nite owℓ

DPAC uploaded another fly thru video on youtube - it's basically the same but with a few updates. They have been responding to questions left by viewers in the comment section. Someone inquired about the material covering the cantilevered roof which is something we were all wondering about. DPAC's response: "Metal deck with high performance metallic paint on underside and roof membrane on top." http://youtu.be/-vVE-mZAJ9I

The interior loop around Lake Eola looks great, but the outer ring near the street could use some curbside landscaping. Also, the city replaces the mosiac flower gardens way too early - by the time the gardens are in full bloom the landscapers have already begun rip them up to plant new flowers. I've watched it happen 3x in about 6 months. Instead, the city should save that money to line the outer sidewalk ring with shade trees or crepe myrtles and begin replacing those archaic concrete pillar streetlamps with acorn wrought iron lamps. Visually speaking, downtown could take a more than a few streetscape ideas from Winter Park. While walking through downtown one will encounter sparse landscaping/lighting (almost to the point of feeling deserted) on one block while the next block will be the exact opposite. I think it's time to make the core more cohesive, it's certainly small enough to do so!

Does anyone know if the I4 expansion will include a sound wall & landscaping similar to the 408? I4 looks terrible^^

There have been numerous attempts to do something unique with that space - from an art gallery, music lounge, etc. Unfortunately all attempts failed. While I'm happy to see new business, this 7-Eleven surge is a bit overwhelming... but hopefully their confidence in downtown will encourage other chains to return to the core. Hopefully more residential developments will break ground once DPAC finally opens. I think that might create a demand for more unique entertainment options. And don't get me started on Gino's. Supposedly they deliver downtown, but they will claim Lake Eola is "too far".

I saw a brand new 7-Eleven on the corner of Edgewater Dr & Colonial Dr where the old O'Boys BBQ restaurant used to be - only a stones throw from 2 other 7-Elevens in either direction. But I have to say the new building on that corner cleans up that area a LOT. Now if we could only get rid of the cesspool motels nearby...

I wonder if Mike realizes the majority of the people who own property in Parramore 1) don't actually live there, 2) are diverse ethnicities i.e. black, white, asian, etc and 3) want to see the neighborhood improved. Wonder if he cried when people began renovating the delipated homes surrounding Lake Eola or when Thornton Park gentrified... "[Creative Village] will be built on an empty space. It's not displacing anybody," said Orlando spokeswoman Heather hagan. "Creative Village will have educational institutions, parks, and other amenities. All the things Parramore residents want. It's a leap to say otherwise."

Well the CV is technically located in "Callahan" and most people wouldn't even know where that is anyway. However, most people would definitely consider it Parramore. Here's the city's interpretation: "The Parramore neighborhood is approximately one sqaure mile in area bounded on the west by Orange Blossom Trail (SR 441), to the east by Interstate 4, to the south by Gore Street and to the north by West Colonial Drive (SR 50)".

Sure, here's a link to the 2010 Tiger II application which summarizes plans for the CV. It's mentioned on the fourth page. Also, our speculations on this forum were even mentioned in the OBJ here and here (erm... that reporter guy referred to it as the "Creative Village's crazy train"). The UCF & UF partnership already anchor the Creative Village so it doesn't seem like top secret news if they were going to expand IMO. Full Sail recently spent millions to expand near their current location in Winter Park, so it seems safe to say that they have no interest in moving to Parramore right now. I think it's Valencia is because 1) they were the only one to submit specific details in writing and 2) they're selling the Valencia Foundation administrative building on Orange Ave which makes me think they don't need more than one presence in downtown Orlando. Just my 2 cents. Honestly, it doesn't really matter to me who the major anchor is going to be... I'm just glad the CV is finally coming to fruition. There were many critics who said it would NEVER happen so now they'll have to eat crow.

I think Magnolia will get the Church St treatment during events @ the Amway Center (i.e. pedestrian traffic only).

Unless anything changed, VCC might be the "major educational anchor" mentioned in the OBJ article. This was mentioned in the project overview submitted to the US DOT for the Tiger II grant (E/W Lymmo): "Once infrastructure is in place, the development team has commitments to develop an 80,000 square foot Digital Technology and Arts Program building for Valencia Community College (VCC), 100,000 square feet of commercial office and retail space, and 30-50 units of mixed income for-sale housing by the end of 2014. At build out, the development is anticipated to have up to 1.0 million square feet of office space, upwards of 500,000 square feet of higher education facilities, up to 265,000 square feet of retail, 150-200 hotel rooms, and as much as 1,500 units of mixed income housing. As the broad based investment and supporting commitments referenced throughout this application indicate, the project is being positioned and supported by major industry and educational institutions in the State to become the center for collaborative learning, research, and associated business activity in Central Florida over the next several decades."

The OrlandoInformer uploaded a video of the scale model while it was on display. The trusses will be covered up. Check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=L0W83N0WHKc, it's in pretty high quality too. And the architectural fly through video shows the same thing. From the Sentinel: "Ultimately, the web of steel will hold up a cantilevered awning as wide as a city block. It is meant to partially cover an outdoor-festival plaza facing Orange Avenue."

The trusses have been installed, adding DPAC's signature feature to downtown's streetscape. In a previous article, the OS reported each truss weighs as much as 3 garbage trucks. It would be nice to see a few shots of this from the ground - especially if someone has a camera with a wide angle lens. * Just noticed the article stated there were a total of 12 trusses, but so far I only see 10.

Orlando Health to pour foundation of 11-story new tower Friday night Construction workers will pour the concrete foundation for the new ORMC tower and erect a second construction crane tonight

If the Creative Village comes to fruition the last thing the city would want is an eyesore in the periphery. Pathways for Parramore is supposed to signify revitalization, not offer more of the same. The property owners on streets from Amelia up through Colonial Dr all have a vested interest in seeing the CV come to fruition and most want higher density - especially property owners with industial zoning. Land closest to I4 is zoned for taller buildings so it just seems wasteful not to do more with that property. I agree, downtown needs more income diversity but in the ideal world, affordable housing wouldn't be limited to Uptown or Parramore otherwise it defeats the purpose. ^^City View offers affordable housing and is generally considered a success, so it can be done at that density via tax exempt bonds, low income tax credits, etc.

Maybe UCF's expanding? They're already anchored there with the FIEA program....

December's MPB has been posted. A residential/commercial complex is being planned for the lot behind the Lexington, near the Creative Village site. It will consist of 104 affordable housing units & commercial space: This is a huge scale-back from what was planned in 2006. The previous plans for that property were grandiose; consisting of 43-story and two 37-story residential buildings, a 14-story office building, a 6-story mixed use building and a parking garage:

Another rendering of the $4.8M Lake Beauty Redevelopment: Scheduled completion: early 2013

I thought the Lymmo already controlled traffic signals? I'm delayed literally every single day at the Magnolia & Robinson intersection on my way to work and sure enough a few moments later a Lymmo will lazily creep by. Did they give a timeline for the North/South expansion?

While looking for rental comps in the area I saw this strange ad for Steel House: Btw, the OC hotel isn't going to replace Mama B's because the owners didn't want to sell (I heard they weren't offered enough money). Instead, the hotel will be built around Mama B's in an "L" shape.

It is very confusing, but I'm fairly certain that the new tower will actually face north with a view of the downtown skyline. A portion of the tower will be positioned in front of the old ORMC building and also replace the existing glass entrance- which awkwardly forces everyone to make a U-turn upon entering/exiting the building. This is what you'd see if you were facing south on Kuhl Ave @ the Underwood intersection ('scuse the low tech editing): The construction site is shaded orange:

ORMC construction update: "The first construction crane will be installed by the end of October at the site of the new tower, which is near Underwood Street and Kuhl Avenue. A second crane is scheduled to be installed in late-November. With the cranes, more construction equipment will visible on the site, and vertical construction of the tower will follow shortly after. Vertical construction has already begun on the new Emergency Department entrance."

A double decker, nice. Glad to see they've planned ahead for more riders in the future. I just hope they go with plastic or vinyl seats - the cloth seats in Lynx busses are filthy.

I'm looking forward to the grand opening. At first I was a little skeptical about a popsicle shop especially since "gourmet" seems to be a term thrown around pretty loosely these days (e.g. Jimmy John's). But after reading the reviews and visiting their FB page, I suddenly had a popsicle craving. Their website (http://thehyppo.com/kitchen.html) could use some work, but I love the fact that they try to source fresh and local ingredients. Will they offer a different menu for the winter? And I'm a little surprised (but thankful) that Dr Phillips wasn't the default location of choice.

"The hotel will come first, followed by the seven-story, 80,028-square-foot medical office building, which will have retail space on the ground floor, and a 350-space interior parking garage. CJP filed a site plan application to rezone the property on Sept. 24."

Interesting. Some people only consider the central business district as downtown, and everything else as "near downtown". But I personally think areas with CBD zip codes to be considered the real downtown (i.e. 32801, 32802 residential/commercial). The CRA/DDB maps are useful, but they only show the areas of focus meant for each group. I think the city's actual definition of downtown is a little larger than that. Wikipedia defines the boundaries of d/t Orlando as "East Marks St in the north, Mills Ave in the east, Orange Blossom Trail (US Hwy 441) in the west, and Kaley Ave in the south" and notes that "There are 18 neighborhoods in downtown Orlando located in five major enclaves." I think this might be a closer definition of what is generally considered as "downtown" to most people.