bic

I forgot about today's meeting, but just saw a recap of it on WKMG Channel 6 news. They didn't say one positive thing about commuter rail and mainly just showed the opposition speaking out against it. One line went something like "it's hundred year old technology with a new millenium price tag." Another person said "4,500 passengers in 20 years. That's not going to get cars off I-4-- we'd be lucky if it got 100 cars off I-4." Sigh...

Maybe it's just the great renderings, but I really love the Pointe Orlando makeover. It looks like it'll become a lot more pedestrian friendly and the increased traffic should put life back into those empty storefronts.

Renderings from the article linked to above: Renovated Pointe Orlando Aqua Source - Orlando Sentinel

Competing centers for attention Pointe Orlando and the Mercado unveil makeovers for the I-Drive properties. By Jerry W. Jackson | Sentinel Staff Writer Posted August 9, 2005 Pointe Orlando and the Mercado, competing retail centers on International Drive in south Orlando, are about to take different paths with multimillion-dollar makeovers. Read More - Orlando Sentinel

FYI, demolition of the Days Inn on Sand Lake Road began a couple of days ago and nearly the entire structure has been razed to make way for The Rialto.

Orlando-area roads among nation's most deadly In 2003, metro Orlando had a rate of 17.6 traffic fatalities per 100,000 residents, a survey finds. Experts say simple and cheap fixes can alleviate deadly problems on urban roads. By Scott Powers | Sentinel Staff Writer Posted August 3, 2005 There's more bad news for folks who drive in Central Florida: Orlando roads again are being tagged as some of the deadliest in the nation. Read More - Orlando Sentinel

Federal bill ladles cash into Sand Lake Road, airport-entry projects By Scott Powers | Sentinel Staff Writer Posted August 4, 2005 Drivers are going to get some relief on Sand Lake Road and the southern entrance to Orlando International Airport from the new federal highway bill approved by Congress last week. Read More - Orlando Sentinel

The highest point is Britton Hill in Walton County at 345'. Here are a couple of pictures of it: The monument. The view. The declaration. For more info, click here or here.

Why the rush? Our position: It's premature for Orange to bless controversial growth policies today. Posted August 2, 2005 It comes as little surprise that an advisory committee will give Orange County's "pay-as-you-go" growth policies a clean bill of health today. Read More - Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Performing Arts Center relocates office The nonprofit Orlando Performing Arts Center has relocated to new offices in downtown Orlando at 445 S. Orange Ave., across from Orlando City Hall. Read More - Orlando Business Journal Summary: Basically Orlando Performing Arts Center, Inc. (OPAC) has relocated their offices to the CNL building across from Orlando City Hall as part of its campaign to show commitment to downtown revitalization. The office space was donated by the city and CNL Dickenson, Ltd. ( moved to this thread)

For those who won't click on the link to the full article above, the right most graphic that says "2050: If We Follow Research Proposal" is showing "development managed by using light rail and other transit, building with higher densities and buying critical open space." That's a pretty dramatic change...

For the record, the Unicorp people who are developing the Bellagio-inspired Aqua are also developing the Bellagio-inspired Dellagio less than 2 miles away on Sand Lake Road. Think they might just be a little too obsessed with a certain Las Vegas hotel?

12-story condo tower set to rise in Altamonte Springs By Jack Snyder | Sentinel Staff Writer Posted August 1, 2005 The skyline in Altamonte Springs is about to undergo radical change. Tower One of Emerson Plaza will soon be rising at CenterPointe On The Park. Developer Emerson International Inc. has selected Hoar Construction LLC of Birmingham, Ala., to built the $25 million, 12-story condominium tower. .... Broad Street Partners LLC, Charleston, S.C., and Orlando, is building the $35 million, 303-unit The Heritage at Millenia apartments near the Mall at Millenia in south Orlando. The project is expected to be completed next fall. . . . Read More - Orlando Sentinel

Up the street Potential competitors to the new I-Drive resort project view the news of the 2,1000-room Aqua condo hotel -- set to open in 2008 -- as a mixed blessing. Read More - Orlando Business Journal

Unicorp plans giant I-Drive condo hotel Developer envisions convention area resort with Vegas-style rooms, retail, restaurants. Bob Mervine and Jill Krueger Staff Writers ORLANDO -- Unicorp National Developments Inc. is planning the next generation of Orlando vacation resorts, a $1.5 billion Mediterranean- and water-themed complex called Aqua. Read More - Orlando Business Journal

Has Orlando home market reached peak? Noelle C. Haner Senior Staff Writer ORLANDO -- Central Florida's residential real estate market could use a good dose of Haldol. That's because the once-scorching market appears to have lapsed into a schizophrenic state, which some believe may bring the market back into balance. Read More - Orlando Business Journal

Port's cruise industry steers business all over New study counts 54,000 jobs, economic impact of $2.3 yearly. Chris Kauffmann Staff Writer Port Canaveral's ship has come in -- the economic cruise ship that is -- and that means a lot of business for all of Central Florida. Read More - Orlando Business Journal

Taking a cue from the Miami forum (ok, blatantly ripping off) I'm starting this thread so we have a place to post random news articles that don't really fit in any other topic. Rather than not posting the article at all or making a billion new threads each time an interesting article comes out, everybody can just post it here. I'll start off by posting a couple... EDIT: Apparently the forum rules have changed and have further reduced the length of articles that can be quoted. "Articles" I post on here will now be limited to the headline, the first sentence, and a link to where you can read it in its entirety.

Former Sheraton Maitland to be rebuilt, reflagged New owners will replace hotel's Irish pub with upscale restaurant. Bob Mervine Staff Writer MAITLAND -- A landmark Maitland hotel, shuttered this week after being purchased for an undisclosed amount, is slated to be revived into "the premiere hotel in Maitland," according to the new owners. Read More - Orlando Business Journal

Double post.

To answer my own question: "Eastern Connector: $1 million This proposed throughway in East Central Florida would connect the GreeneWay in Seminole County to I-95 somewhere between Port Orange and Edgewater in Volusia County, providing an east-west alternative to I-4 & U.S. 17-92. The funds would permit FDOT to perform a review of the merits and feasibility of an Eastern Connector. Florida

What is the Eastern Connector?

Federal legislation to give $15.7M for local transportation projects Federal legislation passed Friday by the House of Representatives, and which is expected to be approved by the Senate and President George W. Bush, will bring $15.7 million for Central Florida transportation projects over the next five years. In addition to naming eligible projects in Orange, Seminole and Volusia counties, the highway bill dramatically increases Florida's return on federal gas tax dollars, providing an additional $2.3 Billion in state transportation funds. "This historic measure provides Florida one of the most significant increases in federal commitment to highway and transportation improvements," says U.S. Rep. John Mica (7th District-R). "For too long the citizens of our state have subsidized new highways and bridges in other parts of the country that do not have the incredible growth we have in Florida." As a donor state, Florida pays more federal gas tax dollars than it receives, despite growing population and infrastructure needs. In his position as Florida's senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Mica led the effort to improve Florida's rate of return. The highway bill ensures Florida will receive nearly $11 billion for highway and mass transit projects over the balance of this decade. As for the local projects, federal funds will be available for up to five years and will be distributed through the Florida Department of Transportation. Among those local projects receiving money are $8 million for Central Florida commuter rail stations, $800,000 for the Eastern Connector, $1.6 million for an Interstate 4 frontage road in Volusia County, $320,000 for improvements to U.S. Highway 1, $800,000 for the East Central Florida Regional Rail Trail, $400,000 for the Lake Mary downtown bypass connector and $1.2 million for improvements to U.S. Highway 17-92 in Maitland. Source - Orlando Business Journal

Other Solis Resorts & Spa's will be in Phoenix, Atlanta, San Antonio, Chicago, and Frankfurt (Germany). "Solis Resort & Spa, Orlando is slated to open in early 2008, and will reflect a timeless contemporary design with a world-class restaurant, spa, and meeting and banquet space. With 300 guestrooms (including 60 suites), the property will feature an extraordinary pool and water features, surrounded by exquisite landscaping. The property is located adjacent to the Orange County Convention Center." Source

Luxury hotel targets Orlando By Jerry W. Jackson | Sentinel Staff Writer Posted July 29, 2005 The bustling business-tourist corridor near the Orange County Convention Center will get a boost in luxury hotel rooms if plans for a new upscale brand come through. Representatives of an Atlanta-based hotel company run by the former president of Ritz-Carlton said Thursday that it will open and manage a 300-room luxury hotel in south Orlando in 2008. The Solis Resort & Spa will be built near the convention center and will be one of six hotels to open under the new Solis brand, representatives of the West Paces Hotel Group LLC said Thursday. West Paces is headed by Horst Schulze, former Ritz-Carlton president, and is bankrolled in part by former Coca-Cola Chief Executive Officer Douglas Ivester. Convention Center Executive Director Tom Ackert said he had no details about the project but liked the concept. However, Ackert said past projects have been announced and "no dirt turned," so convention center officials "look with some skepticism" at all announcements of proposed upscale projects in the area. Read More - Orlando Sentinel