The City Centre project got approval from the Municipal Planning Board to build a 28 story mixed use building at 215 E. Central Blvd and the right to work out a rental agreement with Lake Eola Park to use 645 square feet of the park as an outdoor cafe eating area accessible to the public.
Over 100 people showed up to the July 21st meeting, several voicing their concern for the height of the building and the use of public land for private use.
Here are 8 facts to know about this building and the use of public land for private use.
7. We still have to wait for City Council's approval
1. Lake Eola Park has leases with other restaurants inside the park already.
- The developer's proposal for a 645 square foot outdoor cafe on public land within Lake Eola Park is similar to other restaurants located in or adjacent to Lake Eola, which have agreements with the City.
- Relax Grill has a lease with the park so they can operate their restaurant.
- World of Beer has a lease with the park for their deck which slightly encroaches into the park, as well as a maintenance agreement with the City.
2. All parties have to come to an agreement or the outdoor cafe idea is off the table.
- The use of Lake Eola Park as an outdoor cafe for City Centre was addressed as a condition of approval, but the developer said it should be treated as an offsite proposal, because was not part of the property owned by the applicant.
- The city disagreed and kept it in the proposal. The conditions in the proposal related to the outdoor café in the park remain a condition of approval so that discussions could continue amongst the developer, the park and the church. If an agreement is not reached, the conditions related to the outdoor café in the park would render inapplicable. If the conditions ultimately become not applicable, they could be removed.
3. The Rosalind Club is part of the reason for the outdoor seating area on public property.
- In an earlier meeting between the developer and the Rosalind Club, the Rosalind Club suggested that it would be preferable that the outdoor terrace not be located between them and the park on a triangular piece of the developers land.
- A friend of the developer suggested using the public park area instead.
4. The developer is happy to not put the outdoor seating area on public property.
- The developer isn't pressing the issue about using Lake Eola Park for his outdoor cafe. he informed the Board that if the café was not wanted, that they would go back to putting the terrace on the ground that they own. There's a triangular price of their property they can put the terrace on, which lies between the Rosalind Club and Lake Eola Park. (see graphic above)
5. The building isn't being built on Lake Eola Park land.
- The building itself is being built on privately owned land. The only issue is the 645 square feet they want for an outdoor cafe. That part would be on public land.
6. The Lubbe house can be saved.
- It is not a historically designated structure so the city won't save it.
- The City will allow for its relocation if someone is willing to relocate it.
- This can be done. We just went through the Capen House saving and moving story.
7. We still have to wait for City Council's approval
- City Council must approve the use of the park for the outdoor cafe area.
- The land would have to remain for public use.
- The planning and execution would include collaboration with City Parks, Real Estate, and several City divisions.
8. St Lukes Cathedral is appealing the Municipal Planning Board's approval.
- St Lukes Cathedral stated during the meeting that they opposed the project as long as it encroached on the deeded City property.
- The part of the park the developer wants to put his outdoor cafe on just happens to have been deeded from St Lukes Cathedral to the park (city).
- In the deed, it states that no commercial activity can take place on this land.
- The developer's outdoor seating area would clearly be commercial use.
- But, it would be available to the public and remain public propery.
- Can the park rent the land to the developer with the existence of this deed? The city is looking into it.
