Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium [Renovation Completed]

[JRS1]

I thought the Expo Center was converted into the UCF Digital Media Institute Thingy.

it has and/or will be.

[mrh3]

it has and/or will be.

Oh. Well I guess that's it for major meeting space in the CBD, but my original question was whether or not there will be demand.

[DelGreco]

Indeed that would be special and provide the continuity that is lacking right now. I am curious about the Orlando Convention Center. Doesn't the Expo Center kind of cover that? Who do you think would be the primary users of a CC Downtown?

A smaller convention center in the heart of downtown would probably be in high demand all year. I can see many Fortune 500 companies holding their Annual Stockholder Meetings here, many smaller trade and expo shows, various private and public seminars, job fairs, etc... The possibilities are endless for events attended by the 2,000-20,000 people within a facility that is within walking distance to a lively and full-service city center.

I could be way off in my thinking but I think the existing arena could easily be converted for such uses. All they need is some large scale hotels right in front of it on Lake Dot.....plus easy access to I-4/408.

My guess is the new arena should be between Church and Hughey, just west of I-4. It appears the DOT is configuring the new South St and Anderson Street on/off ramps to accomodate something big there...HMMM?!?! (plus the City already owns or controls most of that land...plus no local residents to displace)

[JRS1]

A smaller convention center in the heart of downtown would probably be in high demand all year. I can see many Fortune 500 companies holding their Annual Stockholder Meetings here, many smaller trade and expo shows, various private and public seminars, job fairs, etc... The possibilities are endless for events attended by the 2,000-20,000 people within a facility that is within walking distance to a lively and full-service city center.

I could be way off in my thinking but I think the existing arena could easily be converted for such uses. All they need is some large scale hotels right in front of it on Lake Dot.....plus easy access to I-4/408.

My guess is the new arena should be between Church and Hughey, just west of I-4. It appears the DOT is configuring the new South St and Anderson Street on/off ramps to accomodate something big there...HMMM?!?! (plus the City already owns or controls most of that land...plus no local residents to displace)

can someone post a graphic of the new ramp improvements so we can get a better idea of how much space is being freed up by realigning those overpasses/bridges?

[wally2169]

The OCCC on I-drive is no more redundant than Vegas's CC and all the meeting space each of their mega hotels possess all within a mile or two of each other.

I want the new arena DT.

FYI to a previous comment: the Preds play in Kissimmee, not the O-rena, right?

Now, UCF is getting their own stadium. My point in bringing that up is that most of downtown's sports tenants have left: Preds, hockey(i think), minor league baseball, UCF football...

Now that's a development you just can't sweep under a rug.

What I think they should do is this: somehow, put the arena close to the new PAC, or develope another expo center near the new arena so that DT can have the ability to attract shows like I-Drive does. It can boost foor traffic and really market DT to outsiders that would not otherwise come to DT.

I agree with you that the Las Vegas CC is not redundant in anyway considering its proximity to the strip and all but based on my prior visits to the Gaylord Palms, Marriott World Center, Caribe Royale, Disney hotels, etc, the demand for convention space I think has been more than covered

I just think that San Diego is about as perfect as a as you can get concerning a CC, its in the heart of downtown and feeds off of it

But I do agree with you, even though the new OCC expansion is not currently living up to what it was billed at conception, I have no doubt that soon it will be booming as well as the resorts convention space

This is why the new arena is so vital downtown, it will give the city not only the entertainment value with the Magic and other events with a revitalized urban center but will actually give downtown a CC in a manner of speaking and leave OCC on I-Drive as the tourist district

It will allow a pretty clear distinction between the 2 areas of Orlando

Not sure if it could be built by the new PAC based on the location Dyer wants but I would love to tear down the TD Waterhouse as well as the whole damn Centroplex and start over from scratch with a brand new arena and entertainment center

And I agree with the prior posts made here based on what I said the other day, the Magic would nver allow themselves to play in Tampa for a season or 2 while the new arena is constructed nor will the citizens of Tampa ever allow it

If you and others think the new arena being built at UCF could manage it for now, I say good, let it rock and lets roll with the downtown project

The arena absolutely does not belong anywhere else other than downtown

[firemick]

Article in todays Orlando Sentinel; an excerpt from column with link below for entire story!

Buildings may fall for arts

Performance center would alter core Orlando landscape

Mark Schlueb {sodEmoji.|} Sentinel Staff Writer

Posted June 9, 2006

A piece of one of Orlando's oldest churches would be demolished. The city's main fire station would be razed. And an office tower on a prominent downtown corner would come tumbling down.

By itself, the demolition of any one these buildings would be a big deal downtown. All three would meet the wrecking ball to make way for a proposed performing-arts center that could be under construction next year.

A plan unveiled two weeks ago would place a $376 million performing-arts center on two blocks of land across from City Hall and surround it with private development, including offices, condominiums, hotel rooms, restaurants and shops.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/...=orl-home-promo

Edited June 9, 2006 by firemick

[mrh3]

It would be awesome to see good dense development all the way to shores of Lake Lucerne spurred by this project.

Edited June 9, 2006 by mrh3

[WeNeed2Progress]

It would be awesome to see good dense development all the way to shores of Lake Lucerne spurred by this project.

Yeah it would--- all the way to the hospital campuses, surrounding them and including them within downtown. Hey, isn't the commuter rail supposed to stop at that station? Why not make it more pedestrian friendly/ dense?!

[shardoon]

i dont even want to imagine the fighting between orange county and orlando for conventions if there was significant convention space downtown.

[sunshine]

In Orlando masterplan 2020, downtown Orlando are going to have a downtown conference center and Orange County will only agree to let Orlando build it if Orlando promises that it is not going to compete with OCCC.

And when they first considering building the OCCC back then, downtown is one of the 3 locations that they considered to put it.

[prahaboheme]

i dont even want to imagine the fighting between orange county and orlando for conventions if there was significant convention space downtown.

If Osceola had worked out their plans with Gaylord, that would have been significant competition with OCCC. Right now, downtown would corner only a niche business market. I think it is needed.

[bic]

The Orlando Business Journal is reporting that Orlando will likely be the recipient of a Puerto Rican league professional basketball team. I think this can only help the push for a new arena.

Read about it here.

[Magicfan95]

Should be interesting bic, I know the Magic fought this at 1st. However, I don't believe either team will be competing that hard with each other for fans.

[EngineerNole]

What the heck is a Puerto Rican league, and why would a place not in Puerto Rico have a Peurto Rican team. Let's start a Russian Ice Skating League even though America has the NHL.

Edited June 13, 2006 by EngineerNole

[illliterate02]

What the heck is a Puerto Rican league, and why would a place not in Puerto Rico have a Peurto Rican team. Let's start a Russian Ice Skating League even though America has the NHL.

Maybe because there is a population of 200.000+ Puerto Ricans in the metro area and growing, which would be a sizeable city in PR. They figure they can take advantage of the recognition of their people and their athletes... seeing as how Puerto Ricans are really proud of their people and their achievements.

[bic]

What the heck is a Puerto Rican league, and why would a place not in Puerto Rico have a Peurto Rican team. Let's start a Russian Ice Skating League even though America has the NHL.

Xenophobic much?

Why does our National Hockey League have franchises in Canada? Despite it being a national league, there are huge hockey markets to our north and not tapping into them would be silly. Likewise, Orlando boasts the largest population of Puerto Ricans outside of New York and the island itself, and is only a 2-hour flight away.

[mrh3]

I was wondering if anyone had thought about approaching the city to create some public art in some of the vacant lots downtown. I would imagine that United Arts and maybe a few foundations would be able to set up grants for artists in Orlando to improve the urban landscape. It would be a great way to enhance Orlando residents' artistic sensibilities.

[JRS1]

In Orlando masterplan 2020, downtown Orlando are going to have a downtown conference center and Orange County will only agree to let Orlando build it if Orlando promises that it is not going to compete with OCCC.

And when they first considering building the OCCC back then, downtown is one of the 3 locations that they considered to put it.

with this logic, you would think that OC would have requested the same from Harris Rosen with Shingle Creek, being that their 250k ft2 is within a mile of the OCCC.

[sunshine]

that's a private investment and Orlando investment would be public.

[firemick]

So now that it looks like the PAC is moving forward. Has anybody seen any renderings, or know of any plans? I know that the CNL building will replace the round building but what does the whole plan consist of?

[jack]

It is too early. I believe Glatting in working on renderings, as well as Hines.

[shardoon]

i am really starting to get ticked off. first rosen is ok with using half the extra penny for public venues, now it seems like he changed his mind. all this from a man that is unelected. unbelievable.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/or...iness-headlines

[Magicfan95]

Shardoon,

I wouldn't read too much into it. Mr. Rosen is merely trying to stand hard to make sure he can squeeze every penny he can. 1/2% will go to facilities barring some big event between now and the vote.

[shardoon]

good news... the panel voted 6-1.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/cu...-home-headlines

here is a snippit from the article:

"The tourist-development tax was meant to support our industry -- tourism," Rosen said in a lengthy speech at the council's meeting at the Orange County Convention Center. He said his own financial health and thousands of jobs are at stake.

At the end, Rosen pushed a plan that would steer all added resort-tax revenue into tourism marketing for as many as five years, with no money going to the projects in that time unless an 80 percent occupancy level is reached at area hotels. Current occupancy rates hover around 70 percent. After that, the projects could share in added tax revenues, he said.

Rosen blamed political opposition to his plan on the County Commission, which he said has been "intimidated and bullied" by the Orlando Sentinel into opposing it. But no one backed Rosen's proposal, and it died for lack of support.

-------------------------------------------

i love his last statement i posted. that is the definition of irony.

[Magicfan95]

Its a great start Shardoon.

Sad to see Rosen take the tax completely out of base and say it was merely created for the tourism industry.

The text of the statute clearly lists it as a source of public entertainment and sports venues (which was done to stop taxing the locals on venues without their say).

Miami has spent 2%, Tampa 1%, Duval 3%, and Orlando .5% (after this tax increase)