Top ten things you need to know this week for September 22, 2014

Here’s our rundown of the top ten things you need to know this week in Downtown Orlando area news. Sponsored by Olde Town Brokers.

1. Orlando votes to raise property tax rate 17.7 percent. The property tax hike will put the average property tax bill at the same amount it was in 2009.
2. Workers begin demolishing round building downtown. The demolition started last week with the removal of the brise soleil panels. The demolition is expected to take two to three weeks.
3. Orlando Magic to install temporary Mag_c display around downtown. The display will start at Lake Eola and end up outside the Amway Center.
4. Soco in Thornton Park opens in former HUE space. The new restaurant combines southern and contemporary. You can checkout our photo tour of the new space.
5. SunRail ridership fell for August. FDOT says it could be a counting issue but either way Mike Lafferty says, don’t fret about SunRail’s declining numbers
6. RusTeak Restaurant & Wine Bar to open in former O-Town Pizza location in College Park. They were set to go into the former Hangar space, but now they have purchased the old O-Town Pizza building.
7. Third Thursday downtown offering food, culture, tech and more. The organizations who put on the gallery hop, tech meetup and the Taste of Church Street have teamed up to market the third Thursday as the day to head downtown.
8. Trend Studios to open in the Church Street Exchange building. They will help fill up the Exchange building along with the juice bar, coffee shop, code bootcamp and rooftop garden.
9. Two restaurant reviews to pass along…Scott Joseph tries out Kappo at East End Market and Tasty Chomps photoblogs Lam’s Garden in Mills 50.
10. Bar wise the Pulse of Central Florida tries out a Bungalower favorite, the Thirsty Topher in Ivanhoe Village and Orlando Culture Shock stops in at St. Mathew’s Tavern in Mills 50.

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