Elements of Urbanism: Winter Park, Florida

[Metro Jacksonville]

Elements of Urbanism: Winter Park, Florida



You don't have to be the size of San Francisco or be as dense as New York to support a vibrant urban scene.  Winter Park, an Orlando suburb, has mastered the art of creating a vibrant walkable street in the heart of an urban area known for highways, parking lots, and retail strip centers.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/653

[gatorback]

You don't have to be an Agent Spalko to figure out that demand and the free market creates and supports a scene like Winter Park and not tax incentives, bus routes and skyways to nowhere.  I know the citizens of Travis County, TX are not happy with the tax breaks and subsidies that the tenants at Simon's The Domain get; however, the people are out in droves to the development.  It'd be interesting to find out if the Winter Park retail stores get any tax breaks.

[thelakelander]

Winter Park's retail scene is all market rate.

[second_pancake]

That is certainly a beautiful part of this state.  There is a cycling race that takes place not to far from there and I have been there on a few occasions and got to walk through this town.

As far as if this could happen in Jax, I think it already is.  1661 Riverside is the first I've seen of this here and it appears to be doing quite well.  Now, I think there is a definite need for more of its kind.  Unfortunately, it appears that the majority of this kind of building is reserved for the less developed (speaking of existing versus non-existing buildings) areas of our city like Southside (i.e. Towncenter).  I believe we're on the right track though with The Library and getting in some more well-known national ~gulp~ chains into the downtown area.  That's very hard for me to say btw...having a not-so-positive opinion of the commercialization of our small towns, but that's another story.

To truly have something like Winter Park, we'd have to virtually level many of the buildings we have in our downtown area and start over.  I think we're doing the better thing and repurposing what we already have.  The lofts with the business space below are already in use downtown, and with the exception of the walkability factor, like I said, I think we're moving in the right direction.

[thelakelander]

One thing that makes Winter Park special is that the buildings aren't completely new.  Instead, there's a mix of old and new, just as what exists in Five Points with the older commercial strip and developments like 1661 Riverside and the Publix retail strip.

In downtown, this can happen along streets like Adams, Laura, Bay and Forsyth because there's pedestrian friendly building fabric already in place.  What's needed to truly kick them off is infill development replacing the surface parking lots that currently rip apart the core, which is what you just hit on.

[gatorback]

I agree.  Winter Park is special.  It's a destination or day trip for the people in Orlando and a side trip, for the people who know about it, on their way to Orlando.  To bad Jacksonville can't produce a downtown people would want to stop by for a visit on their travel down I95 or on I10.

[avonjax]

This is a question for Lakelander.
Have you seen the Winter Park Village, the former Winter Park Mall?
I personally haven't seen it, but from what I have read the architecture is disappointing. I have seen pictures on the internet and it looks okay. But I really liked the idea of transforming the old Dillards store into housing and eliminating surface parking lots. I just thought you might have some insight.

[thelakelander]

Yes, I've been there a few times.  There's still a large amount of surface parking, but its essentially the same thing SJTC is, just on a smaller level.  The old Dillards now has a Cheesecake Factory and a few retail shops at street level and apartments above.  To me the architecture is what you would see with most Floridian strip mall developments.  Its not award winning architectural design, but the redevelopment of the old mall into a successful lifestyle center is something that has breathed life into what had become an aging commercial corridor.

site aerial


project profile
http://www.castoinfo.com/lifestyle/case-study.html
http://www.castolp.com/lifestyle/profile.cfm?proID=8

Site Plan
http://www.castolp.com/files/ProjectDownload/WPV%20site%20plan%203-6-07367715.pdf

[thelakelander]

This image captures a piece of the old Dillards building.

[avonjax]

Thanks for the info. In the mid eighties I worked for Ivey's Department store and worked in that store several times. I was in the DT Jax store in visual merchandising and when other stores needed help, they would often send me. At the time the Winter Park and Regency stores were the two best Ivey's stores in Florida. I'm not sure if they ever remodeled that store when it was Ivey's but it was very outdated.

[second_pancake]

One thing that makes Winter Park special is that the buildings aren't completely new.  Instead, there's a mix of old and new, just as what exists in Five Points with the older commercial strip and developments like 1661 Riverside and the Publix retail strip.

In downtown, this can happen along streets like Adams, Laura, Bay and Forsyth because there's pedestrian friendly building fabric already in place.  What's needed to truly kick them off is infill development replacing the surface parking lots that currently rip apart the core, which is what you just hit on.

Whoo hoo!  Down with parking lots, up with multi-use in-fill...and lots and lots of bike lockers:-D

[lindab]

I've been many times to Winter Park on business and watched the changes. There was investment by the local government in creating walkable sidewalks, traffic calming, rezoning for multi-use stores, on-sidewalk cafes, etc. You can't help but want to walk over and look in the store windows and be enticed inside.

Jax has done a few of these things but not in a coordinated way. Downtown Jax used to be very walkable. It started to change in the late 1960s and 1970s.  Jax is one of the most unfriendly towns for small business in the state. The small shops with interesting window displays to attract shoppers don't exist in Jax downtown. There is nothing friendly in the scale of most downtown business. Sure there are lots of towering office buildings. So what. That doesn't make for a viable business sector in downtown. Someone on this forum talked about the damage done by DVI to businesses. That is the truth. Jax leaders need to quit sneering at small business owners and spend more time listening to them and helping out. Small business owners need to unite and become a force for change.

[seaside1991]

For a long time, I've thought of downtown Winter Park as the model of what all downtown's in Florida should be striving for.

All the elements for a walkable, vibrant, and livable environment are established. This is a very good city to bring attention to.

No doubt, Winter Park's downtown is uniquely situated. Park Ave starts at the southend with a beautiful, private college campus and the bricked portion ends about 1 1/2 miles to the north in a country club. The lakes that surround downtown are flanked by million dollar homes. Many of the lakes themselves are connected by tree-canopied canals with boathouses along the way. This place is great! I'd highly recommend anyone to visit and also take the (unofficial)nice homes tour along Palmer and Alabama north of Downtown off Park Ave.     

[seaside1991]

[lindab]

Beautiful photos. Thanks so much. Can't help but notice the natural area which has been improved for park appearance, the cars parked both sides of the street, the kids and parents on the sidewalks, the windows showing Christmas merchandise, the beautiful landscaping, brick planters as benches. Yep, Winter Park is very upscale- no trash in the gutters, graffiti, drunks on the sidewalks. But still, we could do more. Right? Sigh.