FLClarkKent

Interesting idea...out of the box thinking, to say the least. State Rep. Proposes Gondolas For Orlando

My folks live in Tulsa, and the BOK Center gets an A+ in the design department. When it comes to street interaction, pedestrian friendliness, true urbanity, etc. -- C+, at best. I've read a lot of posts comparing costs...I have to assume the cost of the Orlando Events Center and the BOK Center take into account the cost of land. Let me tell ya, you can get a lot more land for the buck in Oklahoma than you can in Central Florida. I would imagine the differences in property values have a major impact in the cost disparities between these two centers.

Not quite "news," but Orlando was a featured city in a new series on The Travel Channel - "Samantha Brown's Passport to Great Weekends." First travel show I've seen where someone visits Orlando and stays downtown (at The Grand Bohemian, to be exact). The show made downtown look pretty hoppin'. Good stuff. This episode aired last night. Not sure when it will repeat. Here's a link: http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Sama...?vgnextfmt=show

I participated in a charity walk to benefit the Hope and Help Center. It was held at Lake Eola. I snapped a few photos with the camera phone. Not the greatest shots, but hey, I was walking. Central Boulevard Paramount behind the oaks Downtown duck fountain Pug in the downtown duck fountain Staging ground for walk Eola Skyline View of the Vue Eola Skyline Dynetech and Library

Interesting piece in Slate on how iconic buildings aren't always what they're cracked up to be. Food for thought as we discuss the possible design of the OPAC. Slate article

The Majesty Building is a surprisingly nice design. If they would finish the lower levels (with glass or whatever material they plan on using) it at least wouldn't look so, well, unfinished. What's it going on now? Six years under construction?

Why are one-way streets considered by many to be poor urban planning? I've read that opinion elsewhere, but have never seen an explanation. And I read that the city was switching a street to one-way, but never read why? Anyone know?

I wonder if anyone advised Rosen of the politcal and public relations costs to such a move? Even if he is successful in blocking all three venues (highly unlikely, in my opinion. I don't even see the petitions getting off the ground), just think of the backlash in the community. "Hey, there's Harris Rosen. The guy who owns some hotels and, oh yeah, got rid of the arts center, new arena and improved Citrus Bowl. What a guy!" And that doesn't even get into the fact that Crotty and Dyer must be seriously peeved right about now, and probably the folks at Disney and Universal, who were also onboard with this. I'm curious as to how many petitions they do get signed, though. I just have a feeling that many of the people who are so adamently opposed to these projects are the small but vocal minority who are often opposed to everything -- just for the sake of being opposed to someting. I'd be surprised if they were 50,000 strong. I think many more people were wary of a Citrus Bowl renovation, but I doubt they would want to sink or delay all three projects and would not sign such a petition.

And I am the first to say "SWEET."

Ever notice that no matter where you go, there's a small yet vocal segment of the population that's against everything? I think the debates over how these things will be paid for are valid. But it often feels that most of the opponents to the venues plan oppose it because, well, they just oppose everything. Weird.

From my understanding, Church Street Station is a big part of the Orlando Ghost Tours. I've never done it before, but I think it's kind of a neat thing to have downtown. (And, before anyone asks, I am not affiliated with it.) http://www.hauntedorlando.com/

Negative much? Besides, this is all a move to get the Magic to pitch in more cash. And when push comes to shove, the Magic aren't going to abandon Orlando. Not for Kansas City, or whichever flavor or the month metro is said to be clamoring for an NBA franchise. Florida has the growth, and few places in Florida are growing as fast as Orlando. The Magic know this, and they'll pony up at the last minute. The deal will happen. These things will get built, there will just be a lot of hand wringing and political histrionics along the way.

Thanks for the pictures. Just a question: Are the developers going to do anything with the area just above the Plaza's front awning? It just looks so, well, unfinished. It's really jarring to see the plain concrete and what looks like bar-covered openings right in the middle of the Plaza's main entrance.

You're right - it is an isolationist stance. It's almost as if many of these people believe that if Winter Park ignores the growth that's happening all around it, maybe it will go away.

I dind't think that 55W would be quite so visible from that angle. Should make the Lake Eola view more interesting.

I like it, too. And I'm not a huge fan of brutalism. The library, in my uniformed opionion, is brutalism-lite. I don't know what kind of material was used, but it looks enough like natural stone to make it a little more fluid and less harsh than a lot of brutalist buildings.

I wouldn't call them crazy or nuts. I wouldn't even call these vocal opponents to a commuter rail stop in Winter Park elitist or snobs (although I think that's debatable). What I would call them is myopic. And a little naive. A gentleman recently wrote a Letter to the Editor in the Orlando Sentinel referring to Winter Park as a "village" that didn't need a commuter rail stop because it wasn't a commuter town. Again, that's all debatable. But it was a statement that summed up the intense inward focus that many people in this area have. It really drove home what I think is our biggest urban development problem. Winter Park (and you can substitute Maitland, or any other city in the region) isn't a fiefdom in far-flung isolated corner of the world. It's part of a much larger urban area. And every city needs to take part in shaping how this larger urban area is developed. If we don't address our collective traffic issues, Winter Park will very much become a "commuter town" - as it already takes quite some time to get in and out of the city. It will only get worse. And if we don't address our collective traffic issues, our entire metro area will becme a much less desirable place to live - therefore making Winter Park a much less desirable place to live too.

And a credit check.

How does Amway Arena sound? That's what the Sentinel is reporting today: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/...-home-headlines

I'd assume it's part of the piece. Looks as if its made from raw materials of some sort or another. Anyway, why damage a pipe at the uppermost part of the statute when one could vandalize the statue itself? But I know less about vandalism than I do art. Read an interesting piece about the artist. Quite a backstory. From an Orange County (Calif.) alt weekly. http://www.ocweekly.com/culture/arts/a-lit...kefeller/26094/

Can't wait until they get Midtown built. What an eyesore! Keep us posted on the tenants...I don't get to T-Town much these days.

Thanks, D.C. So have they actually started work on the Midtown project? And did they finalize the list of tenants for the stores?

The Majesty Building looks 10,000 times better now than it did just a few years ago. Having most of it covered in its mirrored glass exterior really helps. For what seemed like the longest time, it was nothing but a steel frame. Now, at least, it has the appearance of a habitable building.

I don't think this is entirely NIMBY-ism...it's also a case of the Have's versus the Have Not's. Many of those who live in Winter Park and Maitland have their nice home, and even nicer zip code...and they like the locales just fine as they are. And who can blame them? Both are nice cities in the metro area. But now that they are there,....they really aren't inclined to share with others. I think very few opponents to some of the projects proposed in both cities are actually concerned with density, architectual details, traffic impact, urbanity, etc. I think the majority just don't want any more people moving to their tony 'burg. More people means it's not as exclusive.