Mixed-Use High-Rise Gets Redesigned For 924 And 934 North Magnolia Avenue In Downtown Orlando

A new design has been unveiled for a planned 17-story mixed-use high-rise development at 924 and 934 North Magnolia Avenue in Downtown Orlando’s North Quarter District. Developed by Acram Group and designed by Baker Barrios, the proposal would replace two three-story office buildings constructed in 1972 with a 350-unit residential development featuring approximately 3,300 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, an integrated 8.5-level parking garage with 510 spaces, and 13,000 square feet of resident lobby and amenity space. The redesigned plans were recently presented to the City of Orlando’s Appearance Review Board for a courtesy review

Acram Group acquired the 1.564-acre property for approximately $6.7 million in 2021. The site occupies the southwest corner of North Magnolia Avenue and Weber Street and currently contains approximately 36,000 square feet of office space across two existing buildings, along with a large surface parking lot. The existing structures and parking area would be demolished as part of the redevelopment.

Credit: Baker Barrios

Credit: Baker Barrios

YIMBY last covered the project in August 2022 when conceptual renderings of the original 20-story proposal were released. Since then, the development has undergone a comprehensive architectural redesign that replaces the previous contemporary composition with a more contextual design inspired by Downtown Orlando’s historic architectural character. Rather than treating the podium, tower, and crown as separate elements, the building is organized around a continuous structural rhythm that extends from Magnolia Avenue to the skyline. The design begins with a textured masonry base intended to establish a stronger pedestrian presence along Magnolia Avenue before transitioning into repeating vertical bays, recessed balconies, and expanding areas of glazing that gradually lighten the tower toward a refined architectural crown.

The redesign rethinks how the building engages the public realm. Organized as a sequence from Magnolia Avenue toward a shared interior courtyard, the development is intended to connect the activity of the street with the residential spaces beyond. Ground-floor retail anchors the prominent southeast corner at Magnolia Avenue and Pasadena Place, while the residential lobby maintains direct sightlines through the building to the central courtyard. Along Magnolia Avenue, oversized antique brass arches frame the lobby, retail storefronts, and upper-level windows, complementing a podium clad in tan brick and raked stucco. Together, these elements create a warmer and more articulated street presence than the previous design.

Credit: Baker Barrios

Credit: Baker Barrios

The revised site plan also reshapes the development’s relationship to the surrounding streets. The residential count has been reduced from 386 apartments to 350 units, while the previously proposed live-work residences along Weber Street have been replaced with townhouse-style homes featuring front stoops overlooking the Orlando Urban Trail. At the northwest corner of Magnolia Avenue and Weber Street, the building is recessed to create a publicly accessible plaza that extends the pedestrian experience into the site.

Vehicular access has been consolidated along Pasadena Place, where residents, service vehicles, and deliveries enter the integrated parking garage, allowing Magnolia Avenue to remain focused on pedestrians and active ground-floor uses. The garage is positioned behind the residential tower and partially screened by the building mass, while the central courtyard functions as a shared amenity space framed by residential units and indoor amenities. Immediately south of the site, across Pasadena Place, sits the Marks Street Senior Center, originally constructed as Marks Street Elementary School in 1925 and designated as a City of Orlando Historic Landmark.

Credit: Baker Barrios

Credit: Baker Barrios

Some of the application documents were difficult to read due to their low resolution, making the exact building height difficult to confirm, but based on the available diagrams, the tower appears to rise to approximately 180 to 191 feet.

Credit: Baker Barrios

During the courtesy review, Appearance Review Board staff generally supported the revised architectural direction while recommending additional refinement before a final review. Staff encouraged further articulation of the parking garage, additional development of the public plaza, and greater emphasis on the rooftop architecture to create a more distinctive skyline profile. The review also called for streetscape improvements along Magnolia Avenue and Weber Street, including wider pedestrian areas, street trees, and the underground relocation of existing overhead utility lines.

Previous design for.a 20-story tower at 924 and 934 North Magnolia Avenue. Credit: Baker Barrios

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