SoDo mixed-use building would fill gap on S. Orange Avenue

Plans for a new infill mixed-use building in Orlando’s SoDo District are on hold for at least a month.

The city’s SoDo Town Design Review Committee deferred action on the Master Plan for a 4-story building at 3509 S. Orange Ave. that would have brought nearly 8,000 square feet of retail and 73 studio and 1-bedroom apartments to the vacant lot.

The developers, Ross Jermano, design director at RM+, and Rodrigo De Santi, are requesting a density bonus that doubles the maximum amount of dwelling units from 30 per acre to 60. The property, which is owned by Arisa Enterprises LLC, is located within the newly established South Downtown Town Special Plan overlay and was the first case to go before the new DRC.

The submitted floorplans would create six retail shops on the ground floor with covered parking, with the end-caps being the largest at nearly 1,500 square feet. The apartments are all one-bedroom or smaller. The floorplan calls for 16 one-bedroom units with about 625 square feet, six efficiencies at 463 square feet and 51 studios, which are all about 540 square feet.

The DRC vote Thursday afternoon came after a lengthy discussion over access points, particularly from the south via Highway Place. The existing county road is substandard, but significant improvements would be required if the property to the south completes its annexation and new development.

Blurock Commercial Real Estate assembled 6.1 acres for a mixed-use development called Southern Oaks. Blurock spent about $5 million over a four-year period assembling the 16 parcels that comprise the Southern Oaks project. The site is about two blocks south of ECCO on Orange, the LeCesse apartments that were built on another Blurock assemblage at the corner of Orange and Pineloch avenues.

The SoDo TDRC told the applicant to come back with a new site survey after it was pointed out that the submitted survey contained incorrect information regarding Highway Place.

Jermano told the committee they could adjust improve Highway Place from Orange Avenue to their entrance if it would expedite the decision.

“We just like to see the project started. We like to start moving on this as soon as possible,” he said.

Dave Schmitt, the project engineer, assured the committee he could get a corrected survey and answer all outstanding questions in time for the June meeting.

Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at lkinsler@GrowthSpotter.com or (407) 420-6261, or tweet me at @byLauraKinsler. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.