Other Metro Area Projects

[neon9]

Yeah, I'm the pasty-white anti-sun guy.

I just drove by the Wellesley in College Park. You gotta be kidding me. The impact the Wellesley has on College Park is probably five times greater than the impact Carlysle will have on NY Ave. ANd it fits in perfectly there-- Suntrust will even have a drive thru within the parking structure behind it and close the drive thru at 441 and Princeton.

Speaking of, I'll post some pictures of the Wellesley when I get home.

[eastbank]

Speaking of, I'll post some pictures of the Wellesley when I get home.

Thanks, neon9. I haven't seen its progress in a while now and I'm interested to see how it is shaping up.

[neon9]

Pics of the Wellsley

I'll get some of the other side tomorrow, for some reason the stormwater chambers still have not been installed...

[neon9]

Sentinel article on Edgewater Drive and College Park

[JRS1]

good article. they should pepper Edgewater Drive a good chunk of the way past Par and Fairbanks with Wellesley types of projects, lik the Ivy as they discussed. It will create an alt. urban corridor to compliment Orange within the city limits.

[neon9]

good article. they should pepper Edgewater Drive a good chunk of the way past Par and Fairbanks with Wellesley types of projects, lik the Ivy as they discussed. It will create an alt. urban corridor to compliment Orange within the city limits.

I could live with that....IF they got a bus stopping at least every 15 minutes and made provisions for future mass transit....

[Chemmie]

The people who complain about these projects drive me insane. These are the type of projects you need in an urban area. The type of people moving in to Wellesley aren't going to be low income families with 7 kids, using up a ton of local services. It's going to be young singles and young married couples with no kids, paying a buttload of taxes to send your (the people complaining) children to school!

These places aren't ugly, in fact they look nice and are bringing some nice retail and eats to the area.

Stop complaining. These projects are adding to your tax-base with minimal affect on the community, with the exception of adding more higher end retail and restaurants for the locals.

...and when the hell are they going to tear down Lee Middle School and build a new one? That school, even with the bussed in urban population, is still putting some some good numbers for test scores, but is by far the most run-down school in the county/city. I guess the school system figures if the teachers/admin of Lee Middle can get results out of those students (bussed in from Parramore, Orange Shores and Mercy Dr.) in a run-down school with substandard tools, then there is no reason to make things a little easier and/or nicer. (sorry, personal bias... my wife is a teacher at Lee)

[eastbank]

re: the posted pics of the Wellesley

Wow - it sure has come quite a long way since I saw it last. I'm struck by the fact that its even taller than I had remembered -- quite a contrast to the surrounding commercial district. The next closest sized buidling - in height and mass - has got to be several miles away (!). I hope they hide that AC unit (2nd to last photo).

Cheers

eastbank

[facilities man]

re: the posted pics of the Wellesley

Wow - it sure has come quite a long way since I saw it last. I'm struck by the fact that its even taller than I had remembered -- quite a contrast to the surrounding commercial district. The next closest sized buidling - in height and mass - has got to be several miles away (!). I hope they hide that AC unit (2nd to last photo).

Cheers

eastbank

Several miles??? Florida hospital is about 1 mile away, so is the science center. The gateway center and former Radison are about 1 1/2 miles away. The core of downtown is 2 to 2 1/2 miles away. There always has to be one taller building that is built first. When the other proposed similar projects are built in College Park they will compliment each other and blend in.

[eastbank]

Several miles??? Florida hospital is about 1 mile away, so is the science center.

OK, so substitute "1 or 2 miles away" for "several miles."

Still one hell of a contrast.

When the other proposed similar projects are built in College Park they will compliment each other and blend in.

They won't ever blend in with what College Park was/is, but they'll certainly blend together to form a new reality.

Its going to take a while to expect 1-2 or 3 miles to in-fill with multistory development.

In the meantime, I suppose someone, somewhere, has decided the College Park is destined to be an "urban" location. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I just believe that a good portion of its residents do not share that vision. There is and will be other urban neighborhoods downtown, but there's not likely to ever be another College Park.

Oh well. Time moves on, and homogenization continues.

[facilities man]

They won't ever blend in with what College Park was/is, but they'll certainly blend together to form a new reality.

Agreed, They will not blend in with what College Park was/is, but neither does the highrise construction downtown blend in with what was in downtown Orlando 30 years ago. It's replacing what was there. The new projects in College Park will tie into each other well though and change the area for the better in my opinion. Everyone has there own opinion though and I recognize there are many who wish College Park would stay the same forever. It isn't gonna happen. How long have you lived in Orlando? Look around, things change on a daily basis. There's nowhere around here that hasn't changed dramatically. Actually it's kind of surprising how long College Park has avoided dramatic changes. This is just the start.

[JRS1]

Yeah, I agree. Many make the argument against new projects b/c they don't blend in with what's there. they made this argument with the DT Sanford proposal.

I don't like that argument b/c it presupposes that what was/has been there is and should stay as the norm. With that in mind, an are could never really ever develope out of its existing non-developed condition. In this case, a resid. bldg. that's 7 stories tall.

Wellesley will give College Park more clout as a worthwhile neighborhood. Just like all the new bldgs. going up in WP (not that WP needs any help in that dept.).

BTW, I heard that WP City Hall- that there is a proposal for its replacement. news to me.

Also, what are they going to build off Denning behind WP Village?

[eastbank]

BTW, I heard that WP City Hall- that there is a proposal for its replacement. news to me.

People have been in the 'talking' stages of this idea for many, many years. Perhaps now it is finally getting some traction, but I suspect it is still at least a few years off. That is one mixed use project, if done to the right scale and standards (which I have no reason to suspect won't be the case, given the scutiny such a project will get), that would be very exciting for the village center.

Also, what are they going to build off Denning behind WP Village?

I'm not sure of the specifics, could it be the proposed 200 condo units to complete the project, or is it the upcoming parking garage perhaps??

[neon9]

re: the posted pics of the Wellesley

Wow - it sure has come quite a long way since I saw it last. I'm struck by the fact that its even taller than I had remembered -- quite a contrast to the surrounding commercial district. The next closest sized buidling - in height and mass - has got to be several miles away (!). I hope they hide that AC unit (2nd to last photo).

Cheers

eastbank

They sure as hell better, that's the view from my house. Per City LDC it must be hidden so I am waiting for that to happen...

I know there are people who hate what's going on (someone on mycollegepark.com called it 'raping cp'), but again I think most people are glad to see some development. It was a little sad to see businesses open then close a few months later. I'm somewhere in the middle, I'd like to see more development but I'd like for it to be taken slowly, this is a big change and no one is exactly sure how much different it will be with 100+ condos on Edgewater and Smith now. Honestly, I think traffic is the main concern, other than 'it just doesn't fit in' which I don't subscribe to. That's one of the reasons I like the neighboorhood, no one tells me I can't have a metal roof or that I can't paint my house yellow (not that I want to..) Well, personally I'm concerned with stormwater and open space issues also, but that's over most people's heads. In this case, they replaced parking lot with building which is a net positive on stormwater, not really here or there with open space.

By the way, Edgewater H.S. appears to be asking for a variance, there is a sign out front. Anyone know what that might be?

Edited May 11, 2006 by neon9

[Chemmie]

College Park isn't a suburb anymore. That's it.

[eastbank]

Today's OrlandoSentinel article on the ongoing stalemate and growing calls to scale back the Carslyle....

When its all said and done this project will show that new development and preservation of a sense of place are not mutually exclusive -- but only if residents care, get active, keep a close watch, and a tight hold of the leash of the developers.

Hooray compromise, planning, and forethought!

[JRS1]

I say hooray for the USPS putting its foot down and telling the City to stick it. In a town where there are 4+ story bldgs just across the street existing and U/C, I don't see what the big deal is. If anyone has a full rendering and/or site plan, I'd like to see it to better understand what the big debate is about.

[eastbank]

I say hooray for the USPS putting its foot down and telling the City to stick it.

At this late point in the debate, I'd say its a matter of deciding WHO will make the sacrifices necessary to reach the compromise required to get the project started. Without USPS approval, this project is dead. Clearly, the developer would prefer to move the USPS sort functions than to compromise the number of condo units, the retail floorspace, or parking garage.

Something will give. But, indeed, hooray to all parties involved standing their ground and not letting a developer dictate the terms, scale, and future of a city to its residents.

In a town where there are 4+ story bldgs just across the street existing and U/C, I don't see what the big deal is. If anyone has a full rendering and/or site plan, I'd like to see it to better understand what the big debate is about.

There are no other buildings of this height or mass that are directly contiguous to the parkspace. I know some people apparently don't care about the special status of this location - in contrast to lots on Fairbanks or Morse or wherever else, but clearly enough do such that the political reality of the situation requires compromise.

I'm glad arbitration is ongoing and hope to see a Carlyle soon that everyone can be proud of (... or none at all!). We can afford to be picky.

I don't have full renderings, but these 2 images I'd previously saved show the (proposed, no-final-approval, now indefinitely postponed and subject to revision) height and density to scale.

Cheers

eastbank

[neon9]

At this late point in the debate, I'd say its a matter of deciding WHO will make the sacrifices necessary to reach the compromise required to get the project started. Without USPS approval, this project is dead. Clearly, the developer would prefer to move the USPS sort functions than to compromise the number of condo units, the retail floorspace, or parking garage.

I'm not so sure, the USPS would be a good tenant. Anyway, it's some city councilman and Mica asking for it.

This is just going to be 4 stories? I thought it was taller than that...although the rendering looks dreadful.

[eastbank]

I'm not so sure, the USPS would be a good tenant. Anyway, it's some city councilman and Mica asking for it.

This is just going to be 4 stories? I thought it was taller than that...although the rendering looks dreadful.

Surely they don't want to do away with the USPS presence, that's the cornerstone of the buidling's public space. What I was suggesting, and the compromise proposed by Mica and others (though opposed by USPS) would be to put the sort facility elsewhere, while maintaining a USPS retail presence - as a way to reduce the building's bulky size without compromising the amount of lucrative, taxable, condo and retail floorspace.

The old proposal called for 4 stories (though in some places, features make it look like 5), with a max height of 67' at the corners.

This will likely change before its built. Now its just a question of who/what takes the cut. Clearly, the USPS wants that burden on the developer.

Edited May 12, 2006 by eastbank

[JRS1]

That thing is a monster.

Is that the prelim. design? would the USPS trucks all be in the bldg thus eliminating the parking lot and loading docks currently there? THat pict. makes it look super big.

What are the border streets for this? Is it W. Canton and Carolina? In other words, what's the length on it?

Also, after looking at an aerial view, I would just move the whole USPS somewhere else in WP and convert the land, its parking lot, and the lot just south of Morse along NY Ave into park space.

[gibby]

Looks like the balconies will hang out over the right-of-way. Is that true?

[JRS1]

Emerson Plaza (Alta.): Are they waiting to complete the first tower before starting on the second tower? If so, is it for the sake of access on that narrown parcel?

[bulldogger]

This will look like crap in WP. For that massive 'block' to go in, I think it would need some serious stone work on the lower level to look good.

[facilities man]

Emerson Plaza (Alta.): Are they waiting to complete the first tower before starting on the second tower? If so, is it for the sake of access on that narrown parcel?

Not sure... I thought they were going to build two towers at a time as well. It looks like they are building an access wall for the property now just North of the first tower. This one went up fast. The narrow strip of land may have something to do with the way the first couple towers go up.

Small mention today in the CFB section of the Sentinel about the Park Towers to be built across the Lake from the Emerson project. The caption on the picture said the Park Towers are to start construction in August. They are supposed to be 13 and 16 stories.