Downtown Orlando Project Discussion

[sunshine]

No, they would going to tear down the existing building and put a bulky 42 stories building that would block the view from the Vue.

 

I cant find the rendering

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2008-02-08/business/kassab08_1_vue-lake-eola-highwoods

 

[JFW657]

22 minutes ago, sunshine said:

No, they would going to tear down the existing building and put a bulky 42 stories building that would block the view from the Vue.

 

I cant find the rendering

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2008-02-08/business/kassab08_1_vue-lake-eola-highwoods

 

There was a proposal back in the 90's to build a second "twin tower" at Eola Centre Park next to the existing building, then remodel the roofline and exterior of the old one to match the new one. I'm pretty sure I still have the rendering either on my laptop or saved on a thumb drive. I'm on my tablet right now, so I don't have access to it, but I'll check later and if I find it, I'll post it.

I'm not sure if they ever got far enough along on the 42 story proposal to even produce a rendering. I don't remember ever seeing one.

[jack]

I saw those plans and the office building was staying. The original master plan was designed for three buildings on that site. In fact, part of the lawsuit from the VUE referenced a wind tunnel would be created between the office and new condo building. 

[nite owℓ]

3 hours ago, JFW657 said:

That NE corner of Rosalind and Robinson is an eyesore that's screaming for redevelopment.

Eyesore? Really? It's one of the best kept commercial properties & parking lots in the CBD IMO. They consistently maintain the landscaping & parking surface on that property. Plus it's an unofficial free parking lot to people visiting Lake Eola on the weekends.

[spenser1058]

This is a 40+ year old building, not much younger than the OUC and MJB buildings we were told had reached the end of their productive lives. Further, that land won't get any cheaper and the population of downtown is growing daily. That means a need for park expansion grows daily. Therefore, the city should purchase it. Let Orange County (which is perpetually short of office space) lease it until it is completely obsolete and then add the land to the park.

Btw, the parking area to the east was initially an apartment/motel complex similar to Bel Fontaine until the 70's. That was leveled to become the drive in tellers for the Atlantic Bank branch on the first floor of the tower. Those were removed later after drive ins fell out of favor.

[JFW657]

35 minutes ago, nite owℓ said:

Eyesore? Really? It's one of the best kept commercial properties & parking lots in the CBD IMO. They consistently maintain the landscaping & parking surface on that property. Plus it's an unofficial free parking lot to people visiting Lake Eola on the weekends.

Yeah, you're right about it at least being clean and well kept, but it's still kind of an ugly splotch right there at a high profile spot where something nice ought to be.

[nite owℓ]

2 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

Yeah, you're right about it at least being clean and well kept, but it's still kind of an ugly splotch right there at a high profile spot where something nice ought to be.

Oops, never mind. I thought you meant fifth third bank property on the SE corner.

[jgardnerucf]

Could totally put a "Fern Creek/Colonial" 7-11 on that corner. Boom!

[spenser1058]

Oh Thank Heaven!

[Urban Mail Carrier]

I can't believe  no one has suggested this!!! Does no one remember that the Orlando Museum of Art is looking to relocate to Downtown? They made a big announcement about 1 1/2year ago about  wanting an iconic building in an iconic location... This fits that desire. 

In Los Angeles exposition Park I believe the Lucas Museum will open... We can find inspiration in that project with our museum in Lake Eola. We can expand our Park to the Corner and incorporate the museum.. That goes along with the DTO project mission of expanding Orlando's parks and growing the city culturally.

Edited February 8, 2017 by Urban Mail Carrier

[Jernigan]

That would be pretty cool.  How would that work for businesses that have leases there?   The article implies Highwoods has raised rates and filled up the building.

 

[JFW657]

4 hours ago, jack said:

I saw those plans and the office building was staying. The original master plan was designed for three buildings on that site. In fact, part of the lawsuit from the VUE referenced a wind tunnel would be created between the office and new condo building. 

Found the rendering...

[prahaboheme]

^dodged a bullet with that design. Although I do like how it opens itself up to the park rather than closing its back to it.

That makes me wish the existing building could be renovated / expanded to include a ground floor retail / restaurant area that opens up to Lake Eola.

[Urban Mail Carrier]

I wish I had the answer. Speculating, i would say perhaps if the city bought the property and sat on it. This would give OMA time to get all of it's ducks in order and time for the businesses to look elsewhere to set up shop... just saying

[HankStrong]

13 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Oh Thank Heaven!

"A Slurpee in every hand and a 7-11 on every corner!"

[spenser1058]

Cokes and smokes for everyone! (now, if they'd just bring back 7-Eleven brand beer...)

[Jernigan]

Jack's right - there almost certainly wont be any changes except for a plaque in the lobby or on the doors with a new management company (assuming Highwoods doesn't stay on to manage.)

Could the surface lot go away in the future?  Sure, but that wouldn't have to do with who owns it.    It's a silly amount of free parking and I can't think of any other downtown tower that offers it for tenant guests or bank customers.

The real story we aren't talking about might be what Highwoods wants the cash for.   They recently announced an office project outside of downtown so there's that.  We'd all love to see Capital Plaza 3 move forward of course.

[jack]

The surface lot that faces Robinson is not for sale. 

 

As for the City buying it, this building is probably worth over $50 million. Do you really think the city should spend that kind of cash to tear down an existing, profitable office building? 

[spenser1058]

That's why I suggested it could be leased to OC (or someone else) until it reached the end of its productive life. If need be, a special arrangement could be arranged similar to that between the City and CNL on City Commons where the transfer took place over time.

 

As to the $50 million, we spent a lot more to dispose of a perfectly good arena.

[JFW657]

9 minutes ago, jack said:

The surface lot that faces Robinson is not for sale. 

As for the City buying it, this building is probably worth over $50 million. Do you really think the city should spend that kind of cash to tear down an existing, profitable office building? 

Yeah, the idea that even if they could, the city would spend $50 million to purchase the building, then God only knows how much more to buy out all the leases, then God only knows how much more to demo the building, clear away the debris and re-landscape it.... all for the sake of adding a small patch of land to the corner of Eola Park just so people would have a few more benches to sit on is, to put it mildly... rather "unrealistic".

 

[spenser1058]

It's all about priorities, really. For some of us, adding to Eola Park at the most affordable price we're likely to get is worthwhile. Certainly more worthwhile than tearing down an arena that was less than 20 years old or giving over $1 million to tear down a department store that was less than 15 years old (only to replace it with another big box).

[JFW657]

7 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

That's why I suggested it could be leased to OC (or someone else) until it reached the end of its productive life. If need be, a special arrangement could be arranged similar to that between the City and CNL on City Commons where the transfer took place over time.

As to the $50 million, we spent a lot more to dispose of a perfectly good arena.

That sounds like an awfully high estimate of the cost to demo the old arena. 

Also, the land it sat on is being redeveloped for profitable commercial use. 

[spenser1058]

Not just to demo the old arena but to destroy and replace a building that was still useful. And just as some of that was mitigated by the sale or reuse of the land, the city could continue to lease space in this building until it was at the end of its productive life.

[JFW657]

14 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

It's all about priorities, really. For some of us, adding to Eola Park at the most affordable price we're likely to get is worthwhile. Certainly more worthwhile than tearing down an arena that was less than 20 years old or giving over $1 million to tear down a department store that was less than 15 years old (only to replace it with another big box).

Well, we all love parks, but as you said, it's a question of priorities and $50 million dollars of taxpayer money commands a high priority too. I think if anyone at city hall proposed spending the kind of money that would be involved to add a tiny little swatch of land to Eola Park, they'd get ran out of town.

And as I mentioned already, the land beneath the old arena is going to be sold (if it hasn't already been) and redeveloped by commercial developers for tax revenue producing purposes. The expanded park would produce no revenue and only add to the annual maintenance budget.

I'm not against more parks, but there is just no way that particular plan could ever come close to being considered feasible.

Edited February 8, 2017 by JFW657

[spenser1058]

Interestingly, that's what we were told initially about the Eola Five or before that when the city bought the land where the Eola Farmer's Market now takes place. Some suggested that buying the extra building from FUMCO for DPAC was also prohibitive. It doesn't work until it does.

Edited February 8, 2017 by spenser1058