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Jaybee

By Jaybee
in Orlando

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Altimike Unincorporated Area

Altimike

Posted
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The other issue I see is that the west face is basically a wall, so it would be very difficult to get any synergy going in that direction and the east face, which is the welcoming side, faces the interstate. This is basically designed to be an island. A NICE island but an island none the less.

I think it is a good idea to make the "welcoming side" face I-4 because that is what most of the people see when they are coming into town. Assuming they do make room for this option, they can also put retails and restaurants on the ground floor facing all directions, including the Parramore side.

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cwetteland Burg

cwetteland

Posted
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Are the other sites I mentioned currently appealing to pedestrians ?

The others can become appealing to peds.... I-4 will never be appealing to peds. This has a face to I-4 and basically a blank wall to anywhere else.

I think it is a good idea to make the "welcoming side" face I-4 because that is what most of the people see when they are coming into town. Assuming they do make room for this option, they can also put retails and restaurants on the ground floor facing all directions, including the Parramore side.

The Parramore side is a parking garage with a facade on it.

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mrh3 Hamlet

mrh3

Posted
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Gainesville originally. Orlando for four years.

Why do you ask ? Curious as to why I haven't cultivated the requisate disdain for I-4 ? ;)

You know it would have been cool to see a below grade I-4 in the rebuilt interchange. Maybe then then fear would have been subsided. Boston and Seattle both have below grade freeways that blend very well into their environments. I personally think that the area under I-4 is actually primate space for retail development. A developer could put up a complex that would really fill in those gaps and make it more pedestrian friendly and help integrate the CBD with the Centroplex and Parramore.

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Magicfan95 Whistle-Stop

Magicfan95

Posted
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Ya, basically.

Before about 20 years ago that whole overpass from Colonial to Church St. was where about 90% of Orlando's prostitution and drug dealing happened. Once Church Street Station came about police did a major clean up which forced most of the action to the OBT area.

There is still that stereotype there however, and it's bad. Many bars and restaurants tried opening around the arena in theearly days but failed miserably because of preconceived notions about the area.

It will change, but I think a lot needs to go around OCP before it can be as successful as they want it.

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Dale City

Dale

Posted
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As I recall, although Portland has buried its expressway, Seattle's is still very much alive and is a hulking presence downtown. Yet, they build around it, and even under it, I believe.

Sure, it would be great to bury I-4, but it ain't going to happen.

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radiostatic102 Whistle-Stop

radiostatic102

Posted
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Gainesville originally. Orlando for four years.

Why do you ask ? Curious as to why I haven't cultivated the requisate disdain for I-4 ? ;)

I have a family member who just moved here from Miami and wonders what all the big fuss is about I-4. It isn't entirely useless, people do use it to get to work and back everyday.

I think it's great that the building is going to be so close to I-4. SunTrust is kind of set back from I-4 a bit, so when this thing gets built it will be nice to look at during your usual traffic jam.

I also agree with Dale's optimism. This project keeps surfacing in the news, and does not seem be going away. There seems to be a concerted effort to get this built.

Also, the argument about WDW and comparing CityPlace to it is a valid one, although obviously WDW is of much, much greater scale. But consider the old Winter Park mall before it was razed to the ground. I'll bet not so many people were visiting that place, but tear it down and replace it with Winter Park Village and all of a sudden EVERYONE is there, and try finding a parking space to go see a movie. Nigh impossible.

You can make a place a desirable location.

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WeNeed2Progress Hamlet

WeNeed2Progress

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I personally think that the area under I-4 is actually primate space for retail development. A developer could put up a complex that would really fill in those gaps and make it more pedestrian friendly and help integrate the CBD with the Centroplex and Parramore.

I've been thinking this a lot lately... I think it's what we need to bridge the gap. Perhaps even an oasis over I-4. OOoh... retail and restaurant below and above sections of I-4. Granted it's not necessary as we have space all over downtown, but--- it does integrate East and West sides of I-4. Let's get our money together!

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Dale City

Dale

Posted
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And since I-4 is not going to be buried in the forseeable future, why not appreciate the fact that Orlando is fairly unique in that it has a major freeway slicing throught the CBD ?

Let's be like Osaka and build up to it, under it and maybe even over it. Then accompany the setting with sinister, dark lighting. Anyone see the movie Black Rain ? :)

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bic Burg

bic

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Something should definitely be done to unite the east and west sides of I-4. I have difficulty seeing any higher end establishment undertaking the cost of constructing a venue under a highway and then trying to attract people to it-- I don't see restaurants or shopping in its future. I could see a string of small bars inhabiting the space after they get driven out of the central business district in the future.

Perhaps a better and cheaper use of the space would be to turn the parking lots under the interstate into urban basketball courts, or even a skatepark. Basketball courts are typically hard to come by in any city's downtown and these could turn dark, desolate areas into park-like spaces with shade, ensuring that pick-up games will continue deep into the summer. In addition, their unique location would attract Parramore residents, downtown residents and workers, possibly helping to bridge the socioeconomic gap.

Such a park already exists under I-95 in Downtown Miami.

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gibby Burg

gibby

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Something should definitely be done to unite the east and west sides of I-4. I have difficulty seeing any higher end establishment undertaking the cost of constructing a venue under a highway and then trying to attract people to it-- I don't see restaurants or shopping in its future. I could see a string of small bars inhabiting the space after they get driven out of the central business district in the future.

Perhaps a better and cheaper use of the space would be to turn the parking lots under the interstate into urban basketball courts, or even a skatepark. Basketball courts are typically hard to come by in any city's downtown and these could turn dark, desolate areas into park-like spaces with shade, ensuring that pick-up games will continue deep into the summer. In addition, their unique location would attract Parramore residents, downtown residents and workers, possibly helping to bridge the socioeconomic gap.

Such a park already exists under I-95 in Downtown Miami.

Portland has a public skatepark underneath a roadway.

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JRS1 Town

JRS1

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I just don't like the fact that they are mixing these new towers with med-revival or what not casual-looking bldgs. in the middle. I orig. protested them refurbishing Holiday Inn instead ot tearing it down. Now, I think they did a great job on it. It's just that these 3 bldgs are going to be connected from floors 1-10, it seems, in the shape of a "U", and then separate as 3 towers. The Lexington and twin just don't go there, IMO. But, what do I know... I won't say no to it...

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Dale City

Dale

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I just don't like the fact that they are mixing these new towers with med-revival or what not casual-looking bldgs. in the middle. I orig. protested them refurbishing Holiday Inn instead ot tearing it down. Now, I think they did a great job on it. It's just that these 3 bldgs are going to be connected from floors 1-10, it seems, in the shape of a "U", and then separate as 3 towers. The Lexington and twin just don't go there, IMO. But, what do I know... I won't say no to it...

Yes, it is a bit of a hodge-podge, IMO.

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mrh3 Hamlet

mrh3

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Yes, it is a bit of a hodge-podge, IMO.

I think that's why I like it so much. It is a hodge-podge, just like every major city in the country. In fact its difficult to attain that level of hodge-podgeness in a single development site. They usually look very bland. (Sandy Lake Towers for example.)

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facilities man Hamlet

facilities man

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I think that's why I like it so much. It is a hodge-podge, just like every major city in the country. In fact its difficult to attain that level of hodge-podgeness in a single development site. They usually look very bland. (Sandy Lake Towers for example.)

I like that there are different looking buildings. It will keep it from looking totally homogeneous.

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WeNeed2Progress Hamlet

WeNeed2Progress

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And since I-4 is not going to be buried in the forseeable future, why not appreciate the fact that Orlando is fairly unique in that it has a major freeway slicing throught the CBD ?

We could just turn the underside of I-4 into yakitori stands and other restaurants a la Tokyo and the Shinkansen tracks. Why not? Cheap eats for the businesses nearby, bars after hours!

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illliterate02 Unincorporated Area

illliterate02

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We could just turn the underside of I-4 into yakitori stands and other restaurants a la Tokyo and the Shinkansen tracks. Why not? Cheap eats for the businesses nearby, bars after hours!

Yakitori is the bomb.... We can get some ramen noodle huts and Yakisoba stands as well... God I miss Japan...

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WeNeed2Progress Hamlet

WeNeed2Progress

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All right, it sounds like a plan. Let's get some land under I-4 and turn it into "Little Tokyo" of Orlando. Definitely yakitori and yakisoba. There were some chic little cafes and tea houses under the tracks! I wish I'd have taken a photo just the sidewalk beside Tokyo Interntional Forum. Here's the best I have... you can see the use of space beneath the JR tracks.

TIF.jpg

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