So chatter is really starting to pick up about the Downtown Publix. Some question if the talk of one being located on the ground floor of the Paramount are even true. Others question the grocery store’s commitment to open in the struggling downtown residential market.

Last week, a spokesperson from Publix commented that they are sticking to their commitment. The Publix should be open for business as early as this Fall and the Paramount(16 story condos above the Publix) should be filling their units around the same time.

With the gas prices as high as they are, this will be a nice thing for those folks who live downtown and don’t like their current hike for groceries.

The City of Orlando began monitoring the streets of downtown and Parramore with a “smart camera” system called IRIS this morning. This system was paid for by federal homeland security funds and aims to help police identify and hold criminals accountable for actions committed/ taped.

These cameras are already used in larger cities across the United States (like Boston) and in Europe to help deter unlawful activity in common crime areas (ATM’s, street corners, construction sites…etc.). There are plans to install close to 60 cameras in the upcoming weeks. The amount currently servicing downtown Orlando is 13.

These cameras will be in the core downtown area to start and only directed/pointed to public areas. Some people argue that this could be invasion of privacy but I believe if you’re in a public place…it’s just that, “Public” and means any actions can be watched or viewed by a 2^nd party. Being proactive is the key to relinquishing crime before it happens. I am glad to see that the city is taking the initiative on this and understands that Orlando’s downtown sector is growing. Getting the word out about this will also help so I wanted to share this new with all of you folks out there that either live, want to live, or dream of living in a downtown condo in the near future. The street cameras will give you an elevated “peace of mind” that you are safe and measures are being taken to assure your safety.

Okay, sorry I’ve been a little busy lately but this one was big enough that I have had several people talk to me about it and ask that I post on it. So, I am just catching wind that there will be an auction for some of the units at Solaire next month. There will be a 5k fee to even get in the door and if you win a bid for a unit, you have to put 5% down before walking out. This auction will be held at the Embassy Suites in Downtown Orlando on March 1st.

I don’t know how most of you feel about this but I must say that I am just a tad bit skeptical. One reason for this is because this is not an absolute auction(meaning there is a preset minimum bid of 170k). I guess it’s to weed out the “window-shopping” prospective buyers but that’s what the 5k entrance fee is for right? If they are really wanting to just liquidate, why the min bid? Sounds a bit “Salesy” to me so I have to agree with Mike Thomas of the Orl Sentinel. I am also weary about the financial stability of the entire plaza with such recent events as OUC making it public that Kuhn’s Plaza development is overdue somewhere in the ballpark of $283,000 in utility bills. And hey….where the heck is that darn theater we’ve all been waiting for? Also it kind of sucks if you were one of the early bird closers that thought you were getting a steal by getting in before groundbreaking. Real estate is a fickle industry and does not make exceptions for people when it’s ready to slope downwards. Just the luck of the draw on that one.

Now I love to be optimistic most of the time but this one kind of has me cautious…I think the developers met and thought it’s their best shot of making back “some” of the money spent on the project and be the trendsetter for auctions to come in the future for such projects as Tradition Towers, Star Tower, The Paramount, 101 Eola, The Vue, and 55 West.

I think they are making the right choice in being first becuase from here, the prices will only decline for other potential auctioneers. My only concern is the amount of real interest they will drum up having a non-absolute bidding scheme.

We will all know if a few short weeks.

I’ll pass on this auction and wait for The Vue to do the same with they’re much nicer/contemporary floor layouts and other amenities.

It looks like those of us who have been wondering about the Premier Trade Plaza’s theater plans(adjacent to Solaire Condo’s) will finally see some light.

On November 8, AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. gave the developer Kuhn a commitment to become the permanent tenant in the 1,800-seat, 12-screen multiplex theater built on Orange Avenue downtown. We’ve all heard the mystique before, but let’s see if things “really” pan out this time.
View other posts regarding the Plaza’s movie theater