hillcity

H&M is going in the Florida Mall rehab where Lord & Taylor used to be. Too bad for us, though H&M may be a little young and cheap for the downown we're looking to build. (I'm just trying to look at the bright side.)

This is what the talks were actually all about when Hughes lawyers, HD lawyers, and the city were meeting. [/qu The truth is stranger than fiction on this one.

Yes, Hillcity, ends with a 'y'...JK

Deal is done. 5 yes, 2 no. Bank it, and celebrate.

Quick suggestion for those that want to help, focus efforts on Fernandez and Moore. Especially Fernandez. A super-majority (5 of 7) is needed.

That's a good idea. You can count me and my family in. He deserves it, he's quickly replacing Guetzloe for biggest local slimeball.

Yes, but watch, it'll be stucco. And in other news, saw one of those external elevators at the Vue being carted-off today. What does that mean?

And if you want to be really cool and European you have to pronounce it "Hoi-M", like they do in Stockholm and Copenhagen. H&M in our downtown? Dunno, too good to be; with our luck, it'll end up on I-Drive next to Wonder Works (or whatever it's called). Besides, H&M was only cool when I was living on student loan money in London. I got a job now. By the way, the H&Ms I've seen in the northeast cities, like Philly and NYC, are urban storefront models and stand alone, just like in Europe; and yes, people go Ikea-style silly when they open in a new market. But whoever described them as Zara-lite, got it right, the clothes are cheap and still look nice, but do fall apart after like 2 or 3 trips to the washing machine. Quick question though, for everyone, speaking of Victoria Secrets and tattoo shops in downtown; How many would support adult entertainment in downtown? Would there be support amongst the pro-urban-folk for the city permitting adult uses downtown?

You should be Baker Acted. That belongs on 192 in Kissimmee, right next to a neon teal T-shirt shop and Shell Kingdom. (jk)

West Elm too.

First he wants to sue a weatherman over his weather forecast...now he wants to de-annex from a city that provides much better service than the county can provide. Many of those property owners in that area want to be annexed into the city.

The events center deal between the city and county will be finalized before these plans move too far. $0.5 billion investment next door changes the market analysis a little. Think?

MPB Member #1: "Mr. Chair, I make a motion to approve staff's recommendation to approve case number ZON2007-00000062536, with the additional condition that the applicant has to give the project a less retarded name than "The Cristal." MPB Members #2 through #9 (in unison): "SECOND!" MPB Chair: "Can we do that?" Staff: "Actually, yes, it's o.k., and yes, it's the stupidest project name we've ever heard."

They're the reason the cities of orlando and Winter Park are cool by comparison.

No.

Fundraiser benefiting a charity and soft grand opening celebration on the office deck (in between the 3 towers). The views are plain crazy from the deck, and the buildings are quite nice. The office deck looks down onto the Solaire pool deck. Kuhn paid the City back early on the parking garage loan. The party was pretty hot, but a little too exclusive; the crowd was a bit sparse and too old.

No, not true. A purchase and sale agreement has already been executed for the vast majority of the Church/Hughey site. As I said several weeks ago, the I-Drive distraction was never serious.

Not true.

Told you. Today is going to be a big day in our city's history.

You get it.

The new arena is not going on I-Drive. Next topic.

Speck, I don't agree with you on this one...why do they deserve a say? they already benefit directly from the vast majority of the tax (convention center and marketing) and the purpose behind the tax is to offer local governments a source of revenue for civic facilities such as performing art centers and civic arenas, especially for those communitites that are impacted by the tourism trade... it shouldn't be too much to ask that a portion, a relatively small portion, of a tax designed for civic facilities and tourism marketing be actually used for civic facilities that benefit residents and not just tourists... just my humble view...

consolidation would be great...if you like the County....and suburban sprawl...

I seldom chime in, but I have a strong opinion on this one...I have to agree with JRS on this. The SunTrust color scheme is a tacky '80s almost pastel-like green...it certainly has not weathered the test of time, and it seems to add to Orlando's image as a ticky-tacky neon t-shirt town. Those silly green pyramids could just as easily appear on top of a 99-cent t-shirt shop along 192 in Kissimmee. I think that shades of green (pastel or otherwise) don't fit in well in the urban environment. Green fits in well for structures in the country-side, or at the Disney Lodge, but not in an intensely human-built environment. Unfortunately, the new Ivanhoe design also includes a large amount of green. Just my view, for what it's worth.