PFT Media

Demolition of some exterior features of the historically protected landmark Firestone building at 578 N. Orange Ave took place with neither permits or Historic Preservation Board review. The Architect was only given a Minor Certificate of Appropriateness to make alterations to the non historic walls and roll up doors which face Orange Avenue and Concord Street. The unapproved work included removal of exterior windows, a brick header and other historic materials.

The region’s first Biker Bar™ was installed this week in Orlando. It’s made by a company called Dero. The Biker Bar™ is a leaning rail designed to give bicyclists a place to rest a hand and foot to balance while waiting at an intersection without needing to dismount. People on bikes will no longer have to reach for the curb or a sign post to support them at traffic lights. The bar was installed on a shared sidewalk at the NW and SW corner of Mills Avenue & Princeton Street (MAP).

We told you last October that a new “interior multi-tenant shopping area” with a brewery named “The Basin” was coming to downtown Sanford at 212 W. 1st Street (MAP). Back then the name of the project was “First Street Market.” It’s recently been announced that the name has been changed to “Henry’s Depot.” The project will be homed inside a former train depot built in 1940. The building is located within the Downtown Commercial Historic District.

May 7th is the opening date of the SODO Fresh Kitchen location at 2855 S. Orange Ave.We told you in March that the Tampa-based restaurant was opening several locations in Orlando, the first of which was in Waterford Lakes. Fresh Kitchen is healthy quick-service, build-your-own-bowl concept.

The Milk District Main Street is looking for artists to design them street pole banner. (Submit them here) The placement of pole banners will be within The Milk District up and down Robinson. The purpose of the banners is to brand the area more clearly. The Milk District will become the tenth area in the City to allow street pole banners.

We told you in February that new restaurant Bovine was taking over the Park Plaza Gardens space at 307 S Park Ave expected to open in August. Bovine, the working title of the project, will have a totally gutted and refurbished kitchen and minimal dining room decor changes. It will be managed by 310 Restaurants. The steakhouse will be the 310 group’s fifth restaurant.

The former NYPD Pizza space at 2912 Edgewater Dr in College Park has been taken over by Cafe Linger with an expected opening date of May 19th. The structure was built in 1969 and contains 2,640 sq ft.

Winter Park Biscuit Co, a business without a home, is doing a series of popups, the most recent one on March 28th in front of East End Market. They do a one-biscuit-per-customer policy. The owner announced last year she was opening a vegan deli. No movement on that yet. Just the biscuits. I mean, one biscuit.

A digital neighborhood watch app called “Ring” that both law enforcement and the public can access free of charge will be providing a solution to OPD to help reduce crime and assist with investigations. It will be providing OPD access to the platform to free of charge. Ring will not provide any customer personal information, including video footage, to Orlando PD without the prior consent of the owner.

There could have been four great affordable housing opportunities within steps of Winter Park Farmers Market and Park Avenue Shopping District. Instead, the City said no thanks to gripes from neighbors. A 4-unit 10,556 sq ft apartment building will be constructed at the end of 301 West Comstock Avenue. The building’s design is based on the Barbour Apartments at 544 N. Knowles Avenue, designed and built by Gamble Rogers in 1936. Behind the building will be four 2-car garages for use by the tenants of the main building. Atop each garage will be a micro-apartment with full kitchen and bathroom. The units run 420 sq ft to 484 sq ft. Allowing these small units to be rentals would have given the city affordable housing options almost in the heart of Downtown Winter Park. Neighborhoods with a variety of rents and housing types make for a diverse residential experience. While the area will have single family homes and duplexes all in a high range range, it’s missing what’s known as “missing middle.”