

New owner takes over site that once was slated for $400M I-Drive mega mall

Article: https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2019/12/23/exclusive-new-owner-takes-over-site-that-once-was.html?ana=TRUEANTHEMFB_OR&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR0sUKhG8KRjd6BOJ4MPauD2Sun4ct0ZeE_nLcgvNd2T3CoMrUeme3OyMzA

So, no synopsis for us?

If we want to know what the gist of the article is, do we have to purchase a subscription?

[spenser1058]

2 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

So, no synopsis for us?

If we want to know what the gist of the article is, do we have to purchase a subscription?

It’s a surprise!

[dcluley98]

LOL. Went from 7-star resort with a Helipad and Infinity Pool to "we are going to spruce up the strip mall." 

Edited December 26, 2019 by dcluley98

[spenser1058]

5 minutes ago, dcluley98 said:

LOL. Went from 7-star resort with a Helipad and Infinity Pool to "we are going to spruce up the strip mall." 

Let’s take a moment to salute those UP posters who were convinced this was a “sure thing”!

[JFW657]

1 hour ago, spenser1058 said:

Let’s take a moment to salute those UP posters who were convinced this was a “sure thing”!

So, that means I get no salute, then.

Thanks for nothing. 

[spenser1058]

1 hour ago, JFW657 said:

So, that means I get no salute, then.

Thanks for nothing. 

We still love you, @JFW657 ! Oops, if I’m reading this right, you steered clear of the madness. A wooden nickel for you!

JFW is my hero!

It’s usually easy to tell who’s gonna fly based on the track record. Other times, like with the MEC, it’s who they know that can pull them out of the soup.

I look at the Magic like dubya’s baseball team in Texas. He had no business being in charge of it but everyone knew his daddy and friends would take care of problems. Sure enough, junior ran it in the ground and Poppy’s friends salvaged the mess.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2019 by spenser1058

[JFW657]

1 hour ago, spenser1058 said:

We still love you, @JFW657 ! Oops, if I’m reading this right, you steered clear of the madness. A wooden nickel for you!

JFW is my hero!

It’s usually easy to tell who’s gonna fly based on the track record. Other times, like with the MEC, it’s who they know that can pull them out of the soup.

I look at the Magic like dubya’s baseball team in Texas. He had no business being in charge of it but everyone knew his daddy and friends would take care of problems. Sure enough, junior ran it in the ground and Poppy’s friends salvaged the mess.

I don't get into all that "inside baseball" (no reference to Bush, his team or even baseball in general) stuff when it comes to developers, track records, are they serious players or not, etc, etc.

I just go with my (rather substantial these days) gut. If a proposed project seems plausible in terms of its scope and location, I'll keep an open mind, but remain skeptical enough to not be surprised or disappointed when it flops.

Thanks, Tradition Towers.

Anyway, I never really thought the high-rise helicopter mall sounded very serious but I never discounted it out of hand, either.

My attitude was always a hopeful wait-and-see. 

[AmIReal]

Per Dodge Data via OBJ, Central Florida (Orange, Seminole, Lake) commercial permits pulled in November 2019 showed a 45% increase over the previous year- up to $217M.

Residential declined by 10% in the same period to $396 M.

That is a pretty significant increase in commercial activity. I'm interested to see year end numbers which so far are up 18%.

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2019/12/26/heres-how-orlandos-project-values-fared-in.html?iana=hpmvp_orl_news_headline

[spenser1058]

I suspected Tradition Towers wouldn’t fly because apart from the front man having a terrible record in the Carolinas, when you looked at the firm’s previous projects the only tower they had ever built was a college dorm. 

For whatever reason, OBJ grandstanded shamelessly for them without going in to background. I don’t know if their model is to cheerlead for the industry that’s mostly buying their tabloid (literally and figuratively) or just to gin up clickbait or what.

The Sentinel did a little digging, but their columnists who bang the drum the loudest like Scott Maxwell never seemed to have it on the radar, certainly not until the suicide.

It’s kind of interesting that an online board like ours seemed to dig deeper than the media on TT, even though we had plenty of cheerleaders also.