Category: Walk To Downtown

Illinois Street Project

12/18/2017

In the heart of
Colonial Town North

Before Orlando was Orlando it was Fort Gatlin, a base for the 4th U.S. Artillery under the command of Ltc. Alexander C. W. Fanning.

The fort and surrounding area were named for Dr. John S. Gatlin, an Army physician who was killed in Dade's Massacre on Dec. 28, 1835.

The site of construction for Fort Gatlin was likely chosen because the location was on a main trail and less than 250 yards from a nearby Council Oak tree where Native Americans had traditionally met.

When the U.S. military abandoned the fort in 1839 the surrounding community was built up by settlers.

Before European settlers arrived in 1536, Orlando was sparsely populated by the Seminole tribe. After 1845, Fort Gatlin became the county seat of the new Orange County in 1856. It remained a rural backwater during the Civil War and suffered greatly during the Union blockade. The Reconstruction Era brought on a population explosion, resulting in the incorporation of the Town of Orlando on July 31, 1875 with 85 residents (22 voters).

Orlando, as Florida's largest inland city, became a popular resort during the years between the Spanish–American War and World War I. In the 1920s, Orlando experienced extensive housing development during the Florida Land Boom. Land prices soared. During this period several neighborhoods in downtown were constructed, endowing it with many bungalows. The boom ended with the Great Depression.
During World War II, a number of Army personnel were stationed at the Orlando Army Air Base and nearby Pinecastle Army Air Field. Some of these servicemen stayed in Orlando to settle and raise families. In 1956 the aerospace and defense company Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin) established a plant in the city.

In 1968, Orlando AFB was transferred to the United States Navy and became Naval Training Center Orlando. In addition to boot camp facilities, NTC Orlando was home of one of two Navy Nuclear Power Schools, and home of the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division. When the Naval Training Center was closed in 1993 it was converted into the Baldwin Park neighborhood.

Today, the historic core of "Old Orlando" resides in Downtown Orlando along Church Street, between Orange Avenue and Garland Avenue. Urban development and the Central Business District of downtown have rapidly shaped the downtown skyline during recent history. The present-day historic district is primarily associated with the neighborhoods around Lake Eola where century-old oaks line brick streets. These neighborhoods, known as "Lake Eola Heights" and "Thornton Park", contain some of the oldest homes in Orlando.

Colonial Town North sits in between Baldwin Park and the historic downtown area of Orlando. It's been the center of a revitalization boom for a number of years and is the home of another great #NerdNightOrlando property...

#IllinoisStProject

1418 Illinois Street, in the very heart of Colonial Town North, these beautiful 1845 sf brand new townhomes boast sleek modern lines, 20 foot ceilings and a location that can't be beat.

Within walking distance you have the beautiful Leu Gardens, home of many community events and concerts and, in the other direction, you have the award winning restaurants of Colonial Drive and Thornton Park. Lake Eola, home of the 4th of July Fireworks and many, many other cultural events is only a 10 minute walk.

CGI Renderings

Please keep in mind that these CGI renderings give you a great idea of the lines of the home but will be different from the final design choices of the builder.

For a viewing appointment of the project, call Richard Rutledge at Mills Park Realty: 407-256-6508

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Sanford Avenue Project

12/10/2017

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By the first decade of the 20th century, Sanford was one of the largest vegetable shipping centers in the United States, and received the nickname "Celery City" for the most successful crop.

On April 25, 1913, Seminole County was officially established with Sanford as the county seat.

Sanford sits on the south shore of Lake Monroe at the head of the navigation on the St. Johns River. During the Seminole Wars of the 1830's, the area was the site of an U.S. Army post name Fort Mellon. As settlers moved into the area, the town of Mellonville was established. With the advent of commercial steamboat service, the town became a distribution point for goods essential for the growth of Central Florida. When Orange County was created in 1845, Mellonville became the county seat.

The Sanford Historic District during a Festival

In 1870, Henry Shelton Sanford purchased the land west of Mellonville. He planned a new city "the Gate City of South Forida," which he believed would become the transportation hub for all of southern Florida. In 1877, the city of Sanford was incorporated and Mellonville was annexed six years later. In 1880, Henry S. Sanford formed a land company in London to encourage investments in the new city.

Today Sanford is a revitalized community featuring a diverse population, arts, culture, and a historic downtown district with restaurants, antique shops and theatre.

#SanfordAveProject

Nerd Night members, Real Estate Possibilities, LLC were lucky enough to secure a vacant lot, at a great price, just ONE block off the Historic District within WALKING distance of all the great cafes and shops downtown. They are building a "Vintage Style" brand new home for one lucky family... maybe YOU?

This building is on Sanford Avenue

Sanford Historic District

Father-Daughter team, Sam and Lauren committed to the Sanford Avenue Project in May, 2017 and the process began to get city approvals. Rounding out the team is Manager-Mom, Sandy!

Initially they were told the address sat within the bounds of what is designated as the "Historic District" for Sanford, which has very strict approval processes for construction or renovation. However, in doing their own research, they found that it actually is just 1 block outside the district, which made it a bit faster to get things approved.

It was always the intention though to build a home that fit the highly sought after "Vintage Style" that makes up the historic area... so they found some great plans... with high ceilings BOTH upstairs and down, and an open floor plan for downstairs; making the home perfect for entertaining.

The outside of this 1758sf, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, home is pure "retro" while the floor-plan of the interior is spacious and modern feeling. When you walk into the home you walk into a large living area with a kitchen on the back wall, separated by a "breakfast bar." There is room for both a dining table and a living room area, though today's modern families might find dining at the bar is more in keeping with their busy lifestyle. There is easily room for 4 seats at the bar.

To the left is a staircase lighted by a South facing window, taking you up to 3 bedrooms... cleverly laid out in a "split" plan with the Master Bedroom separated from the two smaller ones by the two bathrooms. The Master Bedroom opens out onto the upstairs balcony porch so, in nice weather, it even has it's own private "seating area."

Frankly, this writer LOVES an upstairs porch... it provides the opportunity to put out some high quality furnishings and allows for a cozy, and more private, area to enjoy Florida's beautiful weather. I could just picture myself enjoying a glass of wine and some music as I watch my neighbors stroll by with their pets in the early evening.

These renderings give you a chance to see what the homes floor-plan will look like finished... though keep in mind that some style and design changes by the builders will make the finished home a bit different from these CGI graphics. Scroll on down for more photos of the home during construction...

It's this writers understanding that this home will have 10 foot ceilings downstairs and 8 foot up... what a spacious feel!

The home will have a driveway coming in from the front, but is also accessible by an alleyway behind the home. The carport on the side will keep your car from the elements.

INVESTMENT NOTES: Think you can't get involved in real estate investing with no money of your own? Think again! This project used borrowed money from day one. Tips from REP,LLC Sam was... have about $20K open on credit cards and get your numbers right, and you CAN borrow the money for your project. Sam told me that his lender initially didn't "see" the potential in this property, however, after being shown some recent "comps" (comparable properties), coming out to view the site, and being educated in the history of Sanford (and it's ongoing revitalization), they enthusiastically signed on.

It took about 3 months to get the approvals through the city, however the Lender's terms didn't call for any interest to be owed UNTIL the money was drawn, so waiting those months was not costly. This was a "construction" style loan, meaning money is drawn out in stages as needed. I don't have all the details of that, but if you are a Nerd Night member (join here - it's free), just ask Sam and he will be happy to share the specifics.

It's now December when I'm writing this... and the project was signed for in May. Considering that it was about 3 months before "ground was broken" this project has come along quite quickly!