Mills/50

[Ocityst]

Giraffas a Brazilian fast-casual chain will open at Mills Park

 

 

Menu http://giraffas.com/wp-content/uploads/menu/menu.pdf

Edited June 4, 2013 by Ocityst

[FLheat]

Some photos from Mills.  I wish the city made them bury the utilities, it would have make the project look so much nicer.

[popsiclebrandon]

Just thinking out loud but anyone else wonder if these chains moving in will be well received? That part of town is all pretty local and has a distinct feel to it. I mean Brass Tap opening 2 miles from Redlight just seems like a terrible idea and I think most people in the area that are around are going to make the easy choice to go to Redlight. Plus with Trader Joes just a few minutes down the road that can't be good for Fresh Market or whatever it is.

[Jernigan]

Fresh Market will be more in trouble if that Whole Foods at Fashion Square happens.

[DeepEyez]

Some photos from Mills.  I wish the city made them bury the utilities, it would have make the project look so much nicer.

 

What is this area suppose to be again? I could of sworn I've seen multiple proposals for this site.

Found this blurry pic of the conceptual elevation of The Fresh Market store front at Mills Park.

Not very urban and leaves a lot to be desired in it's design. Hopefully the final product will have a much more dense and uptown feel to it and not just another version of a strip mall.

 

Nevermind.

[klstorey]

Glass was going in the front of The Fresh Market today.  Couldn't get a pic since I was driving.  It looks like it might finish much sooner than the rest of the plaza.  If so how is that going to work parking wise? 

[smileguy]

Before the glass went in, you could see some FF&E already in place, namely awnings.  Those other buildings aren't that far behind, they just look it because you can still see through them.    I think they could install the parking lot any day and have businesses open before the end of July.

[Jernigan]

Is the urban trail incorporated into this project at all? Or will it simply run behind it? Hard to believe that we could have such a push for cycling and "Greenworks" in Orlando...AND a great case study down the road in Winter Garden on trails and Econ. Dev. and not incorporate the trail.

[FLClarkKent]

I think it runs behind it, sort of. Where the trail crosses Virginia, it's in the middle of the development (near what I assume will be some of the restaurants, which I'm pleased to see are being constructed to have access/frontage on Virginia).

There's a shopping center in Lake Mary along the Seminole Wekiva Trail that has a similar set up. It works quite well.

[FLheat]

Is the urban trail incorporated into this project at all? Or will it simply run behind it? Hard to believe that we could have such a push for cycling and "Greenworks" in Orlando...AND a great case study down the road in Winter Garden on trails and Econ. Dev. and not incorporate the trail.

From what I can tell they are doing nothing to take advantage of the Urban Trail.  They cut a driveway across the trail to get to the back side of Fresh Market, but the rest of the site is segregated by the stone wall that was built to keep the site level (and at the NW corner it is about a 10 foot wall).  Unless they are adding steps (which would not make bike or handicap access easy), I think they missed the boat on this opportunity.

[Jernigan]

Agreed - and haven't seen anything suggesting the Fashion Square mall will incorporate Cady Way despite the face that the trail hugs the property now. It's early so it could still happen - but if not, its just simply unbelievable. All this talk on spending money to make trails that go places and we have 2 opportunities to make existing trails feed directly into new projects in a meaningful way.

[gibby]

I think it runs behind it, sort of. Where the trail crosses Virginia, it's in the middle of the development (near what I assume will be some of the restaurants, which I'm pleased to see are being constructed to have access/frontage on Virginia).

There's a shopping center in Lake Mary along the Seminole Wekiva Trail that has a similar set up. It works quite well.

I did the engineering design for that site and I worked hard to make sure that our patio area and the trail worked well together.  The trail was not constructed yet when I designed the shopping center though.

[popsiclebrandon]

Fresh Market opening 7/31

[Jernigan]

When is ground breaking on the residential?

[Bungalower-MattBroffman]

I believe that already have broken ground. I think the tall "towers" on the right hand side when looking at the property are the stairwells for the apartments. Maybe?

[smileguy]

I think you're right! Similar stairwells have been spotted at the Ustler/Florida Hospital project.

[Bungalower-MattBroffman]

Yep...I think that's why we are told to head to the stairwells in a tornado.

[Bungalower-MattBroffman]

Ran by today on the Urban trail...I think they are actually elevator shafts...but either way progress.

 

Also it looks like that parking garage is starting to go up.

 

Here are some pictures I grabbed: https://plus.google.com/112967989947530242315/posts/UN88LYDYzqy

[SuperMan11MS]

The Fresh Market opened today.

[Jernigan]

Beautiful parking lot!

[John Hargrove]

Checked out The Fresh Market after work tonight. I had never been to one previously, and hadn't really been over to that part of Orlando. The lines from the checkout lanes were reaching nearly the back of the store. Probably 20-30 minute wait in line to checkout for me. About what you'd expect from a grand opening.

 

It was nice in there. I like it. I'll probably gain 10 pounds from all the crap I bought, though. Pineapple bread and sweet potato chips for dinner? sure why not.

 

I think there's a lot of potential for this part of town. I could see myself moving there in 2014 or 2015. By that time I'll have lived in 55 West for 5-6 years. Something quieter would be a nice change of pace.

[prahaboheme]

Can someone snap more photos to show us how this interacts with the streets and surrounding area? Looks decent from Mills although I still think a streetwall would have been more appropriate.

[gibby]

Is the southwest corner going to be some kind of outdoor seating area?

[FLClarkKent]

Was there opening night. Had a class down at Harmon Photo, so didn't get in until after 9 p.m. Despite that being their closing hour, they were still letting folks in the door. I made  a beeline to the chocolate covered peanut butter stuffed pretzels. I highly recommend.

 

I was struck by a few things:

• The parking lot seems quite small for the Fresh Market and the surrounding shops. Will the parking garage be available for business patrons, or will it just be for apartment residents only?
• The project's interaction with the Orlando Urban Trail isn't great, but isn't as terrible as I had feared. There's access from the trail to the some of the shops surrounding the Fresh Market. I'm hopeful there will be more interaction with the apartment development.
• With this development, the Mills Avenue neighborhood is now as lively as any neighborhood (College Park, Thornton Park, Audobon Park)
• With this development, Virgina Drive has become a real gem. The activity that has popped up on this street in the past few years has been amazing. Lots of restaurants, shops, fitness/yoga places, art studios, etc.

I took some pics of the store, but was in more of a "food porn" state of mind (versus urban planning...sorry!)

 

 

 

 

[FLheat]

On my morning run I snapped some pictures around Mills Park  (sorry for the links UP won't let me post the images like I used to)

 

OIC Construction  http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&section=img_ctrl&img=3222&file=max

 

Mills Park

 

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&section=img_ctrl&img=3220&file=max

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&section=img_ctrl&img=3221&file=max

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&section=img_ctrl&img=3219&file=max

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&section=img_ctrl&img=3218&file=max

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&section=img_ctrl&img=3217&file=max

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&section=img_ctrl&img=3216&file=max

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&section=img_ctrl&img=3215&file=max

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?app=gallery&module=images&section=img_ctrl&img=3214&file=max