Orange/Michigan Vision Plan

Context

The South Orange Avenue/East Michigan Street corridor (Generally south of Lake Lucerne / North of Pineloch Avenue / East of I-4 / West of S. Mills Avenue) has experienced an influx of developer interest over the past several years. Ongoing expansion of Orlando Regional Hospital, increased vitality downtown, and the mixed-use SoDo redevelopment project are beginning to unveil the corridor’s potential. Seven projects along the corridor have recently been approved, applied for permits, started construction, or completed. Collectively they result in the following: 
                    

Underlying the recent wave of development exists a disparate collection of zoning classifications. In some areas, the zoning appears to mesh well with adjoining residential districts.  In other locations, the commercial zoning appears too shallow to allow for both sufficient commercial parking and adequate buffering between commercial and single-family uses. Isolated areas of industrial uses seem out of place against the backdrop of new mixed-use, commercial, and residential development. The poorly transitioned areas between commercial, industrial, and residential areas may contribute to the signs of distress that some properties immediately adjacent to the commercial and industrial zoning districts exhibit.  

Problem
With the recent wave of development interest, some residential neighbors have become increasingly vocal about ongoing encroachments of nonresidential development into their neighborhoods, increased traffic, and the scale of proposed developments along Orange Avenue. While many specific concerns were addressed or mitigated through the approval process of individual projects, the varying interests compel a more comprehensive study of the corridor.  

Solution
Desired is a plan that better promotes the potential synergy between the residents and businesses, and presents strategies that utilize superior design to transition from commercial to residential uses. This plan will be formulated through a visioning process, which will bring together key stakeholder groups to include residents, businesses, and landowners in order to accommodate and address the sometimes conflicting interests of the community.

Additionally, the plan would provide an appropriate avenue to better integrate other larger scale plans occurring in the area, including the South Downtown Vision Plan, future Commuter Rail, and the Downtown South Main Street designation.

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