PHOTO VIA THE MILK DISTRICT
The Milk District Main Street (Website) community will get its first chance to weigh in on the area’s future development at a public workshop next week, following the city’s hiring of Inspire Placemaking Collective (Website) in June to develop a vision land use plan for the district.
The first community meeting is set for Wednesday, September 16, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Orlando Executive Airport Administration Office, located at 365 Rickenbacker Drive [GMap]. District 4 Commissioner Patty Sheehan, District 2 Commissioner Tony Ortiz, District 3 Commissioner Roger Chapin, city staff, and the Inspire Placemaking team are expected to attend.
The workshop is described as an interactive, hands-on session where attendees will learn about the project, discuss the district’s challenges and opportunities, and help shape a shared vision for future land use and development in the area.
The study area generally runs from Colonial Drive to South Street and from Bumby Avenue to Maguire Boulevard and Crystal Lake Drive, also extending along the Robinson Street corridor west to Ferncreek Avenue and the Colonial Drive corridor east to Calvin Avenue.
As Orlando Shine reported in June, the city’s $174,960 contract with Inspire Placemaking Collective covers a nine-month study that could lead to new zoning entitlements and development standards for the district. The scope includes analyzing land use, identifying underutilized and vacant parcels, developing conceptual redevelopment scenarios, and studying minimum acreage thresholds for property owners pursuing up-zoning. The study will also look at utility and infrastructure needs and the possibility of a transportation impact fee sub-benefit area tied to improvements along Robinson Street.
Organizers are encouraging residents, business owners, and other stakeholders to attend and to share word of the meeting with their networks. Questions or requests for disability accommodations can be directed to milkdistrictvision@orlando.gov.
The final plan is expected to guide future amendments to the city’s Growth Management Plan and Land Development Code, and will go before the Municipal Planning Board before it’s finalized.
