When tourists think of Orlando, they think of theme parks, shopping and warm, sunny weather. But when East Orlando residents think of their neck of the woods, they think of traffic and construction, both of which are currently affecting South Alafaya Trail.

The stretch of Alafaya from Curry Ford to Avalon Park Boulevard is being widened from two to four lanes with construction expected to be completed in Sept. 2013. Until then, then road will be torn, traffic will be delayed and frustrations will be high - even higher than usual.

Local businesses along the road are also forced to cope and adapt to these changes, and for some, it’s been a challenge.

The faculty and staff at The Providence Academy, which is located in the Waterford Lakes Professional Park, are already seeing the effects of the construction. Alicia Braccia, executive director of the academy, says that traffic is usually heavy heading south toward Avalon Park Boulevard and that making a left turn even before the construction began into the academy parking lot was already a challenge.

“So in terms of drop-off procedures, they have to come earlier to turn left,” says Braccia. Although attendance hasn’t dropped off yet at either the academy or at its sister therapy organization, which is located in the same building, Braccia is worried that fewer new and existing clients will show up.

A lack of clientele isn’t affecting On Mission Martial Arts, located just south of The Providence Academy in the Alafaya Village, but the traffic is.

“We’ve had times where instructors or students have run into unexpected traffic,” says Marco Fiorentino, a sensei at On Mission. “[We've been] informing people they may want to make sure they’re not late for class. But I’m fortunate that our hours are different [3-9 p.m.], so we miss some of the worst of the traffic.”

Students at both The Providence Academy and On Mission Martial Arts are also facing the challenge of finding safe transportation to and from class.

Some of the high school students at The Providence Academy participate in a school-to-work program that allows them to work at Publix after school. Those students used to be able to walk to work, but now they must find a new alternative.

“We’re trying to figure out how to get them to work without renting a bus,” says Braccia.

The students at On Mission Martial Arts who used to be able to bike to the facility must also find an alternative way to get to class. “We have a lot of students that are from Avalon Park and it’s not convenient right now for people to ride their bike [to class],” says Fiorentino.

Some of the issues relate to more than just traffic. The students and faculty at The Providence Academy received an unexpected surprise from some of the construction machinery recently.

“When the machines were drilling, it was causing a vibration that almost felt like an earthquake,” says Braccia. The loud noise and the earthquake-like vibrations that came from the machinery upset the autistic students, who tend to be sensory sensitive.

The businesses along Alafaya aren’t the only things being disrupted along Alafaya - the wildlife is as well. Fiorentino says that he’s seen an increase in wildlife activity, including a rise in the number of snakes, around his business. Fiorentino believes the construction is directly to blame for displacing the animals.

When the construction is complete, both Braccia and Fiorentino feel that it will be beneficial to both businesses and residents along South Alafaya. Braccia hopes that a traffic light will be erected near the Waterford Lakes Professional Park and Fiorentino hopes that more stores will move into the relatively empty Alafaya Village complex.

“There’s very little traffic in the Alafaya Village and not many stores, which may be because of the construction,” he says.

Article by Marisa Ramiccio

You may never be able to honor those who gave their lives in the name of everything this country stands for enough. But you sure can try. That’s the underlying idea behind the proposed world-class memorial to be built adjacent to the new VA Medical Center (VAMC) in Lake Nona. Designed to be a quiet place where tranquility meets art, the memorial is more than just a monument.

“Nowhere else in the country will have a place like this where veterans and their families can go,” says Jerry Pierce, president of the Central Florida Veterans Memorial Park Foundation. “It’s really a place for healing.”

Honoring more than 1,100 veterans who left never to return from Orange, Lake, Brevard, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties, the memorial is to be located adjacent to the VAMC across the south entrance facing a lake. Having both state-of-the-art healthcare for veterans and a healing place for their families and friends is something no other VA hospital in the country can claim.

The memorial stems from the hearts and minds of some of Orlando’s most proud veterans. “We thought it was a great time to do something to really help other people,” says Pierce. “This is nothing more than a story about a group of veterans volunteering their time to help other veterans. If we hadn’t stepped forward to do this, the hospital and the memorial wouldn’t have happened.”

A joint community project from the beginning, land for the memorial was provided by Lake Nona Land Development with control of use, design, monument specifications, and events to be retained by the Central Florida Memorial Park Foundation. In the early stages of the project, RLF Architects of Winter Park stepped up to contribute substantial design and engineering-related services on a no fee basis.

“A healing environment is part of healing itself,” says Drama Therapist and Trauma Specialist, Anne Curtis, RDT, CTSS of Maitland, Florida.  “Integrating this Memorial with the hospital’s services creates the two most important elements to one’s health — the hospital’s strength as a care provider and the Park’s meditative environment.”

Curtis says that the RLF team has created unique healing spaces through their design by integrating architecture and healing arts. “The memorial symbolizes the resilience of the human spirit and the powerful connection between generations.  It honors the patriotism of generations who came before us, the hope of those who struggle to make our world a better place and our faith in the enduring miracle of life.”

Scheduled to begin construction in January of 2012, the next major hurdle for the memorial is to raise more funds that will be used for construction of the monument and, eventually, an endowment fund that will allow for community events, maintenance and more. They have currently raised more than $400,000 on their way to an initial goal of $1 million.

“The site is designed to say that, as a community, Orlando cares and wants to honor those individuals who gave their lives to let us live ours,” says Pierce. “The next step is to grow awareness and get the community involved so we can begin construction.”

Article by Corey Gehrold

With the University of Central Florida College of Medicine completing its first year and with plans for a Valencia campus, as well as a UCF new dental school in the planning stages, many of the initial large-scale education components of the Medical City are coming together nicely.

The UCF College of Medicine was established in 2006 by the Florida Board of Governors, the Florida Legislature and the Governor of Florida in order to increase opportunities for medical education in Florida, address the physician shortage and enhance the overall economy. According to the school’s website, www.med.ucf.edu, the College of Medicine is a forward-looking medical school with a culture based on partnership and collaboration and is an integral part of the growing medical city in Lake Nona.

In August 2010, the M.D. program enrolled its second class of 60 students, and for the second year in a row, the college received more applications than any other public medical school in Florida.

The UCF Medical school is also doing its part in building up the economy, even surpassing projected numbers. In 2006, the Milken Institute conducted a study to determine a 10-year economic-activity projection based on the addition of the school. In only two years of running, the school has reached 80 percent of that projection already.

A 2008 economic impact study says that by 2017 up to 30,000 new jobs could be added. UCF is also addressing the physician shortage around the country right now by producing up to 120 medical graduates a year.

Down the road, Valencia College broke ground on the first building of its new Lake Nona Campus on June 22. The Valencia campus will open opportunities for students to study biomedical and life sciences and to earn their associate degrees.

Dr. Mike Bosley, assistant provost at Valencia College Lake Nona, says the three-story, 83,000 square-foot building will open in August 2012. It will have 18 classrooms, six science labs, a library, a bookstore, small café and administrative offices. It cost roughly $21.7 million and is the first of four buildings proposed for the campus. All four buildings will eventually accommodate about 5,000 students and 250,000 square feet.

There is also hope for a UCF dental school in the area. Zenaida Gonzalez Kotala, senior communications coordinator for UCF News & Information, says UCF’s proposed College of Dental Medicine will be an economic driver for Central Florida, will strengthen the UCF Health Sciences Campus at Lake Nona and will bring an increased focus to the emerging medical city.

The idea of a new dental school in the area is undergoing a lot of criticism though, which stems from state reports that say there are plenty of dentists in Florida, just not in the areas with the greatest need.

Kotala says the Florida Board of Governors is currently considering whether it is wise to invest in creating these costly dental schools when the schools won’t necessarily address the big picture problem. UCF responds to this debate by not seeking any state funds for the dental college. “We have a $10 million donation, will secure loans and are creating a funding model that requires no state funds,” she says. “The school will use tuition and fees as well as clinic income to be self-sufficient.”

The College of Dental Medicine is expected to create at least 110 local jobs as well as an initial economic impact of $73 million.

If the Board of Governors approves the building of a dental school, Kotala says the plan is to construct one building next to the UCF College of Medicine and have the school’s first 60 students start classes in 2014.

Article by Nikki Stephens

After years of surplus supply and thousands of short sales and foreclosures following the real estate fallout, is the light at the end of the residential real estate tunnel finally visible for Central Florida? In short, yes and no.

Area experts say that although affordability is high and sales are expected to rise, home sales are still being held back due to the restrictive loan underwriting standards, as well as the steady levels of low appraisals that result in contract cancellations. “Some buyers are still finding it too difficult to obtain a mortgage,” says Mike McGraw, vice president of communications and marketing for the Orlando Regional Realtor Association (ORRA). “For those fortunate enough to qualify for financing, monthly mortgage payments as a percent of income have been at record lows, however.”

Distressed property sales (those that are bank-owned or short sales) still made up more than 60 percent of sales in the area in May because of their lower price point when compared to a normal sale. Still, normal sales have risen for the fourth month in a row, making up 37.47 percent of all sales in May.

“The lower median price of foreclosures and short sales does continue to negatively influence the overall median price,” says McGraw. Statistics show that home prices in Orlando have been stabilizing, and normal homes have been increasing in price, a good sign for a troubled market. “The higher selling prices of ‘normal’ homes are helping to boost Orlando’s overall median price, which in May increased 4.76 percent to $110,000 from the $105,000 posted in April,” he says. In fact, the overall median price has increased each month since January 2011.

With the number of sales in Orlando and a decrease in the number of new listings, the inventory of homes available for purchase has again fallen in Orlando. Inventory declined by 511 homes, or 4.45 percent, during the month of May and now rests at 10,969. “Year to date, overall inventory is down 31.28 percent from this time last year,” says McGraw. He also notes that single family home inventory is down 24.99 percent and condo inventory is down 55.10 percent. Many of the homes in the lower price ranges have seen the greatest increase in sales. These types of homes are most popular with investors, cash buyers and first-time homebuyers.

So, what does it all mean? If you can qualify for a loan, now is a good time to purchase a home thanks to low prices and a sizable supply. “Our market indicators are pointing toward the existence of pent-up demand, which is caused in part by the current difficulties in securing a mortgage,” says McGraw. “Lenders and bank regulators need to be mindful of the historically low default rates among mortgage borrowers of the past two years. We simply have to get back to sound, common-sense lending standards to provide mortgages to creditworthy borrowers who are buying homes well within their means.”

The bottom line, according to industry leaders, is that recovery is here - it’s just not coming fast, or uniformly, for that matter. “Although housing affordability conditions are extremely favorable and pent-up demand exists in the market, slow job growth and ongoing credit constraints will lead to an uneven recovery,” says McGraw.

Article by Corey Gehrold

Sushi, medical and general office space, frozen yogurt and coffee shops are just some of the many upcoming commercial additions coming to a neighborhood near you in Avalon Park, Waterford Lakes and Lake Nona.

A recent boom in leasing has led Avalon Park commercial space to be roughly 98 percent leased as of this writing. Recent openings in the area include the Avalon Perks Coffee Shop, Avalon Pockets restaurant, and Avalon Park Urgent Care, just to name a few.

“Avalon Perks Coffee Shop has been especially popular with the community,” says Stephanie Hodson, marketing director for Avalon Park Group. “Providing quality coffee and activities such as Open Mic Night. They have also partnered with local non-profit organization, Just 1 Book, as a permanent donation site and in return, the organization has filled the bookshelves in Avalon Perks with books.”

According to Hodson, Downtown Avalon Park is a great environment for a variety of business types. “We see companies moving their headquarters here because they like the town center feel without the hassle of being in downtown Orlando,” she says.

Avalon Park’s summer business additions include: Avalon Park Jewelry, Yoga East, Yogurt Shop, Avalon Park Florist and Suhaag Garden Event Design. Then in the fall, Bayridge Sushi and Tropical Smoothie will open.

The Waterford Lakes area is also filling retail space this summer with the opening of Charley’s Grilled Subs, Bright Now! Dental, Deal$, Simply Fashion, Shoe Factory, rue21, and Medifast Weight-Loss Center in the Waterford Lakes Town Center.

“Waterford Lakes Town Center offers something for everyone with many of our specialty retailers offering moderate price points,” says Jamie Roy, director of mall marketing & business development for Waterford Lakes Town Center. “Apparel is always a big seller and our stores are seeing shopper demand for stylish and trendy fashions at a medium price.”

Lake Nona is also beginning to fill their available commercial space while preparing to build even more as the Medical City in the area begins to take shape. “As the hospitals open in the next 18 months, there will be an emerging demand for additional restaurant and retail space,” says Rob Adams, vice president of marketing for Lake Nona. “Just at Lake Nona Medical City, we will expand from having a few hundred employees onsite to well over 4,000 by the end of 2012.”

According to Adams, they have seen a spike in demand for commercial offerings recently as they continue to lease Lake Nona Village on Narcoossee Road as well as move forward on the design work for the first phase of the Lake Nona Town Center, which is adjacent to Lake Nona Medical City just south of SR 417.

Lake Nona’s 7,000-acre property in Southeast Orlando is looking forward to a future filled with growth from the combination of increased employment opportunities, a rotating and visiting patient base and new residents at Laureate Park.

“Lake Nona’s future includes the growth and evolution of Lake Nona Medical City, robust commercial offerings, and diverse residential choices,” says Adams. “When this is combined with our location, the existing transportation network, and the natural setting at Lake Nona, we look forward to seeing growth here for a long time.”

As storefronts begin to fill again, the only question is where will you spend your hard-earned dollars?