Start your week the old fashioned way - smart. #thisisorlando
By Mark Baratelli Monday May 21, 2018
First Hourglass District Business Closure--- Peppino's restaurant is closed after just 6 monthsin the newly created Hourglass District. Sources say the original owner sold it and the new owners expect to open in August. Food expert Scott Joseph says the failure of the restaurant was caused by poor service.
New Bar for Mills50!--- Grape & The Grain wine and beer bar has openedat 1110 Virginia Drive in the Mills50 District. The main attraction is the outdoor porch and green space. The bar will feature live music, local art, food trucks and local beer and wine selections.
More Downtown Food Options! --- 4 new downtown restaurant spaceswill be added to the Central Business District thanks to a large scale renovation of the plaza at 20 N. Orange Ave across from Wall Street Plaza starting June. Landlords leasing spaces like this generally prefer nationally-backed long-term leases which generally nixes opportunities for smaller local brands.
What's Up, Department of Agriculture?--- The Baldwin Park Publix Hasn't Been Inspected by the State Since 2016. Four Orlando Publix haven't been inspected by the State since 2016. Eight didn't even get inspected in 2017. Eleven didn't get inspected in 2016. We have a list of all 33 Orlando Publix and their inspection status on thedailycity.com.
This is Sad --- Colonial Lanes bowling alley in the Mills District, open since 1959, will cease operationsThursday May 24th. The building at 400 N. Primrose Drive is 33,000 sq. ft. and has 197 parking spaces. The new Master Plan calls for demolition of the bowling alley building and splitting the lot in half for a two-phased development. One parcel will include a personal storage facility with ground floor retail. The contents of the second parcel has yet to be determined.
Did You Not Know This?--- The One Orlando Alliance rescinded their Executive Director job offer from openly gay Alabama legislator Patricia Todd when the Alliance learned she publicly stated the Governor was a closeted lesbian and requested that someone out her. Their press release stated "(Outing) is a form of psychic and emotional violence" Did the Alliance not know about Todd's 2015 outing threat? She publicly threatened on a Facebook post to make public the extramarital affairs of certain elected officials. Had some or all of those affairs been straight officials involved in gay affairs, Todd would be in the act of outing. Did the One Orlando Alliance know about this 2015 outing threat? And if so, why is the latter outing bad but the former outing not?
That's a Choice--- Winter Park City Council approved namingthe campus of the Winter Park Library and Events Center "The Canopy" last week during a council meeting in City Hall. The park in which the campus is located will remain "Dr Martin Luther King, Jr Park." The name "The Canopy" came from a City Commission-authorized Task Force led by a branding expert (Evolve Design Group, Inc.). The group met three times under the direction of Evolve to develop a brand and name for the campus and facilities.
Rooftop Evenings--- Along with the choice of the new name, City of Winter Park City Council approved $382,000 for infrastructure (but not construction) for arooftop venue atop The Canopy. If the City finds funding, the rooftop venue will be built along with the rest of the library, altogether. If not, due to that infrastructure getting built, it can be built at a later date.
Pine Hills - The Next Frontier --- Learn from some neighborhood pioneers why Pine Hills just might be the next great frontier for Central Florida residents and investors." Michelle Owens, Executive Director of the Pine Hills Neighborhood Improvement District, is giving a talk called Pine Hills: The Next Frontier Tuesday, May 29th, 6:30 - 8 pm at Credo Conduit, 1001 N Orange Ave.
Mid Century Modern Church --- The stylish plans for the First Church of Christ Scientist at 650 North New York Avenue are shockingly hip. The City of Winter Park Planning and Zoning Board recommended conditional use approval of the 6,989 sq ft building with 44 parking spaces.