Parramore developer proposes 31-story skyscraper on West Church Street

Parramore developer proposes 31-story skyscraper on West Church Street

Orlando developer Timothy Green is hoping this time’s the charm with his goal to bring a mixed-use skyscraper to Parramore.

Green has had two preliminary meetings with Orlando planners to discuss a proposal for a 31-story residential tower to the neighborhood at 1121 W. Church St. at the site of an industrial warehouse halfway between Orange Blossom Trail and Westmoreland Drive. The 1.7 acre location is two blocks in either direction from Exploria Stadium on the east or Camping World Stadium on the west, according to a report in GrowthSpotter.

Green, founder of Parramore Development Group, told GrowthSpotter he’s working on an aggressive timeline with a goal to submit his master plan documents by the end of the year.

“We want to do that as quickly as possible,” he said. “Our goal is to break ground in 2024. Most likely this would be Q4 of 2024, but we do believe that we have everything needed to be able to move this project forward.”

The proposed Green Tower would have a restaurant and lounge on the first two floors and private club on the 31st floor. (Courtesy of Parramore Development Group)
The proposed Green Tower would have a restaurant and lounge on the first two floors and private club on the 31st floor. (Courtesy of Parramore Development Group)

This is Green’s third effort to bring a high-rise to the area, and this time he’s hoping to utilize the Live Local Act to bring it to reality. In his preliminary plans, Green indicated that he would allocate at least 40% of the residential units as affordable housing and at least 65% of the total project would be residential.

The concept calls for 343 residential units with 140 units designated as below market rent for residents earning 60-80-120% of the Area Median Income.

The Live Local Act, which became effective July 1, requires a county to approve a multifamily development project in an area already zoned for commercial, industrial, or mixed-use if at least 40% of the units are defined as affordable under the state’s guidelines.

In addition to speeding up the approval process, the new rule gives developers more flexibility with density and allows them to build the project as high as the tallest building within a mile of the property, regardless of the county’s current regulations.

Green said the tower would top out at around 345 feet tall, assuming he gets clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Green’s plan calls for a pair of towers rising above a shared 9-story parking podium with a convention center hotel in the south tower and apartments in the north tower.

“We’re removing the hotel component, and then we’ll save that for our next phase,” Green said.

The revised plan still includes a 13-level parking structure with ground-level retail and a 25,000 square-foot creative space/incubator on the second floor. The ground floor would be home to a small grocery market and two of Green’s restaurant concepts.

Just over a year ago, Green sought a zoning and land use change for four separate parcels at Jackson Street and Terry Avenue that also included a historic church at 596 W. Church St. He was planning a 14-story double tower called Parramore City Towers for the block.

Green told GrowthSpotter the project would have included a Marriott hotel, a cultural museum and up to 180 units of mixed-income residential units. He said that project is on pause while he focuses on the Green Tower.

Green also has proposed a Live Local Act project to build a 7-story mixed-use tower on vacant land at Orange Blossom Trail and 29th Street. That project also is on hold while Orange County updates its 2050 Vision Plan for the OBT corridor, he said.

Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at lkinsler@GrowthSpotter.com or (407) 420-6261. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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