Orlando’s Municipal Planning Board voted 6-1 to approve a Planned Development amendment for a proposed 37-story mixed-use tower at 170 East Washington Street in Downtown Orlando. The 425-foot-tall development is designed by Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design and would rise on a 0.63-acre site across from Lake Eola Park. Plans call for 252 branded residential units, a 221-room luxury hotel, a three-story signature restaurant, and structured parking.
The amendment revises a previously approved development program for a seven-story, 155-key Cambria Suites hotel. The prior approval allowed a maximum height of 100 feet, while the amended plan permits a tower rising up to 425 feet, placing it near the height of The VUE at Lake Eola and the Orange County Courthouse.
Credit: Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design.
The development would include separate lobbies and elevator systems for hotel guests and residents. Hotel amenities are planned above the six-level parking garage, while residential amenities would be located on the 19th floor. The submitted plans show a restaurant component at the ground level facing Lake Eola Park, with no meeting or event space included in the hotel program.
The proposal drew objections from representatives of the adjacent St. George Orthodox Church and residents of the neighboring Metropolitan at Lake Eola condominiums. Concerns focused on the tower’s scale, its proximity to the historic church, and potential construction impacts on the church structure and stained-glass windows.
Credit: Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design.
Credit: Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design.
City planning staff recommended approval with 30 conditions, including a requirement intended to reduce construction-related vibrations near the church. The condition calls for an alternative foundation installation method instead of traditional pile driving, with the final construction approach subject to further city review.
The design includes revisions intended to reduce the tower’s visual impact on the church, including a recessed southeast corner and portions of the parking podium. The podium would contain parking and service functions, with the tower rising above in a rounded, horizontally banded form with glazing and stucco elements.
The project now advances to City Council consideration of the Municipal Planning Board minutes. Additional steps include Administrative Master Plan approval, formal Appearance Review Board review, and building permit applications before construction can begin.
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