Other Metro Area Projects

[prahaboheme]

I imagine Altamonte Springs has the same feeling!

[Abent1988]

This building is the laughing stock of Central Florida.  What a joke...

[spenser1058]

I have to say there's a certain amount of authenticity in the fact that, historically, great cathedrals often remained unfinished for hundreds of years (I believe I read the National Cathedral in D.C. was not entirely complete - even before the earthquake) and our very own St. Luke's Episcopal Cathedral downtown went unfinished until the 1980's when it was finally completed with, among other features, the flying buttresses. So, all in good time, I suppose, even if my preference in sanctuaries runs to something decidedly more traditional.

[JFW657]

It's not a bad looking building.

 

I wish it were downtown.

 

More interesting looking design than anything else down there.

[codypet]

Anyone else bothered by the fact that she's filming a report while driving?

[eq74]

The church should sell it. The memory of the eyesore of the unfinished building will forever (at least for a long time) will be linked to this project and the church. I celebrated 11 years at my Lake Mary job yesterday and remember driving past it on my first day from Orlando (it was about up to the 4th level at the time) so you know I'm sick of looking at it!

[eq74]

 

The church should sell it. The memory of the eyesore of the unfinished building will forever (at least for a long time) will be linked to this project and the church. I celebrated 11 years at my Lake Mary job yesterday and remember driving past it on my first day from Orlando (it was about up to the 4th level at the time) so you know I'm sick of looking at it!

 

Duh,I forgot to write my whole point: Whatever the reasons for the delays, the church is unfortunately being a bad neighbor to Altamonte Springs.

[JFW657]

I doubt they care.

It's all about their own self aggrandizement I'm guessing.

"Look at our big, shiny building everybody!!!!"

[DeepEyez]

This dude has been saying "It'll take just another year or two" for the past ten years. He says it's a testament to his fiscal prudence. I say it's a testament to the fact that there's a shrinking number of rubes willing to fork over their hard-earned cash to greedy televangelists who want to memorialize their perceived awesomeness in an 18-story tower.

 

I keep waiting to hear somebody is going to tear it down....for now, it just doesn't seem to be the case.

[nite owℓ]

It's not a bad looking building.

 

I wish it were downtown.

 

More interesting looking design than anything else down there.

 

Funny you shoud wish for it to be downtown, because if my memory serves me right it's a Baker-Barrios design (like many other projects downtown). I used that building as a landmark to make sure I hadn't missed my exit on my way to work since I sometimes spaced out while driving Eastward.

 

I hope DPAC won't become known as a half-finished eyesore, given Phase II's financial uncertainty. :shudders:

[Alleri459]

It may have been mentioned here by now, but does anyone have any idea of what is getting built on on the northeast corner of 17-92 and Sybelia Ave? I saw walls of a decent sized building going up driving past this area last night. Any info would be great.

[sunshine]

Next Horizon West village gears up for development in Orange County

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/print-edition/2013/03/22/next-horizon-west-village-gears-up-for.html

 

 

Why cant they leave those forrest alone......

[JFW657]

Couple of smaller projects here:

 

They're adding a new addition to the Winn Dixie building on Curry Ford across from the new Wawa.

 

Looks like it's going to be a restaurant, judging by the location of plumbing fixtures back when they were doing the foundation:

 

 

And of course, the new Walmart Neighborhood Market going up where the old Albertson's at Orange & Michigan used to be.

 

They look to be about a month or so out:

 

.

[FLClarkKent]

Couple of smaller projects here:

 

They're adding a new addition to the Winn Dixie building on Curry Ford across from the new Wawa.

 

Looks like it's going to be a restaurant, judging by the location of plumbing fixtures back when they were doing the foundation:

 

 

And of course, the new Walmart Neighborhood Market going up where the old Albertson's at Orange & Michigan used to be.

 

They look to be about a month or so out:

 

.

 

I was told by one of the owners of Theo's that the addition to the Winn Dixie shopping center on Curry Ford will include a pizza place and a hair salon. If you haven't been to Theo's, I highly recommend. A great local restaurant with fantastic gyros, baklava AND pretty good fried chicken.

 

A new bar called Rogue Pub opened in that shopping center recently, too. A craft beer joint from what I've read. Seems like they're doing good, as the parking lot looks pretty packed.

[FLheat]

Another 7-11 is being built on the corner of Colonial and Ferncreek.  The old Marathon station was torn down and they currently are digging up the tanks.

[FLClarkKent]

Another 7-11 is being built on the corner of Colonial and Ferncreek.  The old Marathon station was torn down and they currently are digging up the tanks.

 

Will they be building another "fortress" style 7-11, like the ones on Colonial/Orange and Princeton/Orange?

[alex]

Will they be building another "fortress" style 7-11, like the ones on Colonial/Orange and Princeton/Orange?

 

It's still hard to tell, but it looks like a small building will go right on the corner of Colonial/Ferncreek, to the edge of the lot.  Farther east, they're digging huge holes, which I assume will be the tanks and the pumps.  Or I have it all wrong and I'm just being hopeful that it will be a little more pedestrian friendly!  Any way to find plans for that site?  I haven't been able to find any MPB notes.

[truebluecfl]

http://www.wesh.com/news/sports/-/11788256/19892786/-/format/rsss_2.0/-/ab6bwv/-/index.html

 

UCF released renderings of its plans to expand Brighthouse and add sports infrastructure. Dont really know if they need to expand it unless attendance gets significantly better, or if they start selling beer at games...

 

Id rather see them expand the soccer complex so that it could be used for more events, possibly as Orlando City's temporary site. Would have to be expanded to 8k atleast though. Would make more sense than an upper deck that wont be used.

[aent]

http://www.wesh.com/news/sports/-/11788256/19892786/-/format/rsss_2.0/-/ab6bwv/-/index.html

 

UCF released renderings of its plans to expand Brighthouse and add sports infrastructure. Dont really know if they need to expand it unless attendance gets significantly better, or if they start selling beer at games...

 

Id rather see them expand the soccer complex so that it could be used for more events, possibly as Orlando City's temporary site. Would have to be expanded to 8k atleast though. Would make more sense than an upper deck that wont be used.

While we don't have details of how exactly it will work quite yet, on the east side of the stadium for 2014 they are adding a new "tiki style" club that will replace some existing seats and presumably serve alcohol. As its on the opposite side of the stadium as the existing premium seating, I'd imagine it will be available to the other patrons.

 

Also, the 10,000 seat expansion is the third phase of the plans, with the tiki bar opening fall 2014 and a luxury box expansion scheduled before that as well, so its not exactly coming any time soon. The soccer stadium just got an expansion a year or so ago from 500 to 2k permanent seating. I can't imagine the need for 8k... if it temporarily hosts Orlando City there is plenty of room for temporary bleachers.

 

The baseball stadium should look much better next season and should be of the caliber to host a minor league team (which was the plan a few years ago but has since disappeared). It'd be nice to see that come back now that the stadium will be of whats needed for that...

[truebluecfl]

While we don't have details of how exactly it will work quite yet, on the east side of the stadium for 2014 they are adding a new "tiki style" club that will replace some existing seats and presumably serve alcohol. As its on the opposite side of the stadium as the existing premium seating, I'd imagine it will be available to the other patrons.

 

Also, the 10,000 seat expansion is the third phase of the plans, with the tiki bar opening fall 2014 and a luxury box expansion scheduled before that as well, so its not exactly coming any time soon. The soccer stadium just got an expansion a year or so ago from 500 to 2k permanent seating. I can't imagine the need for 8k... if it temporarily hosts Orlando City there is plenty of room for temporary bleachers.

 

The baseball stadium should look much better next season and should be of the caliber to host a minor league team (which was the plan a few years ago but has since disappeared). It'd be nice to see that come back now that the stadium will be of whats needed for that...

Good to hear. I remember when UCF used to play in the Citrus Bowl they served beer and everything worked out fine, so i never saw a reason to stop people from drinking at games when people had been doing it for years (besides the fact that its on campus now and they have the right not to serve). Plus it could deffinently help with attendance bringing in more casual fans who want to make a night of it, this would help fill that expansion in years to come.

 

I guess your right about the soccer field, temperorary bleachers could fill up the running track if necessary. Was thinkng it could be used for more though with extra permamant seating, outdoor concerts, music festivals, ect.

 

The baseball stadium will look great, dont have much more input on that.

[CaptainJustice]

Will they be building another "fortress" style 7-11, like the ones on Colonial/Orange and Princeton/Orange?

I do like the 7-11 they built  a little further to the west right pass I-4 on the North Side of Colonial right before OBT over the one at Orange and Colonial

[Jernigan]

This one looks like it will be the same as the one you are referencing (Colonial and Edgewater) from what they have built so far.

[prahaboheme]

Kissimmee Lakefront Redevelopment Update - Phase I and II are now complete (Phase III, the final phase, is now underway).  This has been a MAJOR project for Kissimmee, and it looks incredible.  I am really impressed by Kissimmee's efforts to revitalize it's core over the last decade, and there is a lot of additional plans on the horizon including reducing Main Street/Broadway from 4 lanes to 2 lanes to encourage more pedestrian traffic, and building the new Intermodal Transit Center (Lynx, SunRail, Amtrak).

 

A few images, courtesy of Burkhardt Construction (http://www.burkhardtconstruction.com/kissimmee-lakefront-streetscape-phase2)

 

 

The pavilion and pier remind me a bit of Charleston's Waterfront Park.

 

 

 

At night:

 

http://www.yelp.com/biz/kissimmee-lakefront-park-kissimmee

 

 

 

New sea wall:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/kissimmee-lakefront-park-kissimmee

 

 

 

http://www.yelp.com/biz/kissimmee-lakefront-park-kissimmee

 

 

 

http://www.yelp.com/biz/kissimmee-lakefront-park-kissimmee

 

 

 

Rain gardens have been incorporated into the landscape (instead of retention ponds):

http://www.yelp.com/biz/kissimmee-lakefront-park-kissimmee

 

 

 

 

 

Brick streets and roundabouts have replaced most four-way stops around the downtown core area:

 

http://www.yelp.com/biz/kissimmee-lakefront-park-kissimmee

[FLClarkKent]

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

[prahaboheme]

New Hard Rock Hotel to debut in Daytona Beach in 2016

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2013/05/new-hard-rock-hotel-to-debut-in.html?s=image_gallery