dcluley98

Yes, it was much more traditional and looked like it took cues from similar existing building nearby in Suntrust and BOA. Hard to say if it would have been "better" than what was actually built, as it was just a concept, and a matter of taste anyway. Anyway, on topic here, I really like the Tremont design. I think it will look better here, and I love the concept of the amenity/bar level breaking up the tower and overlooking downtown and the Amway center. I think it will be a great addition to this area. It is modern, but a good design that can still tie in to the other diverse architectural styles in the area much better, IMHO. Here is original 55 West concept from Baker Barrios Website.

It's a matter of individual taste. I think it is lazy derivative med-revish architecture with poor massing and the odd looking "mustache-hat" on top. It all just seems incongruent to me. Any one of those things individually would be more tolerable. Together, the design, style, mass, colors, lighting, combine like Voltron to form the menacing Fat Conquistador figure looming over the gateway to our city. LOL. Honestly, hate is a strong word. I don't hate it, but it's not my idea of good architecture. I will say, however, that I like the ground floor and how they integrated into church street and the plaza across. That's good stuff. Everyone has their own taste and opinion, of course.

Something like this is what a lot of us meant by keeping the space open as a plaza, I think. Personally, I was not implying that it should be kept as a barren "green space" without trees. I meant an active plaza type environment with features that actually draw foot traffic and promote gathering. A market type concept along with DPAC and an art museum would combine synergistically to create a place where patrons of each would cross over to others and a real destination would thrive with activity. This makes a whole lot more sense than a hotel and an office building with maybe ground floor retail in an alley. I really like the canopied open areas and tying the "outside" into the building. Combine this with open colonnade or arcade type frontage on adjacent buildings similar to overhang on the DPAC design and you end up with an active space instead of a sterile destination that is only used at certain times for patrons of the hotel, DPAC, or local office workers at lunch.

I agree as well. It is like a new gateway to downtown with a nice looking building on that corner that leads to City Hall/DPAC area, and on I-4 east it is opposite the Amway center, and hopefully someday the Magic Complex will go up on the other side with similar modern building design for the hotel tower they were planning. Also a bonus that it blocks the fat conquistador a bit coming in on I-4. I would much rather look at this building as a new gateway after crossing under the 408.

I like the green space currently too. The renderings I have seen of the Dr. Phillips Center with developed hotels on either side of that parcel make it looked hemmed in and turn it into more of an alley than a space for gathering on a human scale. I think putting multi-story buildings on either side would be a mistake, but that was the way it has been planned since the beginning. I am kind of glad the hotel fell through. Ideally, the green space would stay open, and a museum could go adjacent to it. Perhaps they could acquire the lot directly to the south next to the 408/across from Aloft(old OUC building). That would turn the whole area into a "civic plaza" with City Hall, the Performing Arts Center, and the Museum of Art all centered around the green space. The space could then be used for art festivals, outdoor concerts, etc, throughout the year. I don't see why they feel the need to put another hotel on that property, considering you have Grand Bohemian, Aloft, and soon to be Tremont Tower all within a block of there.

Announcement from Buddy Deyer showed up on the City of Orlando website yesterday about the approval of the South terminal expansion. This rendering was included:

Said construction expected to begin in the "next couple months" and the project is currently in the bidding phase of preconstruction for the CM.

Thanks JFW, new one looks a lot more to scale. cwetteland was referring to Zoolander (original) movie when they were showing a small model of said "Institute" and he asks "What is this? A center for Ants?!" because he can't fathom the difference between an architectural scale model and what the real building will eventually be.

Trust me, they took a lane. . . it is only the west two lanes currently. They moved the Jersey Barriers out recently over the easternmost lane to have access for a Lull in order to do the finishes on the facade.

Uptown is a complete C-F right now during rush hour. They took out a lane of Orange for the Sevens project and now traffic is gridlocked back north of Nora. Hope they hurry the hell up with finishing that building!

7-Eleven Named Official Convenience Store of Orlando City SC http://www.orlandocitysc.com/post/2016/03/02/7-eleven-named-official-convenience-store-orlando-city-sc Maybe we can get a location inside the new Stadium! LOL, I know you all would love that!

Stadium construction update from local SBNation Orlando City SC blog, the Mane Land: http://www.themaneland.com/2016/2/29/11133842/new-orlando-city-soccer-stadium-reaches-major-milestone-starts-to-rise Some good photos and renderings on board from the "Going Vertical" ceremony. Also, this week, one of the beams that will be used in construction has been painted purple and will be making the rounds to all the kickoff events for Orlando City fans to sign and be part of the stadium.

That might good news, Jernigan. That massing siteplan for the Sentinel property was pretty underwhelming. It would not be good if the land is abandoned and vacant for a long time, but a better overall development plan for that area in part of the core DT would be a benefit in the long run.

Interesting to note, the supporters section standing area does not have seats in the renderings here. I was under the impression this would be "safe standing" type area that included fold away seats for the option of sitting down if you wish or when the action stops, before the game, halftime, etc. I don't know if it is just the virtual tour that doesn't show it, or if the seats are not an option any more. While the standing section is cool, I would think most people would at least like the OPTION to fold a seat down if they want/need to. Here is a view from supporters section in the virtual rendering of the interactive viewer and an example of other "safe standing" area of a soccer stadium that includes the fold-down seat option:

OCSC posted an interactive viewer of the new stadium design with the corners filled in. The viewer allows you to click on each section to see what the view of the field would be from any section in the stadium. http://orlandocitysc.io-media.com/web/index.html#

If we are talking fast food - Chick-Fil-A yo, Chick-Fil-A!

Conquistadors love their South American coca and gold!

Here's something you don't see everyday. Marching down Orange Ave by the courthouse on my lunch break with the Michigan Band after the Citrus Parade.

Per the Sentinel today: New 22 story Hotel tower planned for I-Drive for Avanti Resort complex. Supposed to break ground in May. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/tourism-central-florida-blog/os-avanti-tower-international-drive-resort-20151218-post.html

LOL, seriously? From what I understand, the stadium is the exact same size/dimensions as the previous version that would seat 19,000, but with 3 of the corners filled in for more seats. Where do these idiots come up with their "logic" on this stuff. Why does the press give them a voice for such nonsense? This town is a 3 ring circus of idiocy at times.

They probably won't add a crosswalk there until construction on the Sevens is finished. The sidewalk on the east side of Orange is closed due to the construction barrier fence. I think they are trying to keep people off that corner for now, and will revisit pedestrian circulation and street level experience once the sitework begins.

Ha, I love how they snuck "Miami Beach developer" in there too. Hahaha, really riling those Nimby's up with their propaganda machine. What a bunch of unscrupulous crooked jerks.

I bike on Livingston all the time, and there is never any "bike congestion" that requires me to have any problems whatsoever. Not saying I wouldn't like a protected bike lane on Robinson. IMO, the more bike lanes, the better. In fact, I would propose a protected 2 way bike lane all the way around Lake Eola park on the park side. Cyclists are not allowed to ride on the park infrastructure, so a dual bike lane all the way around on Robinson, Rosalind, Eola, and Central would be ideal. There is already a bike lane on Rosalind, but could separate it from traffic, and make it both ways, allowing cyclists to travel around the park southbound without needing to go a block over. Also, adding another bikeshare station on the northern side of the lake to go along with the one by World of Beer would be cool as well. What is really more important for Robinson is pedestrian crosswalks to the north. Crossing over toward Lake Eola Heights from the north side of the park is like taking your life into your hands, with no dedicated intersections or Ped Crosswalks to accomplish the feat. I am a reasonably fit, mid 30s person, and i get freaked out at times crossing 4 lanes when a car turns right and proceeds to accelerate to about 40 mph coming at me. That is the most pressing issue, IMO.

The bottom half with the architectural screen façade looks great. The top half looks like they outsourced a 12 year old to design "the kewlist futurist building and spaceship dock" one day at the local junior high.

If we could vaporize the ATT building and put it on that lot across from the lake, it would be awesome. One can dream, right? Actually, the parking lot across from Dynetech/Aspire/One Eleven/Whatever the hell they are calling it now would be a decent option too.