Crescent Central Station Brings Luxury to Orlando

Crescent Communities opened the first luxury apartment community to be built next to a SunRail station.

By Samantha Goldberg, Associate Editor

Orlando, Fla.—Crescent Communities is livening up downtown Orlando with the opening of Crescent Central Station, Florida’s newest luxury apartment community and one of Central Florida’s first transit-oriented developments (TOD). The community will be the first residential development to be built directly next to a SunRail commuter train station.

CrescentCentralStation1“Crescent Central Station was built on a vision of creating a connected, walkable lifestyle,” Jim Berardinelli, regional director of Florida and Georgia for Crescent Communities’ multifamily group, told MHN. “Its prime location connects residents to all Downtown Orlando has to offer and more. It gives residents unparalleled access to not only convenient mass transit, but also walkable access to exceptional arts, dining, shopping, entertainment and recreational experiences.

The 279-unit residential community will be located in the high-density, urban location at the corner of North Orange Avenue and Amelia Street. The units will be a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedrooms with brownstone-style homes on the ground floor. Features include granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances and USB power outlets.

“More and more people are calling downtown Orlando home, spurring continued investment in our urban core and providing new businesses, restaurants, retail and amenities for our residents,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “These investments, like the new mixed-use Crescent Central Station, are locating here because of the direct access they can provide to transportation and mobility options, further connecting our community to jobs and opportunity.”

In addition to the residential units, Crescent Central Station will feature public spaces including an extension of the public park and bike/walking trail Gertrude’s Walk, a part of the larger Orlando Urban Trail. The community will also have bike storage and the city’s only off-leash public dog park.

Residents will enjoy amenities such as a resort-style pool, a large rooftop terrace with outdoor grilling and dining space, and a sundeck with views of the downtown skyline. They can also partake in individual and group fitness at the community’s two-story fitness center.

Berardinelli added that proximity to mass transit was an important part of the development decision as Millennials today own fewer cars than previous generations and ridership is increasing in most metropolitan areas. “[TOD] is not a fad. The creation of compact, walkable, mixed-use communities centered around high-quality mass transit systems is burgeoning across the nation as a means to create a lower-stress lifestyle without complete dependence on a car and as a solution for traffic congestion,” Berardinelli told MHN.

Crescent Central Station is financed by an equity investment from Crescent Communities and has construction financing from Synovus Bank and Nationwide. Winter Park Construction is the general contractor, Lord Aeck Sargent is the project architect, and GAI is the civil engineer. The community will be managed by Lincoln Property Company.

Images courtesy of Wray Ward