Bob Carr

At a Creative Village Project update today developer Craig Ustler mentioned that he hopes to incorporate the bones of the current Bob Carr Performing Arts Center into the Creative Village Project.

The building will be unoccupied once the new Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center is complete and will become part of the Creative Village Project.

Ustler mentioned that the goal would be to keep the historical elements of the building, but the decision on what to do with the building will be driven by what the community wants.

“The CV team is studying adaptive re-use of the Bob Carr in some fashion. From an urban design standpoint, and with our desire to build a meaningful and authentic community, through many various stakeholders we have consistently heard that retaining and re-using historically significant structures like the Bob Carr leads to good place-making and helps foster great neighborhoods,” Ustler told Bungalower.

The original Orlando Municipal Auditorium was built in 1926. It was modernized and expanded in the 70’s and 90’s.

Orlando Municipal Auditorium

“Also, from a personal standpoint, given my family history and deep roots in Orlando, I am interested in recognizing the city’s history,” he added.

Ustler pointed out that adaptive re-use projects like this are common in most, if not all, of the top creative class cities like San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Austin, Brooklyn and Boston.

What would you want to see the building used as in the Creative Village Project?

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7 Comments

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  1. If they keep the building and remove the added glass façade, I would be happy with however they repurpose it.  I am so happy to hear keeping the building around is in the plans.

  2. yes it would be nice to see a 1926 building under all that. no, I had no idea it was even there. something else to talk to my grandparents about. What a terrible “addition”! The 70’s cared even less about historical preservation than we do now.

  3. A part of that building is from 1926? I’m speechless. I would be very happy to see the ugly 70’s stuff around it torn off to reveal that.

  4. Hi Jeannette, Thanks for reading and commenting. I don’t think he has any say over a project that isn’t his. I’m just glad they are open to saving this building. Also, I added a photo of the 1926 building which is the historic bones he’s talking about saving…not necessarily the modern additions.

  5. if I could have a conversation with Mr. Ustler I would like to say, as someone who also has deep roots in Orlando I’m not happy with the plans to keep this cramped generic looking building around while the city is set on selling/demo the beautiful mid-century modernist police headquarters to the Orlando Magic. Historical preservation and the notion of “community significance” is a joke around here. if something isn’t sitting on valuable land that is the only reason it sticks around.