tygger

Checkout BB King's Blues club in Pointe Orlando - probably just what you're looking for... a GREAT venue! http://orlando.bbkingclubs.com/

So... Does this mean it will have a visor? Seriously, I like the idea of contextualism. Orlando has character and unique qualities that are not highlighted enough. I don't think the formula HAS to be "contextualism = BLAND". A great design that fits well within the concept of Orlando could be a source of pride and admiration for many years to come.

DONE DEAL!!!! http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/community...enues-pass.html

Imagine if we still had the Hooters in the old Church Street Marketplace. With the new Arena location, any spot on Church Street is prime for a sports bar!

It's at the Orange County Building on Rosalind and Church St. You can't miss the throngs of news trucks and protesters/supporters that are out there... don't expect to get a seat inside, though.

I-4 Anderson Exit closes Sunday... looks like South Street will be two-way right there... I-4 Anderson Street exit ramp closing

Great food overall at their other locations... Check out the BBQ Chicken Caesar Salad Flatbread, and you can't go wrong.

Looks like it's official... Bob Snow is bringing back the Cheyenne Saloon to Church Street Station! http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/community...me_back_bo.html

Sorry to keep off-topic... but I'm ALWAYS happy to answer Planet of the Apes Trivia! The movie in question is Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, the 4th movie in the series. Most of the scenes took place at the Century City Mall, which was just built, but was not yet being used. A good picture of it is here: http://www.seeing-stars.com/ImagePages/Cen...wersPhoto.shtml Other brutalism structures used in the film were actually buildings on the UC Irvine campus. Back to 55W....

They are - It's not only the Former Rosie O'Grady's (now the Improv), Lily Marlene's (Steakhouse), and the Exchange (Transcontinental Offices, the wine shop)... but also included are the buildings south of Church st: Bumby Hardware (Toojay's, Absinthe Bistro), Cheyenne, Club Paris and the Grand Ballroom. Personally, I would not be surprised at all to see none of the current tenants stay. The only thing unique about the current tenants are the buildings they are in - not the businesses themselves. They are all disjunct businesses with what appear to be money-losing leases for Kuhn. If Kuhn has big plans for this property (and I'm not convinced that means demolition - call me an optimist, but I'm pulling for more of a "rebirth"), it makes sense to scrap all of the tenants' leases as the makeover begins (no need to worry about compensation for "loss of business" during construction, etc...). The only club I'd really hate to see leave is the Improv. If they are forced out, I hope they take up residence elsewhere in the CBD.

Well, I'll speak up and let you know that I used to live in the red brick building on the right, for about two years - right up until the owners sold the place to the Eola Place developers and we were soon evicted. (No worries - I found another place downtown). Of course, that was back when Phase 1 of the project was supposed to be right where those building still stand, and phase 2 was going to be the building that was to engulf the Jackson. I'm not surprised this project tanked. The buildings were built in 1949, and each contains 4 1-bedroom apartments. They were old, but quite nice. Old-fashioned, boxy design inside, but hardwood floors throughout and nifty wall-mounted light sconces. No central air, but hey - those places definitely had character. I also enjoyed living on Church St, for as little as what residents across the street in the Sanctuary were probably paying in monthly association dues. Its unfortunate that they have to go, but its understandable, since it was a really small number of units on that land. And since South Eola is becoming the high-rise district, that land was too valuable. Hopefully, SOMETHING will get done with that land eventually.

The buildings in this complex, besides their significance as the former Church Street Station Entertainment Complex, have historical significance to the city of Orlando. http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/community...ry_of_the_.html I would HATE to see these buildings destroyed - there is SUCH potential here! When the new Arena is built on the west side, and the movie theater and PAC open on the East side, Church Street should DEFINITELY become the nightlife center of Orlando. The buildings have such character - the train depot is even on the National Register of Historic Places. We have so many fantastic new modern structures going up - wouldn't it be great to maintain a little historic flair to this street? I hope the city does the right thing by insisting that these building be preserved/restored by whoever ends up buying this property. It's not like we're talking about a barn or a little shack. These buildings were THRIVING as recently as 15 years ago when Church Street Station was a huge tourist destination. I'm convinced the same could happen again - but this time with more of a local presence as the downtown population continues to grow.

"New Venues and Burnham? Money Well Spent!" Sentinel Downtown Blog

According to the article, Pearlman & his cronies (my term - not the Sentinel's) paid $15.85 million in 2001.

I read the article as well, and while I do see your point (projects DO need to get funded), I think that in light of the recent scandals involving the Expressway Authority, there is a good reason to pause. Mike states near the end of the article, "They would like us to give them $1.24 billion more in toll increases before we find out how they've spent the last $2 billion. We discuss toll increases after we change the board make-up to replace political cronies with elected officials." I have no problem with reasonable toll increases - there haven't been any in years.... but it would be very prudent to insist that the EA puts their own house in order before asking for more money. What assurances do we have that this money is TRUELY needed, and that it won't be misused or wasted? After they have proven to be competant handlers of our tax dollars, I'd be happy to support their funding efforts.

If you're looking for an inexpensive, but classy place downtown, I'd recommend Harvey's Bistro on Orange Avenue in the Bank of America Building downtown. http://www.harveysbistro.com/