steve_o

I often wonder what downtown would look like had Orlando's one and only Darden built their campus there. The domino effect from a massive corporate investment sometimes transforms a core.

No. Closes in 2 months: http://www.wftv.com/news/sears-to-close-at-fashion-square-mall-as-future-of-property-remains-uncertain_20160803203303/416523915

Agreed. I have a second home and girlfriend in Charlotte and am always amazed at how many old buildings they have recycled for new uses. BTW - Charlotte has a second adjacent Skyhouse going up. Wonder if we will ever see that. Thought I heard mention of it being a possibility going up across Rosaland at one time.

It would be REALLY REALLY great if the hotel bar ended up being something like Fahrenheit in Charlotte. Hotel bar on 21st floor facing the city.

Dale, I completely agree with you. I travel to Charlotte every few weeks and am constantly blown away by the high-rise construction. I think a lot of it has to do with the corporate presence (not back office we see here) but also, they just have a different - far more urban attitude than we do in Florida. Darden headquarters and medical city would never happen there unless it was in the middle of "Uptown". But that is just what Orlando is. A suburban cultured market with a small but growing center. Its come a long way though. This is possibly the best and most urban building we've seen in a while!

I too was there last night for Phantom. Sat in the Orchestra section close to the front. The sounds and visuals were fantastic! I love the lobby area but wonder how hard it will be to maintain its newness. Also wonder how the Disney Theater will age. There are a lot of colors going on in there. Interesting place. Weirdly, my favorite part of the night was exiting DPAC and looking out to and walking into the city. Felt so urban! Downtown has come a long way and its amazing to witness the difference exiting either Amway or DPAC and realize the plan that was put in place long ago. Extraordinary!

Didnt see this one coming. Ate there a few weeks ago and it was pleasant (not extraordinary). Would have definitely gone back. Nice place to sit and have a beer. Side note: RusTeak in College Park was FAR FAR FAR better. A must try.

i think it would be a great location for "American Social" like in Ft Lauderdale. There are lines out the door on weekends. This location needs a hit to be active. http://americansocialbar.com

I thought the pizza was fantastic and not in any way worse than the Chicago deep dish pizza I had in Chicago just days later. This stuff takes a while to cook. They don't surprise anyone. Its written in the menu. If you need fast pizza get the thin crust. Go try Giordano's pizza (we are lucky enough to have a few local franchises) and you will have the same wait time. No way around that. Not sure Orlando is ready for this stuff but glad its here. Cant wait to try the Italian Beef sandwich as the Beefstro on Colonial is now a goner.

I thought this was a good idea for the lot. Its on the back side of BofA and other than off site parking for Bob Carr, it hasn't seen much activity in years. Personally, I see this as something different to add to the downtown mix and get people that would normally not step foot downtown onto the streets. It also offers great visibility from I4. I dont believe this particular lot has ever been discussed as a possibility for Orlando World Trade. At one time it had a few residential tower proposals but that was in 2005.

I read them too. Some people make me sad.

i believe that is across the street. This appears to be right on top of the park. at least they don't have to dig!

Its going to the airport for 1 reason - access to tourists/Disney. Downtown Orlando is not only out of the way but most tourists don't even know it exists. It completely makes sense to go to the airport. Its just unfortunate for our downtown. That foot traffic would be amazing.

I am in no way meaning to downplay it just highlight the fact that they didnt talk about orlando because they are not making a significant investment in downtown real estate like they are the other cities. 4.2 million sf and 1/2 dozen buildings (one topping 70 stories) along with a possible 4.7 million people walking the streets could have been helpful to our city center. Looks like the benefit will be to take some of the 60 million annual orlando visitors and get them to south florida to spend some money in their developing urban centers. It all sounds very nice, just wish some of the giltz and glam was coming to a part of Orlando the residents use (like the S Fla stations).

This doesn't say much for Orlando considering its landing at an airport located in sprawl. There is all this talk about making downtown better and though I know there is no conventional way to make the train come downtown that would be an answer in how to put foot traffic in the city center. Sad that Orlando is only linked to this for its tourists and will benefit with a maintenance yard.

Simple answer - cost Though they will not have retail, don't forget about the Thornton Park Brownstones! Construction will begin late summer. Demo of existing structures will happen mid June.

I just got back from walking from my downtown home to the Church St Sunrail Station where I took the train to Maitland and walk to the dealership to pick up my car that was being serviced. What an experience! I have to say I was absolutely impressed with the entire system. Hope it works out and everyone gets to see why it already makes sense!

This is correct /\/\

Other than the site plan, what you are seeing is just the necessary designs to submit to the city to get the project started. The final product will be MUCH more appareling. Though similar in concept to the Osceola Brownstones just a few blocks west, these will be larger with far more usable interior space and MUCH higher finishes similar to the VUE or Sanctuary.

I have wanted to share info about this project for months. This is very exciting for Thornton Park. The first of its kind in over 7 years! These are NOT final elevations. There is a long way to go before end product is made public.

Quality of food and good service always wins. People will figure out a way to get there and park if the food is good. Loose sight of either and the place will close. It is no mystery why the restaurants in the Sanctuary have closed as they lacked both. As for Church St, Heat started off great but didn't have an identity. If i wanted Indian food, I had to sit in a club = doesn't work. Urban had a trendy product that aged quickly and their quality/service digressed in the new location. Same can be said for other parts of Orlando. Drive down Park Ave on any night. Prato is packed (quality food/excellent service), Matilda's on Park is dead (have you eaten there? heard anyone say they like it?). IMO these locations are not plagued. It is 100% operator error.

I believe there were plans for a 1-2 story bank there a few years ago when Avis used to occupy it. The plans weren't very impressive so I'm actually glad nothing has happened yet. Hopefully something better will come along at some point.

I don't mind the location. Honestly, i think it really builds a vibe on Church St when the Magic have a home game. Couple this with MLS and we should see some activity in one condensed are (an Orlando first). I think putting all in one place is a great idea. But I do agree that it would be nice if we had some private investment in the immediate area. If you compare this with the proposal for Detroit (YES DETROIT), you would have to wonder how we got a team first.

I would love to see a Church Street Trolley between Orange Ave and the Citrus Bowl. I know its dreaming but they are going to be doing something to connect the street with lighting. You never know...

I saw it in Winter Park around 9ish.