smileguy

I'll be in Jax this weekend, staying downtown for the Jazz fest. I have plans for a tour from the fine folks at the Jessie Ball DuPont fund to see their building -- what else is worth doing in the area? Particularly looking for good food and coffee that are walkable from the Hyatt.

What's the story with that office building standing where the Embassy Suites is today? It seems like that would be awfully expensive to redevelop.

I think in the post-Marina age, OMA has come a long way, and has for a long time had one of the top 3-4 budgets for arts organizations locally (DPAC and OSC being the others.) And although there was arguably vision under Frank at the Mennello, its grown leaps and bounds with current leadership, with Shannon coming in after changes started to happen at OMA. I think all of our visual arts intuitions have really changed substantially in the past five years or so, beginning to embrace more diverse and challenging work. Ginsburg has a personal relationship with Chihuly as a personal collector and through sales at his gallery here and Time Warner Center. Have you been to a Florida Prize exhibit at OMA? That program in particular is teeming with work that addresses thing like the African Diaspora, opioid crisis, climate change, police brutality, the HIV pandemic, etc. The museum's upcoming season includes a Basquiat exhibition of 26 works that have never been on public view; two old masters exhibitions; and photography from Clyde Butcher and from 20- and 21st-Century Mexican photographers. It's exciting stuff, and the museum is pulling above its weight for size and budget.

The reconciliation package also contains a key opportunity to help preserve and rehabilitate historic properties. There is a tremendous potential to pass important enhancements to the Historic Tax Credit via the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act, including an increase to 30% for small projects and other improvements to encourage more redevelopment projects. It's got over 60 bipartisan co-sponsors in the House and a handful in the Senate. You can share your support via this form, we know @spenser1058 will! https://support.savingplaces.org/page/28144/action/1

Digging into this, it looks like a replat for the building that's rising now, maybe not a new development. What's interesting, is that there's a place on the plans for a phase 2 on the garage, but still surface parking south of the garage Smith St. Likely future development, but not proposed at this time. Page 4 of this document. SUB2021-10004_Advent_Health_Lego_Bldg_n_Garage_Replat.pdf

It's almost as though the selected that site away from the main hospital for the view on this approach. A huge ad on I-4!

They're using some reclaimed brick from the site as aggregate for concrete block in some of the projects being developed by Dr. Phillips. Here's a photo from the dap design instagram, plus a progress shot of the juice stand.

Yes!

The irony is that Society will block most of that view.

Atrium Management is relocating from the 'burbs to The Milk District, and bringing some infill development along with them. The plan is for their offices to go into a renovation at 201 S Bumby with apartments to follow to the south. https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2021/08/23/florida-company-real-estate-development-orlando.html

Matt left his role at the City recently and is now with Lilium, the folks behind the vertiport at Lake Nona. Brendan's partner is also in community relations at OCLS, so there is a lot of OCLS coverage on Bungalower.

On this O-Line presentation, pg 3, it says 2021-22. https://www.orlando.gov/files/sharedassets/public/departments/edv/sodo-nid/o-line_sodo-board-mtg-sme.pdf

This thing is supposed to be 12 stories, I think -- and it looks like we're just past half of that at 7.

The work that the current leadership has put in, with generous support from the Alfond family, has made this already great institution truly special. Looking forward to the next chapter!

I THINK I remember seeing permits for the park there on a recent City agenda, but don't recall which board or when -- but forward movement on that would be great.

The HTC-GO was just introduced in the Senate last month after being introduced in the House back in April. My hope is that it will be included in a larger infrastructure bill later this year. The changes in Historic Tax Credit will help incentivize more preservations projects (including making Historic Tax Credit funding available for smaller projects, like the ones we would see in Orlando. ) increase in the HTC percentage from 20% to 30% for the first $2.5 million of qualified rehabilitation expenditures for smaller projects provide a drop in the substantial rehabilitation test threshold from 100% to 50% of the adjusted basis eliminate the HTC basis adjustment, eliminate the Internal Revenue Code Section 50(d) income recognition requirement a temporary increase in the HTC percentage from 20% to 30% for 2020-2024, with a gradual phasedown to 20%. There is also a new Florida HTC drafted that we hope to get introduced next session, which would provide further incentive for restoration and adaptive reuse statewide.

I know so many want this to be the local link to MCO, but with frequency and nature of the service, it's not really going to fill that need. The hourly service to Orlando stops wouldn't be meant for MCO traffic, although you could use it for that. We should be thinking of it as a ride from South Florida or Tampa Bay to I-Drive or to Disney.

The Milk District is opening up a new pop-up space and place-based retail incubator on E. Robinson! Our vision is to help build home-grown retail tenants for the District and the city, with a focus on artists and makers by giving them a low-risk environment to test concepts and operations. We are also lining up an 8-week business training for artists that will launch later this year. https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2021/07/12/milk-district-retail-business-incubator-orlando.html?fbclid=IwAR1E8HMfWV5_ftgMZpQ810ZWTjSnvrdUvxWOQCjKc3tv5Oh91jQbTcv5HBI

I think we will see some more of this with the most recent stimulus bill. When I asked about plans for Orlando's allocation, I was told most was going to go to new sewer.

Thanks! For those interested, we just held a big skate event at The Plaza Live this past Saturday with a great showing, and had a lot of great community conversations about the importance place and preservation. The preservation movement is changing, and it need to be more inclusive and equitable than it has in the past. First three photos - Alvie Moore, @aliviaskates. Last photo Patrick Connolly - @pconnpie

Last night, Gov. DeSantis signed an SRX exception for a portion of Orlando. The Orlando Main Street Small Restaurant Incentive Areas bill that now allows smaller restaurants to be eligible for SRX/SFS licenses. Restaurants in The Milk District, Gateway Orlando, Mills 50, Ivanhoe Village, College Park and Audubon Park fall within the special area, giving them the possibility of obtaining an SRX license instead of the much more expensive 4COP quota license now required to operate a liquor bar. Eligible size has been reduced from 2,500 SF to 1,800 SF and capacity down to 80 from 150. At least 51% of revenues derive from food/nonalcoholic beverage sales @spenser1058 will be surprised to know that this was a City initiative (carried by Rep. Plascencia and Rep. Eskamani) to help make restaurants in historic structures in our Main Street districts more competetive. https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=72878

A little bowling alley update! https://bungalower.com/2021/06/30/team-market-group-has-purchased-colonial-lanes/

It's because they kept the curve! Here's the view from a block west. I think this makes a very interesting drive through, and will help define the place, particularly when the gap between ACE and The Julian is filled.

Site pan and conceptual renderings for Lion Gardens apartments, the redevelopment at the Parliament House site. They're looking at just over 300 market rate units in 4-story buildings with surface parking. At a recent community meeting, residents asked that the buildings be stepped down toward the lake to preserve skyline views. The development would also include a small retail building at the south end of the property.

The internal layout isn't good for much -- a few big open spaces, but a lot of odd thick walls and angles. I think a redevelopment would need to preserve the facades and do a completely new interior structure.