Church Street Station (Orlando)

For other places with the same name, see Church Street Station (disambiguation).

"Orlando (ACL station)" redirects here. For the post-1926 ACL Orlando station, see Orlando (Amtrak station).

Church Street Station SunRail station
The Old Orlando Railroad Depot built in 1889 still stands alongside the SunRail route
Station statistics
Address	4 Depot Place and West Church Street Orlando, Florida
Coordinates	28°32′23″N 81°22′50″W / 28.539856°N 81.380587°W / 28.539856; -81.380587Coordinates: 28°32′23″N 81°22′50″W / 28.539856°N 81.380587°W / 28.539856; -81.380587
Lines	SunRail:   SunRail Planned 2013
Platforms	2
Tracks	2
Other information
Opened	1889[1]
Rebuilt	2013 Planned
Services
Preceding station   SunRail   Following station Orlando Health/Amtrak toward Sand Lake Road SunRail Phase 1 Planned 2013 LYNX Central toward DeBary Orlando Health/Amtrak toward Poinciana SunRail Phase 2 Planned 2015 LYNX Central toward DeLand
Old Orlando Railroad Depot U.S. National Register of Historic Places Location: Orlando, Florida, USA Coordinates: 28°32′22″N 81°22′50″W / 28.53944°N 81.38056°W / 28.53944; -81.38056Coordinates: 28°32′22″N 81°22′50″W / 28.53944°N 81.38056°W / 28.53944; -81.38056 Built: 1889[1] Architect: T. B. Cotter[2] Architectural style: Eclectic Victorian,[1] Shingle Style[2] Governing body: Private NRHP Reference#: 76000604[2] Added to NRHP: April 22, 1976

Church Street Station, also called the Old Orlando Railroad Depot is a historic U.S. depot in Orlando, Florida. It is located at Depot Place and West Church Street, and is a planned station on the proposed SunRail commuter rail system. It is also a commercial entertainment development in downtown Orlando, Florida spanning both sides of the tracks. The site was formerly used by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad for their Orlando station. Amtrak now stops about a mile (1.6 km) south of downtown (see Orlando (Amtrak station)).

Station

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad

The station was originally built by the South Florida Railroad in 1889 (although some sources say it was built in 1890) to serve Orlando. The South Florida Railroad was bought out the Plant System in 1893, which in turn was taken over by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902. The station also served the Tavares, Orlando and Atlantic Railroad and the Orlando and Winter Park Railway. In 1926 passenger operations were transferred to Orlando Health/Amtrak station. The Old Orlando Railroad Depot still survives to this day on the National Register of Historic Places.^[2]

SunRail

The planned SunRail commuter rail projects will use Church Street Station as one of two stops in downtown Orlando, the other being LYNX Central Station. 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 and the new Amway Center, home to the Orlando Magic NBA team^[3]

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.^[4] 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.^[5]

Several attempts have been made by multiple owners to re-create the success of the mid-'80s. Today there is a relatively new improv 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, 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 of the NBA, is slated to open opened Oct. 1 2010.^[6] Nearby businesses anticipated a boost in traffic as arena customers hit the streets before and after events.

In addition, SunRail plans to revive the station as a commuter rail stop.^[7]

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 14,335-square-foot (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.^[8]
• 1976: The station is added to the National Register of Historic Places
• 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 24,000-square-foot (2,200 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 Pearlman buys into Church Street Station, later becomes majority owner.
• 2007: Pearlman's financial troubles trigger foreclosure lawsuit against Church Street Station.[1]^{[dead link]}
• 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.[2]
• 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.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Old Orlando Railroad Depot". Florida Heritage Tourism Interactive Catalog. Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs. 2007-02-23. http://www.flheritage.com/services/sites/fht/record_t.cfm?ID=633&type=c&index=48. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "National Register of Historical Places - Florida (FL), Orange County". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-02-23. http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/FL/Orange/state.html. 
3. ^ Church Street Station (SunRail)
4. ^ Church Street Station (Orlando Memory)
5. ^ Church Street Station (Orlando Memory)
6. ^ "MAGIC: Events Center". Orlando Magic. http://www.nba.com/magic/news/Events_Center_Prebid_Meeting-289691-66.html. Retrieved 2009-07-06. 
7. ^ Church Street Station (SunRail)
8. ^ Church Street Station (Orlando Memory)

External links

• Orange County listings, Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs