Face-lift starts on shabby stretch of Semoran
South Semoran Boulevard is one of the most heavily traveled corridors in Central Florida, but most of those cars are trying to get somewhere else.
For visitors to Orlando, it’s a main gateway to the city — but an eyesore abandoned by some chain stores and restaurants. Planners and business owners long for the type of destination businesses that would give people a reason to come to the area instead of simply passing through.
“We get 37 million passengers through Orlando International Airport every year, and for a large percentage of those passengers, their first view of Orlando is the Semoran corridor,” Mayor Buddy Dyer said. “So it’s very important to give a good first impression.”
This week, the city and state are starting work to dress up one of the more unsightly sections, with the hope that it will serve as a catalyst to attract anchor businesses. The long-awaited project will bring wider sidewalks; deco-
rative crosswalks; new utility poles and lighting; upgraded landscaping; and more.
At nearly $3 million, it’s a significant face-lift for Semoran Boulevard’s 2.3 miles between Colonial Drive and Curry Ford Road.
The project will add 8-foot-wide sidewalks and upgrade areas that aren’t compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Center medians will be rebuilt with decorative brick pavers and planting beds with flowering trees such as crape myrtles and oleanders.
The section of Semoran Boulevard carries six lanes of traffic and can be daunting for pedestrians. The upgrades include textured crosswalks that planners hope will be safer for those on foot.
The Orlando Utilities Commission plans to replace older wooden power poles with concrete ones and add new electric transformers. Streetlights will be upgraded to LEDs, brighter and more-efficient lighting that OUC has already in- stalled in upscale neighborhoods such as Lake Nona and Thornton Park.
The project — paid for with $2.1 million in federal funds and $793,000 from OUC — should be completed in June.
It’s the latest and most ambitious effort to clean up Semoran Boulevard since Orlando Commissioner Tony Ortiz took office in 2008. Improving the corridor has been the biggest focus of Ortiz’s tenure.
As east Orlando’s population has grown increasingly Hispanic, spending patterns have changed and national chains such as WinnDixie, Pizza Hut, Arby’s and Wendy’s have left. South Semoran is dominated by a hodgepodge of small businesses. Some are run-down; other space is vacant.
“That area was established a long time ago, and it wasn’t one of the areas that got re-beautification, like College Park and some other neighborhoods,” said Leyla Eagle, president of the Semoran Business Partnership.
Aside from its appearance, the stretch of Semoran had crime problems, fueled in part by the clientele at rough-and-tumble bars.
The city shut down several bars, including one that had been the scene of a murder. Amethadone clinic that neighbors claimed was a source of crime also has closed.
“We got rid of the bad element, and we’re working now to better the area in terms of jobs and bringing vibrant companies to the area,” said Ortiz, a former police officer.
Planners and business leaders think the aesthetic improvements can be a catalyst for economic develop- ment.
“The way the area looks, a lot of people don’t want to stop,” Eagle said. “We are hoping businesses will come, see the improvements and build here — and give people a reason to come to the area.”
Members of the nonprofit Semoran Business Partnership hope a movie theater or big-box bookstore will move in.
Last year, the city adopted tighter development standards for the Semoran corridor that are meant to improve its look over the long term as new construction takes place. There are more-restrictive rules for signs, landscaping and building setbacks. New tattoo parlors, pawnshops, bail agencies, methadone clinics, bottle clubs, checkcashing outlets and fortunetellers are banned.
The streetscape about to be built will bring more-immediate change, project manager Jeff Arms said.
“It will really clean upthe look,” Arms said. “All the little bits make a difference.”