Town Center Project

Recently, the city moved forward with its Uptown Altamonte Town Center. Residents and city planners wanted to control their own destiny, rather than reacting to the private development side. Most importantly, they pushed an ambitious set of public improvements to completion. The project core is a streetscape and public space that ties together the south shore and adjacent area of Cranes Roost Lake.

Improvements include a boardwalk, amphitheater, comfort stations, a ranger headquarters, a theme tower and an abundance of streetscape cast-stone details by U.K. manufacturer Haddonstone Ltd.

The project zone is marked in this plan by a color-coded area that extends over the surface of Cranes Roost Lake. Key project additions are marked in red. The theme tower and park plaza are at center; the Eddie Rose Amphitheater is a short distance up the lakeshore to the right.
Photos courtesy of GAI Consultants

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Design Process

The city selected its local consultant to perform a peer review of the master plan and provide a report with a cost analysis of the public portion of the project. During the peer review, many details and compliance issues were identified as not being met by the original concept. Each component of the project was dissected and revised to create buildable program elements that met the needs of the community, the developer and the governing agencies. (Participating agencies included the city of Altamonte Springs, the Florida Department of Transportation, Seminole County, the St. Johns River Water Management District and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.)

Maintaining the safety and operational viability of this public space was the first priority of the landscape architectural team. The design process began with the traffic management and redesign of the existing Cranes Roost Blvd.

Fireworks at Uptown Altamonte are a family tradition on the Fourth of July. The new waterfront amphitheater provides ample seating on concrete steps and grassy slopes that overlook Cranes Roost Lake. Like most amenities on this project, the pergola that marks this entrance is manufactured by U.K.- based Haddonstone of architectural cast stone.

This roadway had to interface with the over 70,000 average annual daily traffic (AADT) intersection at SR 436 (Semoran Blvd.), slow traffic down to a pedestrian-safe level while allowing residents, customers and park users access to parking, offices, shops and restaurants. Four separate traffic study areas were required to provide the necessary information to manage the traffic within Uptown Altamonte.

This floating bandstand has audio and video cable jacks on the dock for easy hook ups. There is a thrill to experiencing music outdoors on a balmy Florida night?EUR??,,????'?????<

One of these studies prompted a new city project known as Festival Drive. Improvements were made to the south end of Cranes Roost Blvd., including traffic signal synchronization with Seminole County?EUR??,,????'?????<

 

As wonderful as dancing water is during an afternoon in the park, the night show of lights and sprays choreographed to music is even more impressive. This state-of-the-art limestone fountain pleases crowds of all ages. The hardware is hidden and protected in a vault, where it is accessed via a wireless laptop computer.

Finally, the design of the relocated Shorecrest Drive, providing access to the existing Embassy Suites Hotel and Phase 5 and Phase 6 of the private developments were performed. Left-turning movements for Uptown Altamonte residents and the hotel had to be merged with delivery patterns for the office, shops and restaurants.

Interfaces with the planned parking structures and the needs of the proposed private developments, while maintaining access to the Embassy Suites were critical factors in the design, construction phasing and maintenance of traffic during construction.

The existing amphitheater needed a facelift. Its size (900 seats) limited the types of events that could be held in the existing space.

The limestone tower complements the faux-stone-faced Uptown Altamonte entablature (the stone face riding above the Doric columns at left). The metal scroll crane logo reflects the identity of this park. The frieze engraved with palms represents Florida. Moving to the top of the tower, the three figures represent community and regional organizations that support the world.

The city had several events that required it to utilize every square foot of land for production space. This sparked the creation of north Cranes Roost Blvd. to function as a roadway that could be closed and utilized as a pedestrian-friendly mall and event space. The improved pedestrian access and renovation to the lower plaza gave the city an opportunity to honor one of its most supportive commissioners with the dedication of the Eddie Rose Amphitheater.

The amphitheater and streetscape design were constrained by the available right-of-way and the lake. Access to the neighboring office complex and Gina?EUR??,,????'?????<

ABOVE & BELOW: A survey of local activities helped the team create a sense of place that extends a welcoming hand to diverse visitors. An aerial view shows the center?EUR??,,????'?????<
Photos courtesy of Haddonstone Ltd.

Stormwater treatment and the rapid collection and removal of rainfall runoff required some innovative techniques.

The finished roadway and pedestrian plaza are a complete event space. Tent tie-downs are permanently cast into the roadway, and only require pulling them up to secure vendor shelters. These tie-downs are located on the sides of the tents to maintain safe passage along the front and rear of the tents, eliminating potential tripping hazards.

Along the sidewalk are planters and decorative illuminating bollards. The placement of these bollards is critical to the event functions as they house electrical connections, water connections and the interface with the park?EUR??,,????'?????<

The streetscape?EUR??,,????'?????<

The project maintains the land?EUR??,,????'?????<

The light fixtures have dual illumination control, providing the 1.5 foot-candle (fc) roadway lighting level for automobiles and can be ramped up to provide 5.0 fc for safe pedestrian access for night events. Closing the roadway to vehicles is performed by the placement of decorative metal bollards in permanent sleeves at the intersection of Festival Drive.

Along with pergolas and jardini???????oeres (the planters seen here), this gold-domed gazebo lends Altamonte?EUR??,,????'?????<
Photo courtesy of Haddonstone Ltd.

Slope Eliminates Pavers

The maintenance costs and long-term viability of the Cranes Roost Blvd. roadway, on the four-percent slope, eliminated pavers as an option. ?EUR??,,????'?????<

The crane logo was sandblasted into the pavement design at the intersections of Uptown Blvd. and Shorecrest Drive. Benches, trash receptacles, decorative pots, bollards, street lights and sign poles were incorporated into the streetscape within the middle section of Uptown Altamonte. The decorative metal archway utilizes metal scrollwork, matching lettering and the city?EUR??,,????'?????<

A lush lakeside garden oasis set in a bustling shopping, office and residential downtown provides the community center Altamonte envisioned. Site furnishings, sculptures and dedication plaques are just a few details that provide continual interest for the visitors. The citizens embrace this space for weddings, daily entertainment, recreation and holidays.

The southern section of Cranes Roost Blvd. provides a lushly-landscaped median, decorative lights and large planter pots filled with colorful plants and flowers, which welcome visitors to the heart of Uptown Altamonte. The palm-lined roadway section clearly separates the public space from the private space, enhancing both with screening hedgerows and healthy shrubs and groundcovers.

The city wanted a landmark and central feature to identify Uptown Altamonte and to provide an additional event space to meet its growing needs. The events plaza was conceived with a central fountain, entablatures, lakeside promenade, overlook and an identity tower.

Meeting friends, family or neighbors to relax at the Eddie Rose Amphitheater for an evening of entertainment improves the quality of life for this community. Uptown Altamonte provides a safe, interesting and easily-accessible environment for visitors to enjoy.

The park?EUR??,,????'?????<

BEFORE: Transforming ideas into reality is the process shown in the two aerial photographs. The intersection ?EUR??,,????'?????<

Encroachment by tree and other plant roots had to be avoided to maintain the integrity of the exfiltration system. The park amenities, sidewalks and lawns had to be designed to allow for access to the exfiltration system?EUR??,,????'?????<

AFTER: Curved entrance signs lettered in gold and backed by 14-foot Canary Island date palms welcome visitors at the boulevard entrance (foreground) to Uptown. Lining the sidewalk with Mexican Washingtonia palms, providing shrubs and annuals and using sculpture-like pots for cascading blooms creates an experience unlike any other in the region.

Blending and hiding these access points was another critical concern addressed by the design team. Landscape and hardscape provide backdrops for sculpture sprinkled throughout the plaza. These elements also create quiet spaces for family or individual enjoyment of the plaza experience. The open design incorporates Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles, making the park a safe place for residents and park users.

The central stone-clad fountain is a state-of-the-art, programmable component. It can create its own show by simply playing a music CD that can be heard over the park?EUR??,,????'?????<

Cast-stone details like the amphitheater?EUR??,,????'?????<
Photo courtesy of Haddonstone Ltd.

Several new park events use this fountain as their focal point.

The promenade and overlook along Cranes Roost Lake create the waterfront feel of the park. The design of the stone-clad steel-sheet pile wall serves a dual purpose. The wall provides stability to the lake edge and for the buried utilities located underneath the promenade.

The design team had to work closely with the city?EUR??,,????'?????<

The signature, 62-foot limestone-clad tower symbolizes the city?EUR??,,????'?????<

The middle section of the tower holds a frieze. This is a sandblasted piece of artwork designed by landscape architect Grace Harrison and produced by a local craftsman. The image on the frieze depicts the natural beauty of the central Florida landscape. At the top of the tower is another locally-produced piece of artwork, three bronze figures representing local, regional and state resources supporting the globe.

Named for the Roman emperor who built a wall across Scotland, this compact cast-stone bench is modeled on Roman sculpted marble furniture. The Hadrian Seat product features a paneled back, scrolled armrests, chimera supports and an egg-and-dart seat top.
Photo courtesy of Haddonstone Ltd.

The End Result

The attention to detail by the landscape architect and contractor created a beautiful and sustainable improvement for the city of Altamonte Springs. Uptown Altamonte proves that creative design can build urban corridors that enhance the community and the natural resources that surround it at the same time.

Wes Hoaglund, Ben Paredes and Denise Wittkofski of GAI Consultants contributed to this article.

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