John Hargrove

New Blog Post: DPAC to Break Ground, FUMCO Nears Completion, Frank & Steins! http://downtown-otown.com/2011/06/18/dpac-to-break-ground-fumco-nears-completion-frank-steins/

Gasp.

It's ... it's happening.

For the last week downtown has been getting hit with these periods of dense smoke. I happened to photograph it tonight:

It's June and the DDB still hasn't updated their "quarterly" development activity report since 4Q 2010. Wonder what the deal is?

Rail along 434 is an interesting idea. I wonder if that would ever work. Density is definitely increasing along 434 near UCF. Just look at the new 4-6 story apartment buildings going up on the west side of 434. I lived in Oviedo on the Seminole/Orange county border in 2007. 434 was a nightmare then. I can't imagine it has gotten much better in 4 years ... But, then again, the Rouse widening project looks done and I'm sure that helps the University to Colonial stretch of 434.

I don't know how badly Orlando compares to other major city cores, but I can offer my anecdotal experiences. Back in January I had the idea of counting the number of times I would be solicited for money during my daily work/lunch/home ritual using a spreadsheet. I'd walk from 55 West to The Plaza. Lunch would come, I'd walk up to Jimmy John's on Orange, and then back to The Plaza. I'd then walk from the Plaza back to 55 West at night. I was venturing no more than a block at any point. I lost track and stopped recording sometime in late January or early February. But I had determined that in about a 30 day period I'd been solicited for money around 100 times. The average was somewhere around 3-4 times a day. I only had one incident where I actually felt threatened by the person. I've spent a lot of time in Chicago and Atlanta for work. I'm not sure these are really comparable, because once again my experience is so specific. I rarely venture very far from Michigan Ave in Chicago and most of the encounters I'd have there were from people trying to sell me random bullcrap. Atlanta I rarely had problems but I was in midtown which seems to be pretty clean. I think the problem with Orlando is that our downtown is small relative to our population, and the concentration of homeless in the CBD is seemingly very high.

The vote passed council. Groundbreaking is on for June 23rd.

DPAC has secured all necessary funding and will break ground in June. http://www.drphillipscenter.org/news/news_releases/2011/05/dr-phillips-center-moving-forward

I'd say it's in "prep" not really U/C. They haven't touched the lot since that picture I took earlier in the week. Seems like it's pretty much a go at this point but you know this market ..

Seriously? A slide? That's really bizarre.

Looks like this Pine & Orange thing is going to happen. Some activity on the foundation there today. Not sure what they're doing though ... Those two netted areas farthest away from the camera are two squares they cut into the existing foundation ... and on the near side, they've cut away all of the foundation adjacent to the Midnite Pizza building. Seems to me if they were building a new structure they'd just destroy all of the foundation in one fell swoop. Anyone know why they'd do this?

Yeah ... Saw that last night. Really cool.

Good catch. I've extracted some of the pictures from the PDF for those interested: Other Views: View from Orange Ave: http://fortheloot.com/public/pictures/pine-and-orange/002.png View from Pine Ave: http://fortheloot.com/public/pictures/pine-and-orange/003.png View from the alley: http://fortheloot.com/public/pictures/pine-and-orange/004.png View showing relative height of this new development to existing buildings near it: http://fortheloot.com/public/pictures/pine-and-orange/005.png Looks like the existing adjacent structures are 38 feet tall, and this new building will be 63 feet tall. It will blend in nicely I think. This intersection will look really nice with that lot finally built up. Side note: the building to the north is 123 years old, and the one to the west is 106 years old. The previous structure at this site, which was destroyed by a fire in 2005, would have been 125 years old this year.

To be fair, there is a $6 parking rate for "Diner's Parking". At least there is according to the DDB's website: http://downtownorlando.com/getting-around/parking, or the City of Orlando's Transportation Page: http://www.cityoforlando.net/transportation/Parking/garages/garage_options.htm I agree, the parking situation in 55W is terrible for guests. I also live in 55W and I have the same problem .. I just give my girlfriend cash and forget about it, but it is very expensive. Overnight is the worst. They don't charge you more than $15 per day, but if she stays over, that $15 cap is hit on the first day and the second day by like 8AM. That's more of a 55 West problem though. The Vue, for example, has some guest parking for guests of residents. I am aware of no such mechanism in 55 West, and it is very irritating. Excited about this! Finally, some good beer in downtown Orlando. I went to the playoff game tonight (AGH ANGER SDFKLJSDFKJSD) and saw that Draft has opened up west of I-4, which is supposed to have a good selection. I was late for the game so I didn't have time to drop in and check it out.

Wonder if it has anything to do with hurricane proofing? The article mentions the panels can be stowed in the event of an approaching tropical storm. Are solar plants common outside of Orange County in the state of Florida? Seems like a good place for solar power, provided the plants can be protected from hurricanes.

I hope so. I love places with tons of beer.

Looks like that lot on Pine & Orange is getting a building. If the sign is accurate, we should see them breaking ground very soon. This is a good infill project, in my opinion:

Yeah ... I wish. Won't happen until the downtown office space is filled up, though. I haven't heard anything about that in several months. I personally lease office space for my company in the plaza south tower, and we're expanding our space and moving to a different floor because our floor is full. I want to say things are looking up, but I honestly haven't seen any numbers on this.

DPAC + Commercial developments on the adjacent lot. Now if it would just _happen_.

By now I'm sure you're all of bored of pictures taken from my balcony, but I was up at sunrise this morning (worked through the night, don't get the wrong idea. )

I too like to look at these old threads. I also moved here after the boom and missed a lot of this stuff happening. I especially love this picture: No Solaire/Plaza/55 West/Amway Center. What a difference 6 years makes. Hopefully we can get out of this slump and be as impressed by pictures of 2011 in 2021 as we are of pictures of 2001 in 2011.

Yes ... Oviedo to downtown is a crap drive. Especially if you're in that weird spot where you're not quite close to 417 @ University and not quite close to 417 @ Red Bug. Such as right along Seminole county line.

I still haven't noticed this, despite driving past it like 10 times.

I wouldn't compare Scott to dictatorships. It was wrong with the Tea Party said it about elected Democrats and it's wrong to say it about elected Republicans. Elections have consequences, for better or worse. I would say that I'm disappointed in the ignorance of my fellow citizens, but in reality the politicians I favor were/are elected by droves of morons as well. The people who elected Rick Scott believing he would rescue Florida from the tyranny of infrastructure planning are no different than those who elected Obama thinking he'd change the world. Ignorance knows not party lines. ;P