Downtown Orlando real estate - Unless you’re a member, chances are you’d walk right past the unremarkable downtown facilities of the exclusive University Club and not even notice. The one-story brick building, painted a shade of yellow most often found adorning l970s-era kitchen appliances, houses the private club’s decidedly un-trendy dining room, where Orlando’s old-line movers and shakers still gather for leisurely lunches.
It’s true that the new generation of local influentials mostly eschew this musty place in favor of the newer, glitzier Citrus Club, with its panoramic downtown views, plush furnishings and white-glove service.
But the creaky old University Club may once again become a favored hangout for cool people, thanks to a decision by the club’s membership to sell its 1.5-acre site on East Central Boulevard to developers planning to build twin 37-story towers featuring 325 condominium units, 50,000 square feet of office space and 18,000 square feet of retail space on the lower floors.
To be more precise, the 500-member organization actually traded its land for ownership of a two-story bridge that will connect the towers and house the club’s operations. When that happens, the University Club will have a home as impressive as any comparable club in the country.
That’s the way it’s going in downtown Orlando these days. Scarcely a week passes without another major condominium project—many boosted by controversial tax incentives—being announced. And as quickly as announcements are made, buyers swoop in and plunk down deposits.
Remarkably, this rush of interest comes after years of apathy about downtown and its prospects as a desirable place to live, work and play.
