13-Story Downtown Project at Prime Intersection Compared to Bland Thornton Park Mid-rises by Appearance Review Board
In April we told you about what's currently known as the "Rosalind & Livingston Multi-Family and Retail Project," a 13-story, 389 unit building with a 452 space parking garage, associated amenities and 14,000s.f. of ground floor retail on 1.79 acres at 333 N. Rosalind (MAP).
The City of Orlando Appearance Review Board did a Courtesy Review for this project. The ARB calls it a hotel, but the developer defines it as multifamily development.
The developer is Banner Real Estate Group with offices in Illinois. The Engineer and Landscape Architect is Kimley Horn.
They developers want a density bonus which requires, among many other things, a public art component. The project's garage facades appear "forced into the residential façade design" says ARB. The transition of the project to the lower density neighborhoods "needs to be addressed." They say the building needs additional detailing and a more detailed building entry.
The developer is Banner Real Estate Group with offices in Illinois. The Engineer and Landscape Architect is Kimley Horn.
The project proposes a 13 story mixed use building along Rosalind Avenue between East Ridgewood Street and East Livingston Street. On the ground level, the building contains space for retail, food and beverage fronting a public plaza, brownstone apartments fronting Livingston Street, and an integral parking garage adjacent to the existing Landmark Center parking garages. The upper levels will consist of apartments, as well as an amenity deck on the roof of the garage structure, for a total of 389 Units.
The Growth Managements Plan, Rezoning and Abandonment applications will be reviewed by the Municipal Planning Board [MPB] at their September 19, 2017 meeting and if approved by the MPB decision will be forwarded to the City Council in October for their ratification of the MPB actions.
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"The City is potentially giving a lot for this project. ARB staff is expecting more in return."
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While the ARB repeatedly stated in the review that they are in support of the project, they had concerns they wanted addressed by the Developer.
The City expects "superior design" from this project as defined in Sec. 58.360 and Sec. 58.361 in the Land Development Code in exchange for several zoning changes the City will be providing, supporting the abandonment of a portion of the N. Rosalind Avenue right-of-way and deeding that land to the developer which creates a significant development parcel located at a highly visible Downtown Orlando intersection.
However, ARB says "...what the City isn’t getting is distinctive, detailed and unique architecture that is worthy of such a prime location." The architectural style is described as "unfortunately nothing more than a bigger, denser, more massive version" of similar mid-rise projects that "are all easily identified by their lack of distinctive skyline architecture" and are "viewed more as background development to the more significant architecture..." The projects the ARB are referring to are as follows:
- 420 East project
- 520 E. Church Street project (yet to be built)
- Nora project
- Crescent Central Station project
They developers want a density bonus which requires, among many other things, a public art component. The project's garage facades appear "forced into the residential façade design" says ARB. The transition of the project to the lower density neighborhoods "needs to be addressed." They say the building needs additional detailing and a more detailed building entry.
