CREATIVE CITY NEWSLETTER: NOVEMBER 2003

ISSUE 9: DESIGN AND PLANNING

ISSUE IN FOCUS
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CREATIVE CORNER
CREATIVE CITY COMMUNITIES
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
UPCOMING EVENTS

CREATIVE CITY COMMUNITIES: What HAVE they been up to?

ORLANDO

New Downtown Project
Orlando Skatepark
Parramore Village
Parramore Central Park Project and Task Force
Bye-Bye, Big Apple. Omaha and Orlando Are Jumping Now
Online Discussion with Joel Kotkin
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City of Orlando, CNL Announce New Downtown Project
ORLANDO, FL (July 18, 2003) -- Pending approval by the State of Florida and the Orlando City Council, CNL Financial Group, Inc., (CNL) and the City of Orlando have announced plans to bring a development to downtown Orlando that will create 400 new jobs. [See presentation to City Council]

CNL anticipates beginning construction on the 240,000 square foot, Class A office building in early 2004. The 12-story building is expected to be completed in late 2005. The estimated $40 million development is anticipated to generate an annual payroll of approximately $25 million in downtown Orlando.

"After months of negotiations we have accomplished a win-win-win situation for the City, for CNL and for our downtown business community," said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. "Since I became Mayor in late February, I have asked our citizens to imagine a great city. This is another step in our journey to build a truly great city with a world class downtown," Dyer said.

CNL Center II will be constructed on what is now the public parking lot just north of City Hall on South Street. In an agreement in which no cash is changing hands, the City of Orlando will swap the approximate 23,000 square foot parking lot parcel for an approximate 77,900 square foot piece of property on the east side of S. Orange Avenue between Anderson and South Streets. As part of the agreement, CNL will continue to occupy the building currently on the property for up to 30 months rent free.

"Over the years, we have enjoyed a long term relationship with the City of Orlando and we are delighted to continue that relationship with them," said James M. Seneff, Jr., Chairman and CEO of CNL. "As a homegrown company and one of the largest downtown employers, we are thrilled to continue to grow and expand at our headquarters location. Pending approval of the tax credits by the state, this proposed expansion will bring up to 400 new professional level jobs over a five year period to downtown Orlando. These are exactly the kind of people who will live, work and play in the downtown community."

"The City is delighted about this project because this is a model for the type of economic revitalization our downtown needs," said Mayor Dyer. "The opportunity to work with CNL to secure their long-term headquarters and bring these quality jobs, with an average salary of $60,000, to Orlando is very exciting. My focus has been and will continue to be the growth of our existing businesses and creating an economy of the mind," Dyer added.

"This cornerstone block is key to the revitalization of our downtown business district," said Mayor Dyer. "The CNL Center II project is just one more element in a series of steps we see occurring that will enhance our downtown CRA district. It’s very exciting!" The land swap allows the city to control the entire block from Orange Avenue to Magnolia Avenue, from Anderson Street to South Street.

Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, CNL Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest privately held real estate investment and finance companies. Founded in 1973, CNL Financial Group, Inc., and the entities it has formed or acquired have more than $6.5 billion in assets, representing more than 2,800 properties in 49 states. The company and those entities focus on properties in the retirement, hospitality, corporate facility, community development, retail and restaurant sectors.

ORLANDO SKATE PARK GRAND OPENING AND 1ST ANNUAL CENTRAL FLORIDA EXTREME GAMES FESTIVAL
ORLANDO, FL (July 30, 2003) – On Saturday, August 2, 2003, at 2 p.m., Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and District 4 Commissioner Patty Sheehan will host the grand opening celebration of the Orlando Skate Park as part of the 1st Annual Central Florida Extreme Games and Music Fest.

The City of Orlando has partnered with the Central Florida Sports Commission to host the festival, an action sports and music festival showcasing professional athlete demonstrations and exhibitions in action sports including skateboarding, BMX and Freestyle Moto X, while also highlighting many of the region’s top local bands in a interactive, fun and safe environment for the entire family.

"I am thrilled to invite everyone to join me for Central Florida Extreme and the grand opening of our 25,000 square-foot skate park," said Mayor Buddy Dyer. "I urge families and our young people to come out and test their skills in the park and watch the pros."

CITY OF ORLANDO HOUSING DEPARTMENT TO LAUNCH PARRAMORE VILLAGE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT
ORLANDO, FL (August 15, 2003) -- Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer will be joined by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Mel Martinez, Secretary of State Glenda E. Hood and City Commissioner Daisy Lynum on Monday, August 18, 2003, at 9:15 a.m. at the corner of South Parramore Ave. and Conley St. to begin demolition of the Parramore Village Complex. This is the first step in the city’s effort to eliminate unsafe and substandard housing in the multi-family development.

HUD provided $1,750,000 of the $2,895,000 required for the demolition and relocation through Community Development Block Grants. To date, the City owns, or has contracts to purchase, 42 of the developments’ 69 units. The site will be redeveloped to provide quality affordable housing.

In the mid-1960s, Parramore Village Condominiums were constructed and represented an important part of the residential landscape of the Parramore neighborhood. Unfortunately, after four decades of wear and neglect, the condition of the units has substantially declined.

In 1990, the Orlando Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) initiated a Study of Blight, mandated by the Florida Community Redevelopment Act. The study identified Parramore Village as a "blighted area." The study pointed out the critical importance of the redevelopment of the Parramore Village complex (bounded on the north by America St., on the south by Conley St., on the west by Short Ave. and on the east by South Parramore Ave.) to the community.

The City responded to the findings of the study by developing an initiative to address the housing conditions at Parramore Village. Priority was given to residents who qualified for rehabilitation assistance. A comprehensive tenting and pest control plan was implemented and the City encouraged and assisted tenants who were interested in purchasing the units in which they lived. Despite these efforts, the condition of units in the Parramore Village complex continued to decline and owners continued to leave the area.

A follow-up study was conducted in 2002 to determine if in fact the area continued to meet the definition of a slum, blighted, deteriorated or deteriorating area. This study revealed that the vast majority of the units were in deplorable condition and represented a threat to the health and safety of the residents. The study also concluded that the conditions that existed at Parramore Village had a negative impact on the surrounding neighborhood, relative to reinvestment and redevelopment.

In March 2003, the Orlando City Council approved the designation of the Parramore Village complex as a "Project." The designation began the process of the city acquiring all of the units and relocating the residents for the clearance and redevelopment of the site.

MAYOR UNVEILS PARRAMORE CENTRAL PARK PROJECT AND TASK FORCE
ORLANDO, FL (October 22, 2003) – Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and District 5 Commissioner Daisy Lynum Wednesday unveiled the Parramore Central Park Project, a new infrastructure development project at the corner of Church Street and Parramore Avenue, and announced the formation of a Mayor’s Parramore Task Force focused on jump-starting revitalization efforts in Parramore.

The Mayor and Commissioner Lynum were joined by task force members in announcing that the City of Orlando will invest approximately $7.5 million to create a stormwater facility and park on the seven-acre site. The new stormwater treatment facility project will serve a 100-acre stormwater basin by rebuilding the underground utilities. The project also includes replacement of the sanitary sewers and waterlines and the creation of an underground electric power distribution system.

Park amenities will include a fountain, playground area, garden seating area, decorative crosswalk and a walkway with park benches.

The 23-member Parramore Task Force, appointed by Mayor Dyer, will make recommendations on public safety, housing, economic development, zoning and social services.

Bye-Bye, Big Apple. Omaha and Orlando Are Jumping Now
There is a dramatic shift afoot in urban fortunes, weakening the clout of the biggest cities while spreading power and influence to scores of smaller centers...the nation's urban hierarchy is flattening out...This is good news for America's cities -- and for America. For many cities in the South and Midwest, spreading the wealth could signal the dawn of an era of renewed urban development, a new cosmopolitanism and growing cultural, technological and economic influence. For the long-dominant coastal cities, it offers an opportunity to rethink their priorities and where they want to go. For the country as a whole, it means a more vibrant, heterogeneous landscape, more living choices, a livelier cultural and social panorama -- let's face it, a nation that's more vital and more fun."
Dyer has big plans for a performing-arts center in Orlando -- big seating capacity, big price tag, big-name acts.
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READ AN ONLINE DISCUSSION WITH JOEL KOTKIN ON "THE RISE OF SECOND TIER CITIES"
Readers participate in an online discussion with public policy expert Joel Kotkin about his recent article on the rise of the "second-tier" cities.
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