Pete C

Is it confirmed that our MLS stadium structure will be steel? From the drawings it doesn't look like an erector set like Brighthouse or San Jose's.

I did the DPC tour on Sunday and came away impressed, as expected. I really liked how immense it felt inside looking up as you discover the giant overhang crosses over from outdoor to indoor. Very neat. Looking up the curved outer wall of the Walt Disney Theater was pretty amazing as well. Inside the theater it looked like no other theater I have ever seen. I also really liked the small theater with the illuminated art above. Overall there was a lot to like inside about the design, flooring, finishes, and lighting. One really weird thing I found was in the bathroom located on the edge of the building. They are really nice looking bathrooms, of course, however the sink design is baffling. There is about a 3 inch gap between the faucet and the sink to slide your hands underneath. You cannot rinse your hands without touching either the faucet, the sink, or both. You are touching something, guaranteed. This is an impossibly stupid design. The main bathrooms in the center of the building have faucets located well above the sink, so I don't know what happened with these other bathrooms. Aside from the gravel outside, there is one other exterior design feature I don't 'get'. What is that white railing looking thing on top of the DeVos Family Room extension? It goes along the front and wraps around the sides. This is not an actual railing from what I can tell...I think it's purely a design element. IMO it sticks out and just looks odd.

You called it dude. I was over there on Sunday after it had been wet and rainy for the past day. That fine gravel is nasty, and it was getting everywhere. Who in the heck thought this was a good idea?

Exactly...it's utterly ridiculous comparing this to Amway Center and DPAC, venues costing 4 times as much. Look at other MLS soccer stadiums around the country. Almost every one is utilitarian. I think ours looks pretty good actually for what we are paying given they are constructing with concrete rather than steel for the structure. What the heck was the guy in the video talking about mass of steel everywhere? You want to see a mass of steel? Look at San Jose's new stadium...the steel structure dominates the exterior. It looks like Brighthouse Stadium. Ours is at least a few nicely angled slabs of concrete. The minimal design looks good.

This looks great!!!

Oh man, the very idea of being stuck with the building in its 2/3rds form is a horrible thought.

Yeah tell that to the people who installed a massive video board on the side of the Amway Center. Anyone know if anyone has blamed that for causing any wrecks?

Very exciting!!

Who is willing to sacrifice the OPL? I haven't heard anyone suggesting that.

I thought of filling in a sandy beach around a portion of Lake Eola a few years ago. It's a natural fit for the downtown crowd. I love the idea.

LOL, I was going to comment the same thing!

I have to say, the building really looks awkward with only phase 1 complete. It just looks wrong since it was such a symmetric design. If phase 2 falls through and we are left with only this, it will be a joke.

I think we'd have to wait until Phase 2 is built to determine that.

DPAC is how the media refers to it, so it might be too late for them to derail that. However, another possibility is that it ends up taking on some unintended nickname like "the terminal" once people see the design.

The only problem with all of this downtown Orlando is still cut out of the loop while both downtown Tampa and Miami are end points in the HSR and AAF plans.

It's not dead yet. Crist says he would seek Orlando-Tampa rail funding again http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/brinkmann-on-business/os-crist-orlando-tampa-rail-funding-again-20140916-post.html

I guess I wasn't considering that part.

I totally agree!

I love mixed density like Thornton Park, and would love to see this project happen in College Park. I will go out on a limb and say many residents of College Park live there to be in close proximity to the shops and restaurants on Edgewater. More density = more people patronizing those businesses obviously. Sure you will have more car traffic, but the increased foot traffic on Edgewater is a good tradeoff. Really my only complaint about it is the design which is not exactly interesting.

It's not that I don't like the retail facing Orange, I was just hoping that the retail would also wind around and through the complex with something like an interior promenade. Still, 56,000 sq ft is quite a bit and maybe with all these apartments around that area we will see them succeed.

Maybe a Wawa?

Holy crap. Looks like the retail only faces Orange though, which is a shame. They could have done something like CityPlace there.

Moving my comment to coffee house

Florida Retail Report: Orlando leads urbanization trends http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/brinkmann-on-business/os-florida-retail-report-orlando-leads-urbanization-trends-20140825,0,2121611.post From the report: According to U.S. Census data from 2000 to 2012, the population in Orlando’s city center grew the most of the largest five metro areas of Florida, increasing 34.2% over the period. Tampa’s city center had the second-fastest rate of population growth at 14.5%, followed by 14.2% in Miami and then 13.7% in Jacksonville.

Wow, no kidding. Isn't that like tiling 101?