Other Metro Area Projects

[spenser1058]

Huge retail, commercial center will serve Villages' rapid growth

Yahoo! Older Tea Party Republicans will have yet another themed adventure to retire to as The Villages begins construction on a third town square area.

Edited September 24, 2012 by spenser1058

[Jernigan]

I was at a meeting in Sumter County and overheard something that I thought was pretty funny. There is a demand for transportation to get from The Villages down to shopping areas in Mount Dora, Leesburg, etc.

So basically, these people pay a premium to live in a facaded traditional neighborhood and now find themselves longing to go to a real one. Could have just saved some money and moved there in the first place?

[spenser1058]

Florida Hospital's plans for Winter Garden worry some residents

http://www.orlandose...0,3773516.story

My, the NIMBYs are in full dudgeon over this. I had to chuckle. In this Republican-leaning area full of gated communities, one resident's free-market priorities seem to have hit a wall:

'"Gregory Lee, 30, a father of three who lives in Stone Crest, questioned whether another hospital was needed in the area or whether Florida Hospital simply wanted an asset to compete with a rival, 171-bed Health Central inOcoee, part of Orlando Health.

If competition was the motive, "that's a want," Lee said. "That's not a need."'

Edited September 25, 2012 by spenser1058

[John Hargrove]

^ Love it.

Edited September 25, 2012 by castorvx

[sunshine]

Does anyone know what are they building at the Rob & Stuckey sites by Millenia?

[Scooter77]

Does anyone know what are they building at the Rob & Stuckey sites by Millenia?

Container Store

[klstorey]

One of three new ones to Florida. Should be open by Spring.

[prahaboheme]

^{Pro-soccer stadium could be in Orlando's future}

^{http://articles.orla...m-mls-franchise}

^{Unfortunately, it appears "Orlando City" Soccer will not be looking for a stadium location within the Orlando city limits at all. Naturally, this excites Teresa Jacobs who seems onboard with the idea to dish out the tourism tax to help pay for this unlike the Citrus Bowl renovations and the performing arts center.}

Edited October 1, 2012 by prahaboheme

[FLClarkKent]

^{Pro-soccer stadium could be in Orlando's future}

^{http://articles.orla...m-mls-franchise}

^{Unfortunately, it appears "Orlando City" Soccer will not be looking for a stadium location within the Orlando city limits at all. Naturally, this excites Teresa Jacobs who seems onboard with the idea to dish out the tourism tax to help pay for this unlike the Citrus Bowl renovations and the performing arts center.}

Teresa will have to check her text messages to determine how to proceed.

Snark aside, I have mixed feelings about this. Partly because I don't know much about soccer. How big of a deal is an MLS team? Would it be able to attract 20,000 people? Can the Orlando market realistically support another sports venue? Can the Citrus Bowl be made more "soccer friendly"? Would love to hear some of the opinions of the smart folks on this board.

[Pete C]

Teresa will have to check her text messages to determine how to proceed.

Snark aside, I have mixed feelings about this. Partly because I don't know much about soccer. How big of a deal is an MLS team? Would it be able to attract 20,000 people? Can the Orlando market realistically support another sports venue? Can the Citrus Bowl be made more "soccer friendly"? Would love to hear some of the opinions of the smart folks on this board.

The Citrus Bowl cannot be made more soccer friendly as the MLS has already said that it will not grant an expansion franchise to Orlando without a soccer-specific stadium in its long-term plans. The way the MLS was able to turn things around and become a success was with these soccer-specific stadiums, so that is now their blueprint. Since soccer can't pull 80,000 fans like it can in Europe, the only way to create that atmosphere is to have a more intimate venue which makes the place packed and loud. As anyone can attest, seeing tens of thousands of empty seats in the upper decks of the Citrus Bowl makes the place look empty, even when there are 11,000 fans in the lower bowl.

As for whether Orlando can support it, it would seem it can. Orlando City is a minor league team and averaged 6,604 fans per game which is by far the most in the minor leagues. The playoffs have proven to draw well over 8,000, and the final last year drew over 11,000. An MLS stadium typically seats 20,000, so they are half-way there with very limited exposure or MLS backing.

[spenser1058]

Toole Ace Hardware buys up a whole block

http://www.wotimes.com/articles/2012/10/19/news/business/business01.txt

Here's a local businessman making a major expansion in a downtown location. Downtown Orlando badly needs a hardware store. And the reason DDB or the folks at City Hall are not aggressively courting someone with long-term interest in the area and particularly in-town locations? THIS is the road back for downtown retail, but I'm told no one has ever picked up the phone and so much as called Mr. Toole.

[RedStar25]

It's because he is a tool.... har har har.

I totally agree downtown needs a hardware store. The closest one is what, Miller in Winter Park?

[spenser1058]

I was asked, "What about Palmer's?" I LOVE Palmer's! If you haven't been, make a point to stop in sometime when you're downtown - it really is a slice out of old Orlando (although the store itself is brand new due to a fire a couple of years back that gutted the old building.)

My only challenge is that it's a bit of a walk from downtown proper (it's at 912 W. Church, making a 9-block hike just from Orange Ave and of course even further for those of us on the other side of Lake Eola, especially if you have to lug anything very heavy back with you.) Also, because of their emphasis on livestock and gardening, they tend not to have as much in the hardware department as Ace does, although they have really stepped up over the years to try and fill that niche as the other hardware stores downtown closed. I think my ideal would be to have Palmer's and something like Miller's Hardware (called the "women's hardware store" back when that was PC; today they carry a lot of small appliances and things Rollins dormies might need in addition to hardware items) closer to Orange Ave.

Let me add that an East-West Lymmo will really help with access to Palmer's.

http://www.palmerfeedstore.com/

http://www.millers.d...t.com/home.aspx

Edited October 21, 2012 by spenser1058

[Jernigan]

Also the south LYMMO extension will have a stop at Orange and Grant - cant get much closer to Ace than that!

[smileguy]

Let's not forget Thomas Lumber. There have been times when I'll go to Ace in SODO for an item, and they don't have it and send me to Thomas.

[JFW657]

Construction fences are going up this morning around the parking lot in front of the old Albertson's at Orange & Michigan as construction has begun on the renovation & transformation of the building into a Walmart Neighborhood Market.

Yay!!!! (for all us not-quite-so-upscale types that is )

Been waiting for that.

Look for opening sometime after the beginning of the year.

[prahaboheme]

Is this still going to resemble a suburban strip mall or will they incorporate urban elements?

[JFW657]

They have done extensive exterior renovations on the entire place, including the Publix. There is a stylish, modern looking new Applebee's in the old Blockbuster Video next door as well.

Not really sure what you mean by "urban elements", but I'm sure it will be a huge step up from what was there.

No multi story, mixed-use residential structures etc., I'm fairly certain.

[Jernigan]

No new urban componants or reduction of parking. It would be great to see that kind of retrofit given that LYMMO will circulate the property. Is this Weingarten? Wouldn't it be great if they would explore retrofitting this and Colonial Plaza for density and better integration to surrounding uses?

Given the big box nature of the stores - especially the big 3 that staircase (Walmart, Office Depot and Publix) it makes it difficult for infill. All of those stores require parking to be successful and also make it hard to build around them.

There are empty parcels along Orange in between BB&T and RBC Bank and again between RBC Bank and Chick-Fil-A. I think residential towers could work best there or along pineloch. Potential is there on Delaney as there is a closed Shell station and a USPS facilitiy.

[spenser1058]

The Caruso family, which owns Southside Center or whatever we're calling it these days, is an honorable FFO and also completely traditional in their development agenda. I would expect nothing more than whatever passes for conventional quasi-suburban development these days.

[gibby]

Below is a link to the MPB report for the project. I think the three new buildings on Orange/Michigan will be awesome.

http://www.cityoforlando.net/planning/cityplanning/MPB/2010%20MPB%20Agenda%20Minutes%20%26%20Staff%20reports/May/5.%20MPL2010-00007%20mkt%20southside.pdf

[Jernigan]

I am also excited about more retail options - but am concerned with the layout.

It reminds me a lot of the plaza with Target on 50/Maguire near Fashion Square. Not only is it a mess for pedestrians/bicyclists - but it's not even enjoyable to navigate by car.

[prahaboheme]

Unicorp to anchor new retail centers with Trader Joe’s?

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/print-edition/2012/10/26/unicorp-to-anchor-new-retail-centers.html

[aent]

UCF area has a few housing projects that are well on there way and have gone vertical:

Northview finally is really going after the 6 years of delays, its under construction as a 7 story building right near BHNS:

Along with the Academic Village expansion on campus:

And the greek houses:

The UC7 plaza also is scheduled to break ground very soon, with everyone in that plaza now kicked out.

[aent]

and I guess UC7 at Alafaya/University is breaking ground this week for the mixed-use 5 story project with a 10 story parking garage on site. The landscape of Alafaya and UCF area is really changing very rapidly with some increased density, hopefully they will get some sort of project off the ground to make UCF's surrounding roads at least a little more pedestrian friendly.