Fresh face, high hopes for south of downtown Orlando

Mark Chediak | Sentinel Staff Writer SoDo - a 22-acre place to shop, work, live and play just south of downtown Orlando -- opened last week with optimism about the future despite the struggling economy. Analysts say the project may take awhile to get off the ground fully, a sentiment echoed by at least one nearby resident who visited the center last week. "We thought it looked very nice," said Liz Gresosky, who lives in the Waterwitch Cove neighborhood. "It has a lot of promise. Unfortunately, it will be kind of slow-going now, with the financial turmoil." The $100 million project between Crystal Lake and Grant streets off South Orange Avenue has been called a key pillar in the revitalization of the city's urban core. So far, just two stores have opened. Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan, who represents the district... [read full story]