Church Street Station (Orlando)
Encyclopedia
Church Street Station, also called the Old Orlando Railroad Depot is a historic U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
depot
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
in Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. It is located at Depot Place and West Church Street, and is a planned station on the proposed SunRail
SunRail
SunRail is a planned commuter rail system in the greater Orlando, Florida area, linking Poinciana to DeLand through Downtown Orlando...
commuter rail system. It is also a commercial entertainment development in downtown Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
spanning both sides of the tracks. The site was formerly used by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
for their Orlando station. Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
now stops about a mile (1.6 km) south of downtown (see Orlando (Amtrak station)
Orlando (Amtrak station)
The Orlando Amtrak station lies south of Downtown Orlando, about a mile south of the old stations at Church Street and Central Boulevard. It was built in 1926 by M. A. Griffith and W. T. Hadlow for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in the Spanish Mission style, and used by the Seaboard Coast Line...
).
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The station was originally built by the South Florida RailroadSouth Florida Railroad
The South Florida Railroad was a railroad from Orlando to Tampa, Florida, becoming part of the Plant System in 1893 and the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902.-History:...
in 1889 (although some sources say it was built in 1890) to serve Orlando. The South Florida Railroad was bought out the Plant System
Plant System
The Plant System was a system of railroads and steamboats in the U.S. South, taken over by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902. The original line of the system, named after its owner, Henry B...
in 1893, which in turn was taken over by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
in 1902. The station also served the Tavares, Orlando and Atlantic Railroad
Tavares, Orlando and Atlantic Railroad
Florida state law chapter 3499, approved March 5, 1883, incorporated the Tavares, Orlando and Atlantic Railroad Company, owned by Alexander St. Clair-Abrams, W. R. Anno, Nat Poyntz and J. L. Bryan of Orange County, Florida; L. H. Davis of New Jersey; John P...
and the Orlando and Winter Park Railway. In 1926 passenger operations were transferred to Orlando Health/Amtrak
Orlando (Amtrak station)
The Orlando Amtrak station lies south of Downtown Orlando, about a mile south of the old stations at Church Street and Central Boulevard. It was built in 1926 by M. A. Griffith and W. T. Hadlow for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in the Spanish Mission style, and used by the Seaboard Coast Line...
station. The Old Orlando Railroad Depot still survives to this day on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
SunRail
The planned SunRail commuter rail projects will use Church Street Station as one of two stops in downtown OrlandoDowntown Orlando
Downtown Orlando is the historic core and central business district of Orlando, Florida, United States. It is bordered by East Marks St in the north, Mills Ave in the east, Orange Blossom Trail in the west, and Kaley Ave in the south...
, the other being LYNX Central Station
LYNX Central Station
LYNX Central Station is an existing central bus terminal for the LYNX bus system and future rail station for the SunRail commuter train in Orlando, FL. It is also home to LNYX's administrative offices....
. The station will be within walking distance of Orlando City Hall. The station will also provides easy access to the planned Performing Arts Center, the Citrus Bowl
Citrus Bowl
The Florida Citrus Bowl is a stadium in Orlando, Florida, USA, built for football, which currently seats around 70,000 people....
and the new Amway Center, home to the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
NBA team
Night club complex
Church Street Station saw great popular success in the '70s and '80s as it operated as an attraction offering admission to multiple nightclubs (of various formats) facilitating "club hopping" for a single price in a monolithic location. It spanned both sides of Church Street and both sides of the railroad tracks. Walt Disney World emulated the successful formula, opening its own Pleasure Island club district amidst Church Street Station's peak years of success. The attraction's developer proceeded to develop a similar venue in Las Vegas, "Main Street Station" that at inception shared many club concepts with the Orlando facility.As an attraction, Church Street Station eventually experienced a steep decline in attendance and had largely closed as a club-hop by the end of the 1990s.
Several attempts have been made by multiple owners to re-create the success of the mid-'80s. Today there is a relatively new improv
Improvisational theatre
Improvisational theatre takes many forms. It is best known as improv or impro, which is often comedic, and sometimes poignant or dramatic. In this popular, often topical art form improvisational actors/improvisers use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously...
venue in what used to be a restaurant. The area immediately around the station is slated to become downtown apartments.
With foreclosures and serial disappointments duplicating the successes of the past, the future of the development remains questionable. A source of probable stimulus will likely occur with the new Amway Center. Across Interstate 4
Interstate 4
Interstate 4 is a intrastate Highway located entirely within the state of Florida, United States. It goes from Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida to Interstate 95 at Daytona Beach, Florida . It also has the Florida Department of Transportation designation of State Road 400, but only a small...
, Orlando's new entertainment arena is being constructed on Church Street, within close walking distance of Church Street Station. The arena, home to the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
of the NBA, is slated to open opened Oct. 1 2010. Nearby businesses anticipated a boost in traffic as arena customers hit the streets before and after events.
In addition, SunRail
SunRail
SunRail is a planned commuter rail system in the greater Orlando, Florida area, linking Poinciana to DeLand through Downtown Orlando...
plans to revive the station as a commuter rail stop.
The former Rosie O’ Grady’s Good Time Emporium restaurant and entertainment venue — sold in June for $2.2 million to downtown commercial property owners Frank Hamby and Margaret Casscells. The new owners are transforming the 14335 square feet (1,331.8 m²) building into the New Orleans-style MoJo Bar & Grill.
Timeline
- 1972: Entrepreneur Bob Snow announces plan for a downtown Orlando entertainment complex.
- 1974: Snow opens Rosie O'Grady's.
- 1976: The station is added to the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
- 1982: Cheyenne Saloon & Opera House opens.
- 1985: Church Street Station draws 1.7 million visitors, making it the fourth-largest tourist attraction in the state after Walt Disney World, Sea World and Busch Gardens.
- 1988: Snow sells 50 percent interest in Church Street Station.
- 1989: Snow sells remainder of his interest to a subsidiary of Baltimore Gas & Electric Co.; total cost of the two-step deal: $61 million to $82 million.
- 1994: Church Street Station completes major expansion with a 24000 square feet (2,229.7 m²) Presidential Ballroom for $5.5 million.
- 1998: Church Street Station loses $1 million on revenue of $20.85 million, attracts only 550,000 visitors.
- 1999: Baltimore Gas & Electric sells Church Street Station to Enic PLC, a British firm, for $11.5 million.
- 2001: Enic PLC sells Church Street Station to F.F. South & Co. for $15.9 million
- 2002: Lou PearlmanLou PearlmanLouis Jay "Lou" Pearlman is a former impresario of the successful 1990s boy bands such as The Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Take 5, O-Town and US5. In 2006, it was discovered that Pearlman had perpetrated one of the largest and longest-running Ponzi schemes in American history, leaving more than $300...
buys into Church Street Station, later becomes majority owner. - 2007: Pearlman's financial troubles trigger foreclosureForeclosureForeclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
lawsuit against Church Street Station.http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/custom/growth/orl-asecchurchstchrono12021207feb12,0,7612735.story?coll=orl-news-promos-growth - 2007: Cameron Kuhn (Developer) purchased church street station at bankruptcy court auction due to financial issues of former owner Lou Pearlman Trans Continental Empire. The property was purchased by Kuhn for $34.1 million.
- 2008: Church Street Station retail opens including The Cheyenne Saloon by Bob Snow, Bliss Ultra Night Club, Brick and Fire Pizza and Wine Company, Ceviche Tapas Restaurant and Bar, The Dessert Lady and Hamburger Mary's.
- 2008: Lender Tremont Net Funding LLC file to foreclose on the property while Mr. Kuhn tries to retain control & negotiate the re-sell of the complex.
- 2010: Historic Church Street Station RR FRISCO 0-6-0 Switcher #3749 Locomotive which has been on display for many years at the station was put up for sale.http://www.ozarkmountainrailcar.com/frisco_steam_locomotive_3749.htm
- 2010: The Amway Center arena opened on West Church Street and is already bringing an influx of business to Church Street vendors and establishments. In the long term the new arena is expected to at least stimulate partial revitalization to the complex.
External links
- Orange County listings, Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs