Downtown Orlando Project Discussion

[Ocityst]

Is anyone aware of what the plan is for the Dolive building on Orange? It looked like they where in the process of updating the ground level spaces, but it seems to have stalled. It'd be nice if they at least clean it up a little from the outside, looks pretty shabby at the moment.

[nite owℓ]

Construction on S Summerlin Ave is taking forever. I visited the city's construction project page for updates, and I came accross this:

More buildings scheduled for demo behind City View apts (on W Pine St, from Terry-Division Ave).

"The project consists of demolition of three(3) existing buildings on the site and building an asphalt parking lot to contain 264- 9' wide parking spaces plus 10 handicap spaces. Also included will be lighting, landscaped islands, irrigation, concrete curbing, and three(3) 10'x13' open canopy shelters, two of which will contain automated pay stations."

The whole area surrounding the Amway Center will eventually see lots of roadwork, under grounding utilities & streetscape improvements.

Edited May 27, 2011 by LDG

[tc01]

Is it said when will grounding utilities & streetscape improvements start by the Amway Center ?

[nite owℓ]

Is it said when will grounding utilities & streetscape improvements start by the Amway Center ?

The $12.8 mil Church St streetscape start date is contingent on acquiring right of way & easements with property owners by July . Bids are set to go out in Aug 2011 for Phase 1.

For some reason I couldn't provide a direct link, so here's the link to the city's complete project list: On-Going Projects

Edited May 27, 2011 by LDG

[Jernigan]

There is now a "Coming Soon: Kobe Steakhouse" sign on the marquee board outside of the old Barney's Steak & Seafood Lounge on 1615 E. Colonial Drive in Colonialtown North.

The long vacant lot on the south side of Colonial that was supposed to be the Kobe location now has a for sale/lease sign with the contact being [email protected]

Also, after 20 years, Sam Flax Art Store has moved a few blocks east on Colonial and across the street (from north side to south side) to a larger building. According to the Sentinel, the buyer of the old location is Sunlight Nails & Beauty Supply. Sale was for 1 million.

[bic]

To Save Money, Orange Mayor Teresa Jacobs Targets Expressway Landscaping

[John Hargrove]

It's June and the DDB still hasn't updated their "quarterly" development activity report since 4Q 2010. Wonder what the deal is?

[bic]

The June 21 MPB agenda isn't exactly noteworthy but shows a proposal for 899 N. Orange Ave., a 6-story 247 multi-family unit mixed-use apartment building with 15,000 sq. ft. ground floor retail on the empty lot immediately to the north of Citrus. You might recall that this was once the proposed site for a 400'+ residential tower (2 of them, in fact).

[klstorey]

Looks like GDC decided to lower the amount of apartments and add a level of retail to the project. I wonder if the new proposal will keep the art deco style of the former proposal.

With this project being proposed and the Steel House (Orange/Colonial apartments) project I have to wonder how soon will we be hearing from the long silent Sevens project. These three projects are the major three lots in the uptown area. Once The Sevensis greenlighted this whole Uptown area will finally have the critical mass this area needs to really come alive. Once these three projects get going, along with the hundreds of new residents that they will bring to the area, IMO we will see lots of new businesses in the existing buildings in the region. Lots of great buildings waiting to be re-imagined as great businesses along Magnolia Ave.

Any word of the Baker Barrios 800 North Orange project? Of all their designs I love this one a lot more than anything else they have done. This would look great across from The Sevens and beside Steel House.

Before a lot more construction comes to the Uptown area I feel like there needs to be a initiative to save the beautiful 1947 WDBO building. This amazing streamline art moderne building needs to be saved from becoming another boring glass tower. Let's hope enough people find beauty in this building before it is torn down.

[DeepEyez]

It's June and the DDB still hasn't updated their "quarterly" development activity report since 4Q 2010. Wonder what the deal is?

Those people at DDB are rarely on time with any news. My guess is because of the relatively small amount of development taking place in the area, they don't think it's worthy of them to put out a report.

[nite owℓ]

A 6-story, 247 multifamily & mixed use apt building with ground floor retail proposed on the lot between Marks St. & Park Lake St on Orange Ave.

More info in the June 2011 MPB agenda: 899 N. Orange Ave

Edited June 18, 2011 by LDG

[alex]

I was bored during my lunch break today, so I wanted to make a map of some downtown projects. When you put them all together on the map, it looks like we're about to have another (smaller) downtown development boom.

The map got a little out of hand (and please don't judge my artistic ability on it), so I tried to use some color coding:

Red: Definitely happening, under construction, almost completed, very recently completed.

- GAI Building

- FUMCO

- Dr. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center

- DPAC Plaza (and hopefully buildings around it)

- Creative Village

- Steel House

Orange: Approved or likely to be approved.

- Cambria Suites

- Orange & Pine restaurant with slide

- SunRail station at LYNX Central Station

- 899 North Orange

Yellow: Maybe?

- Renaissance at Carver Square

- The Sevens and neighboring buildings

- 800 North Orange

- 400 North Orange mixed-use with hotel

[tc01]

Wow you did awesome, so I did not know the DPAC Plaza is included in the 1st phrase too?

[alex]

Thanks!

I'm actually not sure... If you look at the Stage 1 Plans, it lists the "Outdoor Performance Plaza" with "Future Hotel" and "Future Office" around it. The fact that it's in the Stage 1 Plans and doesn't have "Future" in front of it, might mean they're going ahead with the plaza now? It kind of makes sense, since it wouldn't be that expensive ("more bang for your buck") and they need something to tie in the floating banquet hall that goes over Magnolia onto the plaza area.

[John Hargrove]

New Blog Post: DPAC to Break Ground, FUMCO Nears Completion, Frank & Steins!

http://downtown-otown.com/2011/06/18/dpac-to-break-ground-fumco-nears-completion-frank-steins/

[prahaboheme]

Thanks for the updates. FUMCO looks fantastic.

[jack]

I think it does include the plaza but I am not 100% certain.

Not so sure about Creative Village as a red project. I would not put any commercial project as red right now. Maybe apartments. Unless some large driver like a conference center were to open, then a hotel project.

[klstorey]

I like that Uptown is getting in on the action now. Look at the amount of new buildings go in up there. Hopefully we will see a Lymmo expansion through that area sooner than later to service all those new apartments.

If SunRail is approved we also have the Church St Station. I expect to see a lot of new projects announced once/if SunRail is approved. The Church St Hilton would be dumb to not be built then. So close to Amway and SunRail that parking lot will be some prime real estate. Also I expect some new buildings from Florida Hospital and maybe Orlando Health once/if SunRail is approved as right now they seem to be waiting to see what the deal with parking will be. (Like the Apartments on Orange Ave near Orlando Health, what happened to them? The land was cleared and is now sitting empty.)

There is also the expanded Lymmo service in Parramore that was awarded through the federal grant. Once that starts to happen a lot of the roads around it will be improved and will make that area ready for expansion. I hope to see some action on the Creative Village by mid-fall but am not holding my breath on anything involving that project.

The next area that needs to built up is the Colonial Drive link from Mills to Orange. Mills50 seems to be thriving, as does Uptown, but they aren't linked by anything of interest. I hope we see some good, taller buildings going into that area soon.

[Jernigan]

In addition to the fenced off lot on the southside of 50, I think the key to redefining the stretch of 50 from Mills to Orange is the Park Davis Motel. The motel is currently closed the property is owned by the chuch across the street. The church values having the parking lot as in the past their visitors had to park across 50.

It would make sense for an office building to go in there and work out an arrangement for shared parking. Churches usually hold events on the weekends and evenings so there is a cohesiveness there.

In addition to the hotel frontage on Colonial, there is also a detached building on Irma. Knocking that thing down would pretty much get rid of all of the blight on that nice side street. What a great location for some brownstones.

[bulldogger]

Regarding the map, I don't think The Sevens Building is supposed to front Colonial Drive.

I was bored during my lunch break today, so I wanted to make a map of some downtown projects. When you put them all together on the map, it looks like we're about to have another (smaller) downtown development boom.

The map got a little out of hand (and please don't judge my artistic ability on it), so I tried to use some color coding:

Red: Definitely happening, under construction, almost completed, very recently completed.

- GAI Building

- FUMCO

- Dr. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center

- DPAC Plaza (and hopefully buildings around it)

- Creative Village

- Steel House

Orange: Approved or likely to be approved.

- Cambria Suites

- Orange & Pine restaurant with slide

- SunRail station at LYNX Central Station

- 899 North Orange

Yellow: Maybe?

- Renaissance at Carver Square

- The Sevens and neighboring buildings

- 800 North Orange

- 400 North Orange mixed-use with hotel

[alex]

Not so sure about Creative Village as a red project.

It's hard to say if the whole project will be definite (as we've seen, nothing is ever 100% for sure in development). I went ahead and said it was red because 1) the city agreed to pay for the demolition of the Arena and 2) the first things to come are roads and parks, and I think it's reasonable to expect those to be built. When the actual buildings will come is another story. I forgot where I read it, but somewhere it said it could take 10 - 20 years for the whole thing to be done. Honestly, I hope they let different developers and styles in, as in develop small parcels. This would make it go faster and lead to more interesting buildings.

Regarding the map, I don't think The Sevens Building is supposed to front Colonial Drive.

You're right, the Sevens (777 N Orange Ave) is only at Orange & Park Lake. The next projects (757 and 737 N Orange Ave) will use up the hole lot, down to Colonial. But since we haven't heard anything about 777, I wonder what the fate of 757 and 737 will be...

Nonetheless, even if they just get a couple more projects going, Uptown will be pretty busy. Hopefully we'll see Mills Park and new developments around Florida Hospital soon. It'll be a nice circle with unique neighborhoods: Uptown, Ivanhoe, Florida Hospital (someday "Health Village" if SunRail happens), Loch Haven Park, ViMi/Mills50/Little Saigon. I agree, the missing link is something more on Colonial between Mills and Orange. Also, they need to draw more attention to the Virginia link between Mills and Orange.

[John Hargrove]

It's hard to say if the whole project will be definite (as we've seen, nothing is ever 100% for sure in development). I went ahead and said it was red because 1) the city agreed to pay for the demolition of the Arena and 2) the first things to come are roads and parks, and I think it's reasonable to expect those to be built. When the actual buildings will come is another story. I forgot where I read it, but somewhere it said it could take 10 - 20 years for the whole thing to be done. Honestly, I hope they let different developers and styles in, as in develop small parcels. This would make it go faster and lead to more interesting buildings.

You're right, the Sevens (777 N Orange Ave) is only at Orange & Park Lake. The next projects (757 and 737 N Orange Ave) will use up the hole lot, down to Colonial. But since we haven't heard anything about 777, I wonder what the fate of 757 and 737 will be...

Nonetheless, even if they just get a couple more projects going, Uptown will be pretty busy. Hopefully we'll see Mills Park and new developments around Florida Hospital soon. It'll be a nice circle with unique neighborhoods: Uptown, Ivanhoe, Florida Hospital (someday "Health Village" if SunRail happens), Loch Haven Park, ViMi/Mills50/Little Saigon. I agree, the missing link is something more on Colonial between Mills and Orange. Also, they need to draw more attention to the Virginia link between Mills and Orange.

777 is still on, pending lease agreements. They won't break ground until they're 60% leased. You can still find them in commercial office leasing listings .. I came across it recently while looking for downtown office space for my company .. It appeared that only 2 floors are leased, meaning it's 30% leased.

See here: http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/MainSite/Listing/Profile/Profile.aspx?LID=16173355&SRID=1783721237&StepID=101

$34/sqft/year is extremely high in this market. You can find space in The Plaza for as low as $22/sqft, which is a very new, very classy building in a great location.

[DeepEyez]

777 is still on, pending lease agreements. They won't break ground until they're 60% leased. You can still find them in commercial office leasing listings .. I came across it recently while looking for downtown office space for my company .. It appeared that only 2 floors are leased, meaning it's 30% leased.

See here: http://www.loopnet.c...1237&StepID=101

$34/sqft/year is extremely high in this market. You can find space in The Plaza for as low as $22/sqft, which is a very new, very classy building in a great location.

I wonder if because there isn't an actual building built that could possibly be the reason why the Sevens still are hovering at around 30%.

[tc01]

Hey on youtube there is a video of the new fountain at Lake Eola Park . I am sorry I did not know how to have it as a link, but just type in lake eola fountain and you will see it.

Edited July 2, 2011 by tc01

[XpressEnterprise]

Hey on youtube there is a video of the new fountain at Lake Eola Park . I am sorry I did not know how have it as a link, but just type in lake eola fountain and you will see it.

Hey,

The fountain looks great can't wait to see it fully up and running.

Here is the vid: Lake Eola Fountain

It would be cool if they change the lights on it for holidays such as 4th of July and Christmas just like the Empire State Building