Mills/50

[codypet]

On 5/9/2023 at 5:38 PM, JFW657 said:

Or another gas station/convenience store..... 

The 7 Eleven two blocks up Colonial needs some competition.  

That Wawa they were proposing a while back.

[JFW657]

14 minutes ago, codypet said:

That Wawa they were proposing a while back.

Actually, I wouldn't hate that.

As long as the building was attractively designed and was at the front of the parcel fronting Colonial with the parking and gas islands in back completely out of view. 

Could be worse things there I guess. 

[codypet]

36 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

Actually, I wouldn't hate that.

As long as the building was attractively designed and was at the front of the parcel fronting Colonial with the parking and gas islands in back completely out of view. 

Could be worse things there I guess. 

I could see it facing sideways.  I don't think the neighborhood south of it is gonna love that idea.

[JFW657]

1 hour ago, codypet said:

I could see it facing sideways.  I don't think the neighborhood south of it is gonna love that idea.

Either way, I'm guessing a wall would be incorporated into the design. 

I'm wondering how big of a parcel would be available to build something on.  

If it includes The Dollar Tree parcel and the empty grass lot just to the east, it would be too big for any kind of gas/convenience store.  

[codypet]

2 hours ago, JFW657 said:

Either way, I'm guessing a wall would be incorporated into the design. 

I'm wondering how big of a parcel would be available to build something on.  

If it includes The Dollar Tree parcel and the empty grass lot just to the east, it would be too big for any kind of gas/convenience store.  

Yea it would be both, and might even include Lily's bridal and the now vacant Puppy store.  Its hard to tell

[JFW657]

Would be a good spot for a high rise condo.

Something along the dimensions of Park Lake Tower. 

[smonteserin]

The mural is finished, minus the bottom areas which will be completed after construction crews grade around the parking deck

[JFW657]

Not bad.

What is it? 

[prahaboheme]

Appears to be Lake Eola fountain and swans.

[JFW657]

If I still took hallucinogenic drugs, I'd like to try some of the kind they must've taken.  

 

 

.

Edited May 22, 2023 by JFW657

[jrs2]

11 hours ago, JFW657 said:

Not bad.

What is it? 

the white thingy on the right is a vibrator/ egg beater with a right angle pivot for easier reaching...

[angela1117]

I think a tribute to the worlds largest board that was at Mills and Nebraska lumber that used to be in that spot would've been nice.

edited to say I hope that is in fact at the plaza at Mills and Nebraska LOL

Edited May 22, 2023 by angela1117

[JFW657]

4 hours ago, angela1117 said:

I think a tribute to the worlds largest board that was at Mills and Nebraska lumber that used to be in that spot would've been nice.

edited to say I hope that is in fact at the plaza at Mills and Nebraska LOL

I do hope that board found its way to a museum somewhere.

OC History Museum would've been a good spot for it. 

I hope it didn't get turned into someone's garage workbench. 

Or a backyard picnic table. 

[angela1117]

From an Orlando Sentinel article April 6, 2019

 

"The good news is the board is still around, all 23 feet of it. The sad news is that, unlike the old days, you’ll need a GPS to find.

It’s leaning against a warehouse in an industrial park off Silver Star Road. That’s where Mills & Nebraska, a building materials company, moved 13 years ago."

From the Mills&Nebraska website:

1957 brought more progressive changes to the company, with it being the first in Central Florida to open a truss manufacturing plant.  In 1960, a new contemporary lumber store and showroom was erected in front of the original store which became the standard for residential design and materials.  Under Phil Igou’s leadership and his searches for new ideas to improve the company, the truss plant was expanded and “The World’s Largest Board” was introduced, which became a Central Florida landmark.

In 2005 a difficult but important decision was made to sell the lumber and truss operations to give the owners adequate time and full attention to continuing the successes of the operation’s growth.  The sale was completed in March 2006 and at the same time, the original Mills Avenue site was sold for development. 

No mention of what happened to the board but I think @spenser1058 would be proud of me getting this far. LOL

 

 

[JFW657]

2 hours ago, angela1117 said:

From an Orlando Sentinel article April 6, 2019

 

"The good news is the board is still around, all 23 feet of it. The sad news is that, unlike the old days, you’ll need a GPS to find.

It’s leaning against a warehouse in an industrial park off Silver Star Road. That’s where Mills & Nebraska, a building materials company, moved 13 years ago."

From the Mills&Nebraska website:

1957 brought more progressive changes to the company, with it being the first in Central Florida to open a truss manufacturing plant.  In 1960, a new contemporary lumber store and showroom was erected in front of the original store which became the standard for residential design and materials.  Under Phil Igou’s leadership and his searches for new ideas to improve the company, the truss plant was expanded and “The World’s Largest Board” was introduced, which became a Central Florida landmark.

In 2005 a difficult but important decision was made to sell the lumber and truss operations to give the owners adequate time and full attention to continuing the successes of the operation’s growth.  The sale was completed in March 2006 and at the same time, the original Mills Avenue site was sold for development. 

No mention of what happened to the board but I think @spenser1058 would be proud of me getting this far. LOL

Thanks to your investigative work I was able to not only find the location of The World's Largest Board, but I was able to get this Google Street View picture of it!!!! 

From 2016....

It's still there, but in all the other archive views, there are large vehicles blocking the view. 

This was the only one that shows the entire length of it.

I think they should move it inside.

Someone could come along and steal it!!! 

Just pick it up and carry it off somewhere!!!   

 

.

Edited May 23, 2023 by JFW657

[angela1117]

Well done!

Yes, I can't believe someone hasn't walked away with that beauty!

[JFW657]

7 minutes ago, angela1117 said:

Well done!

Yes, I can't believe someone hasn't walked away with that beauty!

Well.... according to the Sentinel article, the board is 23 feet long, 4 inches thick and almost 4 feet wide. I'm guessing it weighs several hundred pounds. Maybe half a ton or more of solid redwood. 

If anyone wants to walk away with it, they're going to need a LOT of help.

Maybe a small crane.   

[JFW657]

BTW, it can be seen on the satellite view, too....

 

[codypet]

That was it?!?!?!!?!? I've looked like 10 times at streetview over the last couple years looking for that dang board.  I didn't realize it was that narrow.

[JFW657]

3 hours ago, codypet said:

That was it?!?!?!!?!? I've looked like 10 times at streetview over the last couple years looking for that dang board.  I didn't realize it was that narrow.

I guess it just looks narrow from a distance.

Plus, in most of the street views, there are vehicles parked in front of it.

But still, four feet wide is not narrow by any stretch of the imagination for one single board.

Given the dimensions, it's equal in size to three lengths of plywood end to end, stacked four inches thick.

Big.

Board.  

[codypet]

So Dollar Tree signage is up on the old Office Depot, so it probably won't be long before it moves to its new location.  What I hadn't noticed was although the puppy store had closed around the time Covid hit, Lily's bridal appears to have moved into the Colonial Plaza shopping center according to their website.  So perhaps there is plans to demo that whole part of the block and build a larger apartment or something.  None of these properties have "for lease" signs  in front of them.  

 

Also Mills and /50's traffic signal looks to be getting replaced.......with a new diagonal strain pole.  Womp womp.

Edited June 2, 2023 by codypet

[codypet]

Ok I'm pretty sure my suspicions are correct.

The property appraiser shows the 3 properties at Hampton/Colonial as being owned by an LLC that has Kobe in Altamonte as an address (2.2 acres total with 380' fronting Colonial).  Same goes for the Office Depot, soon to be Dollar Tree space.

Remember the old Chevron/Restaurant showed Kobe moving there, but then it became the apartment (That one is 2.1 acres 395' fronting Colonial and L shaped)

Prior to that it was in the parcel between Lily's and Dollar Tree, and prior to that it was the Office Depot Space.

So they effectively offered the Dollar Tree the Office Depot space since it was an improvement over the current space so clear the area to do SOMETHING with the property.  I was inclined to believe like in the past, all the properties would sit vacant until eventually something happens with them, but  the recent departure of Lily's Bridal makes me think a change is going to come more sooner than later.  Nothing has been filed with the WMD.  Which is puzzling because they did that site work about 3 years back for the Bento that never materialized.   

I'm really really thinking that another apartment complex is gonna spring up on this site.  From a density standpoint, its the perfect spot.   Right on a bus line, a block away from a couple of major shopping areas.  Didn't the City do away with its parking minimums?  It might get away with a smaller garage even.

[orlandocity87]

That stretch of Colonial is one of the last swaths of high-density zoning in the city that's really underdeveloped. An apartment building at the Bento site to match the one at Colonial & Fern Creek would create a nice balance. Colonial & Bumby also acts as an eastern gateway into the "traditional city," so more density there would be great. 

Now we just need more apartments along Colonial & Thornton. And, if this were Sim City, I'd plop down an elevated train along Colonial from downtown to UCF...

[orlandocity87]

Final coat of paint looks completed on the Woodward side and is progressing on the Fern Creek side. 

[dcluley98]

Just drove by the Mills/50 Colonial intersection and they are FINALLY installing mast arm signals. The foundation/base is in with the bolts in place, but no masts yet. Expect to see mast arms shortly to remove the ugly wired signals that have been there forever.