Universe_Explorer

Orlando City just announced they are building a training facility near the tennis center for the MLS club, the USL club, and the academy. Fields, gym, clubhouse, offices, and option to buy more land for expansion. This will move them from Seminole County (where the women's team will take over as a training site). These two centers (professional tennis + professional soccer) will have a big impact on the area when open, and bring surprisingly high paying jobs with them. Kudos to Tavistock and Lake Nona for thinking outside the box for ways to diversify the medical city area. Now, if they could only convince the VA to actually open...

I've assumed this announcement was coming for months - ever since they decided to publically fund it. As a STH, I have no problem with this - I'm incredibly excited for our real home to open, but the citrus bowl was really fun last year, and I'm happy to have another season of tailgating. Lot 9 is a blast for kids as well as adults, since it's grass and has goalposts set up. When the new stadium opens, I'll miss kicking the ball around, grilling, and enjoying a few beers

Demo is done on one stretch of warehouses, where the Thirsty Topher used to be. I haven't heard anything about the famous bald eagle (famous mostly for getting it's picture taken on an osprey's nest). There's still a lot more demo to be done before they can move forward and a lot of the existing structures still don't seem to be vacant. I assume they are letting everyone round out their existing leases. What's lost among some of the more vocal opposition to altering this area is that Virginia continues to become more vibrant - Nora's moved there when their original space was sold, Thirsty Topher is now on Virginia as well. With ten ten brewery opening, you can take quite the pub crawl from the lake over to Mills/Nebraska....

This seems to go in cycles. Downtown's "dorm room" used to be The Grande and The Metropolitan - we used to watch out our window as people literally jumped the fence and passed over cases of beer to go hang out at The Grande pool on weekends. There were floating beer pong tables, you practically couldn't even fit everyone in the pool (I don't' even want to think about the urine concentration of that water...) I couldn't really complain - we were young and liked to party too, it's part of why we wanted to live downtown. Over the time we lived there management cracked down with security/pool passes and made a lot more rules regarding renters, parties, etc. It calmed down substantially, especially after newer apts opened up even closer to the Orange Ave nightlife core. The Grande still has a young demographic because of it's cost, but it's like a totally different place now when I go to check on our condo. I'm glad there are so many more options now for someone who wants to live downtown and doesn't want the dorm room vibe - especially with the S. Eola and N Quarter expansions. I think the newer places might cater to an older crowd, but 55W location alone will probably continue to make it a hot spot for younger folks looking for access to bars. Once you out-grow the bars, being closer to Publix matters a lot more!

They are no longer parking or storing equipment in the L-shaped lot next door that is slated for the 520 project, and a newer fence with covering is lining the area. Could they already be preparing for site work there?

Must admit, I did not know there were bike lanes on Livingston. That said, I still think it's the best functional way to slow down Robinson. Plus, it would add much-needed additional parking to the area

There's a meeting tonight with FDOT to discuss options for slowing traffic on Robinson St by Lake Eola. The city already plans on adding a traffic light, but an option being floated is to cut it down to 3 lanes (center turn lane) and add parking/bike paths similar to what was done to Edgewater Drive in College Park. My experience in with Edgewater's road diet suggests this would make a tremendous difference...Also, bike lane would extend to the executive airport - adding accessibility to the Cady Way trail head on the other side of the mall and the (albeit fractured) portion of the urban trail connection.

As a frequent user of the urban trail I can't wait for this to be a reality. But unfortunately, lots of evidence suggests casual pedestrians will avoid these bridges (and the steps/ramps leading up and down them) and just try to cross at street level anyway. I think there is a real benefit to pedestrian bridges in areas with large crowds crossing together (for example, the I-Drive/Sandlake proposal or anywhere near a convention center/arena) - people will naturally follow the crowd - but a couple dudes who live in Steel House wanting to get a sub at Mama B's? I'd put my money on them waiting at the light and making a run for it versus climbing up and down stairs. The only real solution I can think of is the eventual build out of the Sentinel site and perhaps some areas on Magnolia north of Colonial creating a critical mass of people crossing that area daily - if it's crowded enough, over time pedestrians will force their will on the road and win longer crossing light times, etc. Also, as I mentioned above, "Uptown" would do well for itself by marketing to a slightly more mature crowd and steering their recreational interests north towards Ivanhoe/Mills 50

I run/ride through this area a lot. There are some sketchy people around the 7-11 on Colonial and occassionally under the I4 overpass at the lake (harmlessly sleeping or sitting in the shade, honestly), but as far as the panhandler it's not like the CBD. Lake Highland Prep being nearby probably doesn't hurt the amount of police patrolling either. I think a bodega or Walgreens would do really well as a tenant in one of those buildings on Orange. I can't see publix sqeezing out their store down the street on Colonial with anything in this area, and Fresh Market on MIlls probably sees this enighborhood as within their jurisdiction too. I think the true appeal of these apartments is the short walk/bike ride up into the flourishing Ivanhoe area while still realistically being able to wlak ride to the CBD. That said, Colonial might as well be a wall

I can't say for sure if they do it on purpose, but brick roads are a definitely a great "natural" way to slow down traffic. You can watch this in action on College Park where Shady Lane Dr meets Poinsettia Ave. At the intersection, Poinsettia turns to brick and it's Very noticeable how drivers react (immediately hit the brakes and go slower) despite the fact that the road is flat and well maintained. Personally, I love my brick street - the benign neglect approach the city takes to it has created a visibly pleasing road where no one goes very fast - and my kids can hear cars coming from the minute they turn onto it. Being able to hear cars coming is a good point, especially in the age of the electric car. Orlando roads are pretty awful in general and we don't even have the winter to blame for it like the northern states do. I'm speculating, but I would say it's because infrastructure projects just don't get appropriate levels of funding because of the pathetic state of the political system. I'm pretty sure its corruption along with incompetence. Money is wasted all over the place... for an easy example, look at the E. Colonial project. They're replacing all of the mast arm signals, several of which are being replaced in nearly exactly the same spot and even the ones that were installed just a year before this project that were installed with this project in mind. Orlando has some of the best roads in the country. It's mass transit that needs a shot in the arm. What is your reason for believing that? Data or experience? I've traveled all over. Anecdotally, my experience is: The worst roads are in the north where there are actual winters.The western states generally have their act together with some notable exceptionsOutside of Atlanta, the south has a lot of problemsTotally based on my subjective experience. I'm wondering if there are good studies on this based on: Average worker commute timeVehicle maintenanceSafetyetcThe toll roads in Orlando look great. Most everything else is neglected, in my experience. But again, my entirely skewed perspective. I can tell you that in 30 + years of living here, I can't remember hitting more than maybe one pothole bad enough to make me wince & curse. And I cannot think of one minor residential street that is really badly cracked or crumbling. I'm not sure what the generally accepted standard is for well maintained roads & streets, but with the exception of some of the brick paved ones, I cannot think of anything to really complain about re: our local asphalt ones. This is an interesting topic. Personally, I think that Robinson, South and Anderson should all be two-way streets. I think the ramps to/from the 408 at Mills and Summerlin should be removed and the on ramp at Bumby should be free. In my view, the important issue is getting people from/to 408 from/to downtown. I've been goofing around with some ideas on improving the 408 ramps downtown and would love to hear some feedback. Attached are a couple of idea sketches. west.pdf east.pdf We have road issues here? What issues are those? In 7 years here I have yet to see a pothole or any road damage in the Orlando area. Orlando's roads utterly blow away Atlanta's, where I lived for 13 years prior to moving here. The roads up there are a joke, and avoiding potholes and other road damage is something you must do on a daily basis.

I still have very little faith that the iSquare project will ever get off of the ground, but FW and other high-end auto dealerships certainly have a lot more synergy with this concept then they ever did with the Eatonville location

Meh, I don't mind it. I realize I don't have to love everything that gets put up. It's not going to be a centerpiece of the skyline or tremendously visible from the I4 gateway like the proposed hotel by Chruch St Station. I'm just happy to see some more high rise density in the core - especially one that already has a cornerstone tenant (the club).

The County's 20M was TDT money, but just because they aren't spending it on the soccer stadium doesn't mean it will go to phase 2 of DPAC. I believe they have already ear-marked a lot of TDT money for phase 2 but it is contingent on the foundation raising a certain amount on their own by a specific time. As much as I want to see it happen, I'm not holding my breath. That said, a big part of DPAC funding was supposed to come from the development of the outlying parcels. At least there are proposals flying around for those...

To clarify, this group moved into a building in Polk County, not the city of Orlando or Orange County. The homelessness issue has been at the front of both Mayors (Dyer and Jacobs) agendas for the past half year. The city has brought in a consulting firm that focuses on permanent supportive housing, Florida Hospital has pitched in a large donation, and the county has proposed to add millions to their (already fairly substantial) budget directed toward homelessness and affordable housing. On this board it's easy to focus on the downtown, chronically homeless, but there are many times that number living in the woods, squatting in abandoned buildings, and living out of cars throughout the county. The availability of booze, food, and easy marks for pan-handling (i.e. drunk folks walking out of bars) has definitely led the downtown group to more "aggressive" tactics. The venues and new approach to downtown living has finally forced the city and the business community to begin addressing the problem (The Chamber of Commerce is compassionate all of the sudden)...Recent successes in cities like Houston and Phoenix are driving the mantra of permanent supportive housing here (a "housing first" model - put a roof over their heads and provide services without asking them to stop drinking, etc). Only time will tell. Carefully watch as NIMBYism will make it difficult to provide the acutal inventory of housing - even if the money is there to spend.

I guess I meant more along the lines of the procurement process the city used to choose the demo company. It sure seems like they had their hearts set on using the company they did rather than the one with a lot more experience. My gripe is more with the odd choices our local media makes when deciding what is a "big" issue...I agree that people will eventually forget the eyesore - remember the broken Lake Eola fountain?

I don't understand how the Round Building fiasco is not a bigger story in our local media. From what I can tell, an experienced company had the best bid, then the city completely changed the scope and gave it to a much less experienced company, who subsequently went over the timeline and budget and finally walked away. The city has had a huge eyesore in front of it's half billion dollar jewel for months, and the background of how this company got the job at all seems incredibly fishy...with all of the "silly" investigative journalism in our region ("see how ridges on your starbucks cup lid are costing you PENNIES more!!!") How come no one has really found out why they changed the scope and pushed the contract to this clearly overmatched company?

I love the way this space looks, and despite running the risk of sounding like a "tree-hugger", I do think it's terrible how frequently we chop down these beautiful old oaks. That said, I'll echo the others - I lived a few blocks away from this place for years and sat on a bench there maybe once. Granted, that could change dramatically with all of the other new buildings coming up (it used to be a nice green space surrounded by empty or ugly lots). I remember being surprised when I found out the city didn't own the lot because it is clearly in the path of eventual development, so I guess we're finally there. The ironic part is that they'll probably name the development "Constitution Green Commons" or "Oak Tree Park".... The green space in front of the county admin building is getting a handful of sculptures installed this year. There is actually a community garden of sorts at the southwest corner - a short path that walks through a number of labeled plants indigenous to central florida. I micro nature walk I guess. The lawn is still not large enough to serve much of a park-like purpose. Downtown will need more green space, the Creative Village area seems like an obvious choice, especially if UCF/Valencia builds there, what's a campus without a lawn? Also, at what point does development on the Thornton Park/South Eola side of town start awakening people to the existence of Langford Park? Lots of potential there, great pavilions, grills, and shade. Moderate sketchiness from being connected the the projects on the south side, but still under-utilized in my book

To each his own. Most common complaints about soccer were on display on Sunday (low scoring, tie game, questionable fouls/diving), and yet at the same time almost all of the new/non-soccer fans seem to agree it was incredibly exciting and a lot of fun. The reaction to Kaka's game-tying goal in extra time should dispell any idea that a tie game is no fun. I love soccer, and certainly could take the time to discuss/discredit each of those complaints, but this is not the forum for that. Here, we can all agree a wildly successful spectator sport organization is a boon to the urban fabric, regardless of whether we like that particular sport. Sunday was everything Dyer could have hoped for after battling through the recession to get all three venues (mostly) complete. Tens of thousands of people downtown, spending money, buying things, using public transit, etc. Over this weekend my wife and I ate dinner at a new place downtown, saw the ballet at the arts center, spent an afternoon tailgating at a city-owned lot, and used our season tix to bring another couple ot the OCSC game at the rennovated citrus bowl (who took the train to meet us). A few years ago none of that would have been possible PS Orlando fans, despite being constantly presented as super-finicky by the Sentinel, seem pretty loyal to me. The Magic still draw league average despite actively trying to lose for the last three years. The Solar Bears do very well for a low minors team. UCF draws well for a non-power 5 conference NCAA team with a football history that is barely in puberty at the top division (seriously, when will Bianchi et al stop comparing the Knights to UF/FSU?). I think MLS will thrive here for a lot of reasons. That said, folks need to stop going overboard about seating capacity. Starting at 20k with room to expand is the right thing to do - and remember, expansion has as much to do with funding as with actual demand. OCSC spent a TON of money just to enter the league

Yeah, I can see thais area being quite popular before OCSC games when the new stadium is built and Magic games (when they start trying to win again, sigh...)

I'm a huge fan, and I still totally agree with this. Debut season hype will bring folks out year one, new stadium hype will bring out folks in year two, after that the product on the field and the atmosphere of the matches will determine how many people come. I think Orlando is a great fit for soccer and that OCSC has done all the right things to nuture a fan base - but keep in mind that winning was one of them. Winning a lot. The current team is going to be fun to watch, but they're still an expansion club. The big boys in the Western conference and the best of the Eastern will likely beat us handily. Nothing kills the atmosphere more than empty seats (Amway Arena is still a palace, but three years of losing has sucked the atmosphere from the place) - I'd rather have a smaller stadium with a great atmosphere win or lose for the first few years. That said, if 1/10 of those attending the game on Sunday become fans who attend frequently, that plus the current STH can sell out the new stadium. ***fingers crossed that the game gets played***

While I think this may be as good of an idea as there may be to transform a dying mall, I'm still not sure if it has all of the elements to work. Why not put some medium sized convention/event space in? Get rid of some more stores so the slots you have are full and also give people a reason to stay at a hotel in a mall. Having been to many smaller conventions in my life, I have spent nights in hotels on mall/shopping center properties and find it refreshing - resturants, coffee, and things to do right there during off hours even if you don't have a car. I'm just not sure who is going to stay at the hotel in FS Mall without meeting space - it's too far from downtown proper for anyone coming into town for that, and obvisouly no where near the OC Convention Center or attractions - it's not even close enough to I4 to draw weary travelers....I think this sort of do-over would have been better suited for the Festival Bay Mall - the existing anchors and location would have been a draw for smaller conventions and meetings, and a cheap(ish) hotel like a Hampton Inn would've kept people on site.

Agreed. The food is great but driving around there makes me want to blow my brains out

The county lot is not going anywhere anytime soon - unless they were to build a garage there - it's necessary for all the employees and visitors to the building. I always thought the parking lot on NE corner of Lake and South was for the nursing home/independent living facility next door - the brand of cars there don't seem to match the Osceola browstone demographic...If all of these proposals come to fruition, the only two real chunks that need to be filled to connect the whole area is the Monarch site and the area surrounding the Jackson (currently graveled and used as a lot for the construction crews for 420). Monarch site feels like it needs a taller building - being surrounded by South street, and a bunch of parking garages, I can't imagine it would be a nice place for townhomes.

The OCSC banners on the citrus bowl look awesome form the 408 - makes it truly seem like a home field for the year. I sure hope MLS doesn't have a work stoppage and ruin all of this momentum, but it seems inevitable

Buried in there also is the connection of the sidwalk/trail on the west side of Lake Formosa to the Gaston Park/Lake Ivanhoe sidewalk/trail. I frequently run in this area and that small connection would be lovely - currently one who takes the Urban Trail north can turn west at Lockhaven park and follow around Lake Formosa until the sidewalk abruptly ends and your stuck on bumpy/brick Alden road and a short portion of Virgina to get back to the trail at Lake Ivanhoe. This will also make walking from Virgina to the new Ballet building much nicer