Update 11/21/19 – The self-storage project developed by Titan on Primrose Drive in Orlando is now open. The three-story facility is managed by self-storage real estate investment trust Extra Space Storage and branded under its name.

Plans to expand that location were foiled earlier this month when a new developer came forward to take over the front half of Colonial Bowling Lanes parcel, preventing the self-storage operator from claiming the additional space, according to a source.

City officials approved the site for mixed-use project in October 2018, preserving the bowling alley so it might be restored by another party. Developer Phil Rampy had originally planned to convert that portion of the land into an “upscale entertainment complex,” but backed out last summer after determining the renovation costs were too high, a source reported.

Giovanni and Elise Fernandez, owners of National Real Estate, now have that parcel under contract. The couple plan to preserve the bowling lanes and add modern elements, a source reported.

11/21/17 – The municipal planning board unanimously recommended the Titan self-storage project for approval last month, with several conditions. Plans for what will now be a three-story structure will be examined by city staff during an appearance-review meeting to ensure the requested revisions and additions are being met, according to the source.

Titan will be required to build a sidewalk along Primrose Drive as part of phase-one construction, and the building design must fit aesthetically within the character of the Milk District neighborhood. Planners also added a post-demolition condition that an unused portion of the 2.46-acre site include grass and sod. Titan must get rid of the recycling-donation bins onsite and completely remove an existing foundation on the vacant section of the property, the source reported.

After the public hearing, an appeal notice was filed by someone who spoke in opposition to the project. The appeal was lifted after Titan agreed to install cross-hatched markings in the Primrose right of way as a safety measure to protect pedestrian traffic between a nearby charter school and the new sidewalk.

Planners recommended project approval despite several residents objecting to the plan. Voiced concerns included the potential for criminal activity at the site and the safety of students walking through the area to school, according to the source.

8/7/17 – Real estate company Titan Properties Inc. is seeking approval to convert a bowling alley in Orlando, Fla., into a four-story Primrose Self-Storage facility. The property at 400 N. Primrose Drive, which has housed Colonial Bowling Lands for the past 30 years, would also feature ground-floor retail. The project would involve dividing the lot into two parcels, with the second being developed at a later date, according to the source.

Designed by architectural firm Keesee Associates, the facility is still in the early planning stages, the source reported. A public hearing to discuss the project has yet to be set.

Extra Space Storage Inc., a self-storage real estate investment company (REIT), was also included in the application for the conditional-use permit, according to the source. It’s unclear how the REIT is involved in the project.

Based in Winter Garden, Fla., Titan specializes in commercial, office and retail brokerage.

Sources:
Bungalower: Titan Primrose Self Storage Recommended for Approval on Colonial Bowling Lanes Property
Bungalower: Developer Looking to Replace Colonial Lanes With Self-Storage Facility
Bungalower, Hourglass Developer Swoops in to Save Colonial Lanes
Bungalower, Colonial Lanes to Remain a Bowling Alley, Sort of