Plans for the proposed Creative Village project and its downtown UCF campus put cars in the back seat.
The 68-acre Creative Village is the first community the city of Orlando has partnered in financially since Baldwin Park emerged more than 15 years ago.
The development just west of downtown would trade off 20 percent of planned traditional parking spaces for those accommodating bikes, electric vehicles and scooters. Developers are also banking on people using the SunRail commuter line and bus service, which would include a free route from the University of Central Florida’s primary location in east Orange County to the new downtown campus.
A city review board will consider the plans Tuesday.
Master developer Craig Ustler calls it a “car-last” strategy.
“It’s a very progressive approach for Orlando, and that’s part of the appeal of Creative Village,” Ustler said.
The mobility plan says it has a clear goal to “reduce dependence on the car.” The document mentions the words “pedestrian” four times more and “bicycles” two times more than “vehicles.” In addition to plans for shaded seating for pedestrians, multi-colored or separated bike lanes and bicycle-sharing programs, Creative Village will also rely on the Central Lynx Station and a downtown SunRail station a few blocks east. In addition to walking, people could access a circulator bus.
“Alternate modes besides the automobile should be encouraged, and development should be designed to facilitate greater usage of transit options,” plans state.
The hopes for greater pedestrian traffic are being pitched for an area known historically for high crime and murder rates. Over the years, the city has launched a variety of initiatives to make the Parramore neighborhood safer. Ustler said adding thousands of students, employees and residents will heighten oversight and “eyes on the street.”
Ustler said that designing the transportation pieces of the project to prioritize walkers and bicyclists should also distinguish Creative Village, which lies in the midst of one of the nation’s top-rated metro areas for pedestrian deaths.
Greg Witherspoon, chairman for the Urban Land Institute in Central Florida, said Orlando is among fast-growing cities internationally that struggle with providing enough parking in the right location. As much as anywhere, Creative Village stands a good chance of accommodating a workforce, student body and residents with limited parking because of its immediate access to transit, said Witherspoon, a principal with Canin Associates in Orlando.
“A location like Creative Village could pull this off,” he said.
Orlando Transportation Director Billy Hattaway, who sits on the city’s oversight board for Creative Village, said the development in its early years will draw a young population of students and tech workers who are more comfortable with alternative types of transportation.
A lot of thought has to go into designing a walkable community, he said.
“You can have a sidewalk on [State Road] 436, but are you comfortable walking there?” he said. “We want to create this so it is safe and comfortable. Walking is a primary mode of transportation in this area.”
The planned community of classrooms, offices, apartments and shops would launch with about 2,500 parking spaces by late summer of 2019, with 1,200 spaces in the Centroplex, 600 in a UCF parking garage, 600 spaces in student housing and several hundred spaces on the street. After that, Ustler said, the hope is to rely increasingly on options other than cars and trucks as more buildings are completed.
In terms of future growth beyond the planned UCF buildings, student housing and affordable apartments, Ustler said other developers have come to him mostly with proposals for apartments. Offices and hotels are likely to come later, he added.
mshanklin@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5538
