MaXxlife

Orlando ranks as one of top New Year's Eve party spots Orlando Business Journal - 10:55 AM EST Tuesday New York's Times Square receives all of the attention, but a recent survey ranks Orlando higher as a travel destination for New Year's Eve. Compiled by priceline.com, the survey sampled more than 30,000 hotel bookings requested from the online travel service. Orlando hotels in the Universal Studios/SeaWorld area were the fourth most requested bookings, one spot higher than New York City's Midtown West, which includes Times Square. Hotels in the Disney World vicinity ranked eighth in requests. Las Vegas was the No. 1 destination for the second year in a row according to the survey, which is based on actual requests. Overall, 15 Florida destinations were ranked in the top 50, more than any state. Five Orlando areas made the list. Demand for rooms in the Sand Lake area ranked 13th, following by requests in the west Disney area (23rd) and around Orlando International Airport (46th). Priceline.com's top 10 destinations, in ranked order, include: * Las Vegas-strip * New York-SoHo/financial district * New York-Upper Midtown/Central Park South * Orlando-Universal Studios/SeaWorld * New York-Midtown West * Chicago-Millennium Park/Loop/Grant Park * New York-Midtown East * Orlando-Disney World * San Francisco-Union Square West * Las Vegas-convention center/University of Nevada Las Vegas

Orlando's downtown has new chief Source: Sentinel A redevelopment executive from Albany, Ga., has been hired to run Orlando's Downtown Development Board and its Community Redevelopment Agency, which oversee development of the city center. Thomas C. Chatmon Jr. has served as president and chief executive officer since 1998 of Albany Tomorrow Inc., the agency that handles redevelopment in the southwestern Georgia city. The two executive director posts in Orlando had been vacant since July, when Frank Billingsley was promoted to city economic development director. But Billingsley had done double duty during the search for his replacement, continuing to look after the downtown boards' business. Billingsley served on the committee that searched for a replacement and made a recommendation to Mayor Buddy Dyer, who announced Chatmon's appointment Thursday. In Albany, Chatmon was instrumental in developing and executing the $210 million Albany Downtown Riverfront Master Plan. The city has tied its downtown redevelopment to the Flint River, which flows through the city center. Other projects on Chatmon's watch include the Flint RiverQuarium, the Turtle Grove Play Park, and the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel and Conference Center. "Thomas' experience with downtown revitalization and master planning is the right fit for our community during this exciting time," Dyer said. "With the unprecedented level of growth and activity taking place in Orlando, I am confident that, with Thomas' forward-thinking approach, our city's downtown renaissance will continue to thrive." Billingsley said: "I'm excited to have someone with his talent and energy join our team." Billingsley said he has known Chatmon for some time through his membership in the International Downtown Association. Chatmon, who holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Morehouse College in Atlanta, is expected to start work in mid-February. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Anyone have any info on this guy?

To get on topic for a second. From The Sentinel Today

Blue Man Group on Universal's Web Site http://www.universalorlando.com/bmg_overview.html

"Central Florida health care groups break Guinness record" I was 1 of 3,271 record breaking flu shots haha! http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/sto...tml?jst=b_ln_hl Well it is a headline?!

Here is why those two locations, Country Club rd and Rinehart where chosen I believe. The traffic in the morning at that intersection can get congested due to people using LMB as a way to I-4 and the people who live off of County Club driving to work. At the same time, a big portion of kids have to cross over LMB. Simple enough, they want to have a full proof system in place to get the kids to school and once it's in place, it will require almost no maintenance. I think the Rinehart location was chosen due to an increase of people walking, jogging and biking for excersise on Rinehart rd. There is a huge town home neighborhood that is being developed very close to that intersection so I think that the pedestrian traffic will increase even more when those people start moving in. By the way those townhouses look nice. From what I've heard they are 3 stories and have personal elevator. I can't think of the name of the development right now. I'm also trying to figure out if Publix is going to take advantage of the opportunity to open a Publix GreenWise Market at the Rinehart bridge since I believe they are moving the publix that is currently there to a new location across the street where a Winn dixie was. So, that's pretty much why I think they are putting in the walkovers.

Ageed, Money probably could have been saved on the Rihnhart bridge.

If it allow's elementary school kids to cross at a busy intersection I think it is worth the money.

They document must have been updated, they just forgot to change the date. I don't remember hearing anything about a commuter rail back in 2003. On the plan it shows the location of the office for the future Commuter Rail office. There is al ot of development going on in that area right now. They just refurbished the history center. Opened a new shopping plaza and are in the process of building a pedestrian walkover over Lake Mary blvd.

Don't know if this was spurred from the Commuter Rail but it looks like Lake Mary is busting out bookoo retail all around the future Lake Mary CR station. http://www.lakemaryfl.com/maps/downtown%20master%20plan.htm

About the Trees. I think the attention is supposed to be focused on the building itself as well as the facade of the building at street level. The personality of the Plaza will be determined by the retailers that occupy the space. A subtle palm is just a nice small accessory. 2 cents worth

Father and Child

Whew..looks like we have an excited Sentinel reporter on our hands. A Sports reporter, but, be it what it may! http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/colu...=orl-sports-col Got to go catch the commuter rail to the game..see you all

Try it with IE seems to be a issue when using Firefox.

New article in the Senitel today. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/...-home-headlines Looks like we will be getting a little more than we bargained for in the new performing arts center. It seems that they would like to including offices, hotel rooms, residential towers, restaurants and shops in addition to the pac. I say bring on more towers!

I think the importance comes from the location. There's just no Orlando like Church Street Orlando.

Nice photos..It's going to like awesome with all the shiny stuff (glass) in!

The official Plaza website is a little buggy. One minute is says the Grand Opening is 10/7/06 and the next it says 10/18/06. http://plazaorlando.com/

The grand opening is scheduled for 10/7/06. Less than 2 months from now!

Sweet, 1 Min drive or 5-10 min walk to my local Lake Mary CFRail station! Pair that with the line behind my house being converted from the old CSX locomotive rail system to the new CFRail system which will be extrememly quite.....Priceless

Don't know if this has been posted.

Wow what a cool turn of events today! Nice job on the photos guys!

Oh, good to know about Star, I must have missed that. I was going to mention those I just wasn't sure what the requirements where for a building to use cranes in it's construction. I thought it was a high rise thing, but, now that I think of it, Emerson in Altamonte is using cranes for it's mid.

Thanks for the comments on the photo. I a short time from now we should be pretty close to looking like berlin in the late 90's when we add cranes for Star & all the HOPEFULL projects (crossing fingers)!

55W craines, Plaza, new Dynetech craine (kinda tough to see) & Vue