PFT Media

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We told you November 2017 that the former Whole Foods within the 9.16 acre Winter Park Corners Shopping Center at 1903-1999 Aloma Avenue was going to be demolished and replaced by a new 30,348 sq ft grocery store called Sprouts Grocery. Video and photos of the building mid-demolition as well as plans for the new Sprouts can be found on thedailycity.com.

The company that owns the entire shopping center, Weingarten Nostat, Inc., will also be doing the following to the rest of the shopping center:

1. Adding 12,250 square feet of new retail space to fill in the current gap between the two buildings.

2. Remove Bank of America’s drive-thru lanes for 10 parking spots and 1,500 sq ft addition

3. Construct a remote ATM site along Aloma Avenue frontage.

You know I am always FOR anything to combat, do battle with, take down, remove, destroy or otherwise compete with… vile, vulgar, decrepit, salacious, tedous, overpriced, Chik-Fil-A-employee-trained employee-hiring… Publix. So welcome to Orlando, Sprouts Market. Let me know if I can do anything to help you in your journey towards grocery store success in this market flooded with Publix, Publix and nothing but Publix… the chain that has more cash and stock on hand than Wal Mart… WAL MART.

The City’s Municipal Planning Board recommends approval of the zoning amendment request for Beltway Commerce Center. The zoning will allow up to 500 single family detached and townhome residential units, establish design standards and addresses a new industrial warehouse project.

The Beltway Commerce Center is a 514 acre mixed-use Planned Development located in southeast Orlando, both east and west of the Central Florida Greeneway and north and south of LeeVista Boulevard. The site is partially developed with warehouse uses but the majority of the property… is vacant.

I included this story because The Daily City is always focused on residential and commercial and restaurants and fun developments that get us lots of clicks that we rarely pay any attention at all to what’s going on in the background… the less glamorous stuff. Our city is more than taco shops and hipster bars. Boring as the other stuff may be, it’s growth. And we all should be reminded of it.

The Daily City got a first look at the interior of the brick and mortar location of the popular food truck Bem Bom at 3101 Corrine Drive within the popular Audubon Park Garden District. The building is a former bank. Photos of the interior mid-construction are up on the blog.

Bem Bom plans to create 5 new full-time jobs at the restaurant. Total capital investment for this project is approximately $260,000 according to documents filed with the City. The renovation project consisted of a complete interior renovation including painting, plumbing, electrical, HVAC system, kitchen equipment, a 600 sf outdoor patio and 88 seats.

Bem Bom is anticipating a mid-February opening.

I walked through the joint and what I saw was a cozy charming little spot that is half kitchen and bar and half seating area. It will be an etremely tight fit for guests from what I could see. But intimate dinners within proximity of other likeminded folks will be something the area will welcome. Plus it has an outdoor area with seating and a smoking area around the corner that will feature antique rustic furniture. The visuals I see communicate that someone is PASSIONATe behind the scenes about not only the food but the EXPERIENCE. Thank you.

A couple named Benjamin & Desiree Hilgers are going to abandon an unnamed 1884 .07 acre 227 ft long 14 ft wide never constructed, never used… back alley. The 1884 alley plat is in the Lake Cherokee neighborhood adjacent to two single-family homes and a condominium between Delaney & Lake Avenues.

An abandoned back alley that never was… come on that’s cool!

The reason for the abandonment is to clean up the property lines between the buildings. The southern portion will belong to 325 Agnes Street. The northern portion will belong to 337 Agnes Street. The residential condominium will not receive any portion of the alley. Wow. Screw them right? What’d they ever do to you Benjamin and Desiree? Just kidding they’re not responsible for the plat… just for destroying it.

The Municipal Planning Board recommended approval of the abandonment request which is scheduled for review and approval by City Council Mon. February 26, 2018.

The Orlando Economic Partnership is not releasing the economic incentive portion of the proposal it submitted to Amazon to nab the second North American headquarters known as HQ2. It also won’t release the economic incentive information from Duke Energy.

OEP says Duke Energy is an “active player in the on-going competitive project” so the OEP won’t release their economic incentive information.

The Partnership cites section 288.075 of Florida Statutes as the reason for not sharing the general economic incentive portion of the proposal. The portion of Section 288.075 that pertains to this issue is as follows:

1. “If a private corporation, partnership, or person requests in writing before an economic incentive agreement is signed that an economic development agency maintain the confidentiality of information concerning plans, intentions, or interests of such private corporation, partnership, or person to locate, relocate, or expand any of its business activities in this state, the information is confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution for 12 months…

That does not state the confidentiality of City, State or  Orlando Economic Partnership will be protected. Just information about and from the company.

The Daily City has asked the City and the Orlando Economic Partnership to send us proof that Amazon sent in a “request in writing” asking for confidentiality. The City responded to our request with… a request in writing from Braden Cross, Vice President of Amazon Corporate LLC. This letter indeed requests in writing for confidentiality of Amazon’s information… not that of Orlando Economic Partnership or the City’s.

The Orlando Economic Partnership also shared 142 pages of “in-depth content on regional assets with projections on population and talent growth.” But this pales in comparrison to the importance of locals learning how far the Partnership, state and City is willing to go to sell us out. We really need to know those numbers and we are going to do our damndest to find it out.

For now you can read the unimportant sales pitches on the following areas on thedailycity.com:

1. Regional in general

2. Downtown Orlando – Urban infill in the heart of downtown and Creative Village

3. Lake Nona and Sunbridge – 100+ acre site

4. NeoCity – 100+ buildable acres

5. Tupperware – 120 acres at Osceola Corporate Center