Society | 28- & 17-Story Residential [Under Construction]

[FLClarkKent]

9 hours ago, orange87 said:

I think we have to just accept that DTO will never be a place for very tall buildings. The best we can hope for is consistent development of buildings that at least seem tall standing next to them at ground level. Also, density will be very important as well.

Just saw this article after reading your post. A fun list https://www.clickorlando.com/features/2024/04/30/these-are-the-tallest-buildings-in-orlando-heres-how-high-they-get/

 

[dcluley98]

Society would be on that list. Also, pretty sure CSP I is taller than the plaza side of of the Plaza. 

[orange87]

3 hours ago, FLClarkKent said:

Just saw this article after reading your post. A fun list https://www.clickorlando.com/features/2024/04/30/these-are-the-tallest-buildings-in-orlando-heres-how-high-they-get/

Some of those buildings feel pretty tall when you stand next to them, but objectively, DTO's buildings are rather short and unimpressive.

[Ivanhoe]

Hyatt Regency tower feels taller than Suntrust.

[jrs2]

15 hours ago, orange87 said:

I think we have to just accept that DTO will never be a place for very tall buildings. The best we can hope for is consistent development of buildings that at least seem tall standing next to them at ground level. Also, density will be very important as well.

when NYC built The Empire State Bldg and had Chrysler, Woolworth, an a couple of others in The Battery that were very tall, including The Rock in Midtown, Chicago's tallest was I believe The Board of Trade at close to 600' with statue.  But, they took it to the next level in the late 1950's with Prudential at 600'+ and then a few others in that range until they built First Natl Bank at 852' in '68 and JHC at 1,127' in '69, along with a few others in that mid-range.  Then the '70's brought about Sears, Standard Oil, etc..  But, simultaneously, LA saw the advent of their biggies as well, like those twin black buildings at 699' to start things off around 1973-74 and the building where the Calder sculpture is.  

How does this relate to Orlando?  Think Miami.  Miami was Centrust and SE Financial Center throughout the '80's and '90's and everybody else.  Come Boom of 2004 and on, those two buildings are a mere afterthought in their skyline.

 People don't realize how many times Sunny Isles has gotten them to raise the FAA height limit (Opa Locka Airport).  Now, they are building towers there eclipsing 700'.  Downtown Miami has a limit of 1,049' I believe b/c of MIA.

Orlando- DTO needs to sell itself as a desirable place to attract big money development en masse.  You can't do that with soup kitchens, and cops that just release criminals to the sidewalk and don't even trespass them (talk to local security guards and they tell you everything...)  Riff raff.  Orlando had a shot in 2005 with the Boom, but they needed a minimum of new development to occur that would propagate new development later.  The Plaza was a key.  55W was supposed to add critical mass to CSS ala locals to patronize those places. But, CSS has gotten worse off since then.  And without these pockets thriving, no realtor or developer can market DTO with any confidence.  This is what would bring more towers...and the more that come, the taller they'd get.  Sunny Isles has beachfront as the lure.  Orlando was supposed to push Lake Eola as the lure, but that only yielded Vue, Aspire, Solaire, Sanctuary, Eola South, Paramount, 101 Eola, and Star.  Not bad, but since then, maybe Modera, Radius, Skyhouse, and CitiTower (over the next 15 year span!).  The 420 Artisan and 520 buildings, more so, were developed as a result of the neighborhood, versus lake views (which is also good- during that same 15 year span). But, geez...while DTO was dropping those few kids off at the pool, other more cosmo cities were having explosive diarrhea of dozens upon dozens of high rises.

The JW project coming- if it comes- would be a good springboard.

Just remember, that before the Boom happened, the only desirable residential project on Eola was Waverly, and that was part of a "boom" that included CNL, Lincoln Tower, Grand Bohemian, Lincoln at Delaney, Crescent in North Quarter, and that apartment at the RR tracks in North Quarter, and maybe another project or two.  The OC Cthse was included here too.   But when you see that 1998 boom, which gets followed up by the 2006 Boom, and then nothing until 2013 and Steelhouse and a slow yet steady rollout from then until maybe 2022 (sans Society which is still u/c), it seems like it's an orderly timetable of development, but, kind of slow, compared to other cities.  

That's why I always say DTO is on life support.  Something needs to shock the system and kick start a huge further boom in DTO.  Since Society has been winding construction down, nothing else has been built here.  They really need to push the Fountain; that's why they spent $$$ on it several years ago.  They also need to push DPAC.  They copied the Miami model yet have done nothing with it.  It, in and of itself, has yielded nothing- maybe CSP in a way but not really.  That is a tragedy.  And it doesn't help matters when The City keeps changing plans midstream.  There were several proposals for the grounds, but, with all those delays, the economy changed for the worse.  Now, the money is in other non-DTO developments like these 5-7 story apartment buildings with garages; there have been so many of them built around town the past 5-6 years.

CSP II- I wonder if they are frying to get FRA money for the Sunrail platform redo.  Shame it was delayed...