might church street be making a comeback?

[bdpop]

The tolls should be eliminated. Maybe if the 408 and 417 were free, the traffic would be more evenly distributed.

[EasyCheeze]

I agree with some of those ideas but i don't think anyone here actually believes one venue(the Cheyenne) will restore all of Church Street to the way it was which had multiple quality venues. It was neglected by crappy developers and an uncaring city bureaucracy. They even mention in the article about less tourists coming to downtown.
While lynx does indeed suck you can't get rid of it when lots of poor people use it to get to work. People actually take it from downtown all the way to the attractions to work at disney etc. The only one thats free is Lymo which does nothing except transport jurors from the courthouse to the parking garage across town.

[kinglouix]

Originally Posted by bdpop

I also agree with King's ideas. If they were done right, this could be a great city. We also need to do things to attract large corporations and to make it attractive for them to move their corporate headquarters here, thus bringing with them better quality, good paying jobs.

Exactly but can you imagine a corporation thinking of moving here, so they decide to book at the Westin to meet to see what downtown is about. They leave Orlando airport and start up semeron, they stop at 12 lights before they hit the 408 and see nothing but Spanish sprawl and spanish builboards on either side, and comment to themselves if there is anyplace to eat but a chain restaurant where they are not going to get shot going to there cars. They finally arrive at the 408 and stop at two toll booths before they finally get to downtown (By this point they've probably turned around), but they continue and arrive at the Westin. They venture out to Church Street to get a bite to eat, upon passing two tatoo parlors, they ask where anyone over 30 hangs out. There told to go up to Winter Park. They don't believe it so they continue on, passing five panhandlers. They finally decide on Kress and get a really bad meal for about 75$ per person. They catch the next plain out, firing the person in the group that suggested Orlando. The end result, no corporations, no new jobs and no money pumped into the local economy. In South Florida they used to have a local road known as Stateroad 84, the local politicians realized that Western expansion would never be viable without a direct route to the airport. They built a highway over SR 84 called 595. They had a vision that it just wasn't viable not to have a highway link from the airport (and downtown) from the West. For five years there was construction and inconvenience but looking back not a single politician or citizen would have voted against it. There is absolutely no planning for the future here, just the same old mistakes over and over again.

[bdpop]

They definately need a limited access highway coming off of I-4, near the intersection with 408, going directly to the airport. One such highway was proposed several years ago, but was shot down by, I believe, either the town of Pine Castle or Edgewood, which objected to the highway cutting through their town. The whole project was scrapped.

[bdpop]

Maybe a big mall/shopping/entertainment complex downtown might help bring some people here. Kind of like the waterfront in Miami.

[kinglouix]

Yes, built next to the new venues, so they could feed off each other, which is why building the new arena west of 4 is such a huge mistake, and the the citrus bowl, forget it, that is a total wast of money, billions of dollars in a ghetto, when we will never get pro football here. Could have had that highway connecting the airport, eliminated the tolls, built the mall, and had light rail connected to the airport. They may as well burn the amount of money they are paying on the Citrus bowl. I for one will never go there because I can't stand going somewhere and wondering if my car is in tact or if I am going to get robbed heading to it.

[bdpop]

Another thing to put downtown is a few theatres, like a small theatre district, instead of that horrible Bob Carr Theatre. And then have some plays and other types of events to bring people downtown. Improving downtown is not rocket science! Orlando has the potential to be a great city and cultural center.

[EasyCheeze]

Originally Posted by kinglouix

Yes, built next to the new venues, so they could feed off each other, which is why building the new arena west of 4 is such a huge mistake, and the the citrus bowl, forget it, that is a total wast of money, billions of dollars in a ghetto, when we will never get pro football here. Could have had that highway connecting the airport, eliminated the tolls, built the mall, and had light rail connected to the airport. They may as well burn the amount of money they are paying on the Citrus bowl. I for one will never go there because I can't stand going somewhere and wondering if my car is in tact or if I am going to get robbed heading to it.

Did you ever think that the citrus bowl was built way before that area got bad? The new arena while west of I4 is gonna be right next to church street which is a good thing for both. I'm guessing you think College Park is a ghetto cesspool since its "west of I4".

[kinglouix]

No, but it has spillover crime and you can't deny it.

[EasyCheeze]

Originally Posted by kinglouix

No, but it has spillover crime and you can't deny it.

businesses on edgewater yes, i have never heard of a home break-in within college park in at least 7 yrs