|
OLD ORLANDO RAIL DEPOT
By Rocio Rodriguez
History and Heritage Committee Chair
The Old Orlando Railroad Depot (see Figure 1) was constructed by the South Florida Railroad in 1889 when the town was known for its citrus groves. Located on West Church Street (between S. Garland and S. Orange Ave) in Orlando, the original structure was a small, wooden station built in 1880. The same year, on October 1, the 23-mile-long rail line opened.
As a result of the line, Orlando experienced rapid growth over the next few years. In 1880, the town had about 200 people and four buildings. By 1884, the town had about 1,666 inhabitants and there were 41 businesses. As a result of this expansion, and the region’s citrus industry, the old wooden building was torn down and replaced by the current brick structure in 1889.
Orlando became a central point in Florida for the railway system project that had already been underway connecting railways to various states, towns, and cities up and down the East Coast. This project was originally overseen and run by the Henry Plant Corporation whose job was to expand the railway systems throughout the east coast. Henry Plant acquired the line in 1883 and incorporated it into the Plant System, which was a system of railroads, steamships, and hotels that operated from 1860 to 1902 in South, Central, and Coastal Georgia with lines extending down into Port Tampa and Punta Gorda, Florida. The Plant System was purchased by the Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) Railroad Company in 1902.
As the city grew, the volume of trade and train passengers going through the depot became too much for it to handle. So, in 1926, the ACL moved the depot to the Orlando station, which would become the Orlando Health/Amtrak Station. Church Street Station continued to function as a ticket outlet, but by the 1970s, it was mostly abandoned. In 1972, entrepreneur Bob Snow purchased the station and its surrounding buildings, with plans for a Downtown Orlando shopping and entertainment complex. By 1985, Church Street Station employed 900 people and drew 1.7 million visitors a year, making it the fourth-largest tourist attraction in the state, after the Walt Disney World Resort, SeaWorld Orlando, and Busch Gardens. Snow sold his interest in 1988 and 1989 and the complex began losing revenue in the 1990s. Boy band impresario Lou Pearlman bought the complex in 2002 and eventually became the majority owner. In 2007, Pearlman’s financial troubles triggered a foreclosure lawsuit against Church Street Station, allowing developer Cameron Kuhn to purchase it. The complex was reopened in 2008, adding several new retail stores, restaurants, and nightclubs.
Today, a SunRail commuter train, which began running from this spot in 2014, runs on a platform beside the original historic station. Visiting the Church Street District, which has been a staple of Downtown Orlando for over one hundred years, is an excellent way to experience Orlando outside of the theme parks.
I visited the station and it is empty nowadays, but from the outside, it looks in good condition, with antique decorations on the outside corridors. It’s like looking at a piece of the past within the modern world! (See Figures 2 and 3 below).
The station was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
References:
[1] https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/exhibits/show/railroaddepots/oldorlando
[2] https://orlandoretro.com/2013/04/07/church-street-station-a-c-l-depot-orlando-fl/
|  | Figure 1: The Orlando Rail Depot in 1910 [1] | |
Figure 2: A little piece of the past within the modern world. | |
Figure 3: Antique-looking furniture on the outside corridors of the Rail Depot. | |
ENVIRONMENTAL & WATER RESOURCES INSTITUTE | |
|
TECHNICAL LUNCHEON
Orange County State of the Wetlands Study Luncheon
Date/ Time
Thursday, January 18th, 2024, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Location
Central Florida Expressway Authority - 4974 ORL Tower Road Orlando, FL 32807
Description
Over the past two years, the Orange County Environmental Protection Division has undergone significant efforts to update its wetland protection ordinance (Article X) and associated wetland permitting processes. As part of this effort, the State of the Wetlands (SOTW) Study was completed in 2023 to assess the effectiveness of the County’s current wetland ordinance as well as to provide a scientific basis for directing how Article X should be updated. Tim Hull, PWS, and Katie Bowes, PWS, will be delivering a 50-minute presentation that summarizes the comprehensive scientific evaluation that was performed within the County and the wetland permitting processes that were updated to better protect remaining wetland resources and promote sustainable growth within Orange County. Ten minutes will be reserved after the presentation for Q&A. This session is pending 1.0 PDH approval per ASCE Florida Section.
| |
|
ASCE EWRI x Orange County Environmental Protection Division
Volunteer Service Event
Lake Lucie Clean Up
Time
January 27 2024 - 9 – 11 a.m. (Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m.)
Location
Lake Lucie Conservation Area
43 Rainey Road, Sorrento, FL 32776
Purpose
Volunteers will assist staff with a variety of land management activities to benefit this beautiful Green PLACE property.
If interested, please RSVP by e-mailing Ricky Ly, ASCE EWRI Community Service chair, at ricky.ly@jacobs.com by January 20, 2024. Thank you!
| |
GEO-TECHNICAL ENGINEERING INSTITUTE
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our first event of the year! The UCF Geo-Institute Student Chapter East Central Branch Geo-Institute held a Double Hybrid Seminar featuring a discussion on the Evaluation of Equivalency of Florida Double Liner System and Subtitle D Composite Liners based on Mass Transport and Chemical Compatibility presented by Dr. Jiannan Chen and Data-Centric Geotechnical Engineering by Dr. Weiwei Zhan. Thank you to all who attended!
| Join us a technical tour and presentation featuring Aero Aggregates on Wednesday, January 17th starting at 10:00 AM! $10 registration fee includes 3 PDH credits and lunch will be provided. Closed toe shoes (no heels) are required for tour. | |
|
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING INSTITUTE
| |
We love hearing directly from our members. Check out the survey below and let your voice be heard. | |
|
SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE
The Sustainability Committee’s core mission and function are to organize and facilitate outreach opportunities, allowing the East Central Branch members to stay informed and promote sustainable engineering practices. If this interests you, please reach out to our Committee Chair, Steve Sommerfeldt, and consider attending one of our committee meetings to see what we’re up to. Our next meeting is scheduled for January 30, 2024, from 12 noon to 1 pm via MS Teams.
| |
Want to hear more? Join the Sustainability Committee mailing list today! | |
|
EDUCATION COMMITTEE
(K-12 OUTREACH)
Advance planning for the Creativity Fair to take place at the Odyssey of the Mind State competition March 29, 2024 from noon to 5pm. The committee is in need of people interested in planning and creating exhibitions and activities for students and their families from around the state. ASCE ECB is tasked with creating approximately 20 stations/activities. Please contact Michael Olka at mike.olka@lakecountyfl.gov if you would like to join the planning meeting.
| |
Engineers in the classroom
Timber Lake Elementary February 2 9 – 11 am
If you would like to volunteer for an Engineer in the classroom event, please contact David Schmitt dave.schmitt@dseorl.com
| |
Orlando Science Center – Science Fair Judges
Orlando Science Center is currently seeking judges for their upcoming science competitions season. Their competitions at Orlando Science Center provide opportunities for students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 to showcase their accomplishments and work toward future careers in STEM.
Competition dates and time commitments are as follows:
- Curtis Rising Stars Science Challenge | Grades: Kindergarten-5th
Competition Dates: January 27, 2024 & February 10, 2024
Time: 8:30 am to 1:30 pm
- Lockheed Martin Science Challenge | Grades 6th-12th, 1st Place Science Fair Winners
Display and Safety Night: March 1, 2024, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Competition Day: March 2, 2024, from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
- Curtis Kinetic Science Competition | Grades 6th-8th
Competition Day: April 13, 2024
Time: 8:00 am to 1:00 pm
If you are interested in volunteering as a judge for any competition, please complete the google form linked below. More specific information about each competition can be found on the Orlando Science Center website https://www.osc.org/learn/competitions/.
| |
Odyssey of the Mind – Magic Region
Judges Training for Odyssey of the Mind January 27, 8am- 2pm at Tohopekaliga High School if you would like to register to be a judge, please contact Anna Long at Along@deanmead.com.
Magic Region Tournament February 10, 2024 at Tohopekaliga High School
| |
SECME
SECME Regional Competition will be held Saturday, February 10, 2024 at UCF, if you would like to register to be a judge please contact Mike Olka.
ASCE Bridge Florida
The ASCE Bridge Florida competition will be occurring again this Spring. Stay tuned for more information!
MATHCOUNTS
MATHCOUNTS is always looking for volunteers. The Central Florida Chapter Competition will be held on Saturday, February 24, 2024, at Edgewater High School. The State Competition will be held in Orlando on Saturday, March 29, 2024. If you are interested in volunteering and would like more information or if you have any questions, please contact Stehpanie Shealey at sshealey@kittelson.com.
| |
Future Events
February is full of STEM events, if you are interested in advance notice of these events, please contact Michael Olka at mike.olka@lakecountyfl.gov.
| ASCE putting civil engineering back on the big screen with Cities of the Future film | The film is to be released in February 2024 | If you have any questions, or comments about K-12 Outreach or would like to join the committee, please contact Michael Olka mike.olka@lakecountyfl.gov | |
February 18-24, 2024
The ECB E-Week committee has been working with other engineering societies such as WTS, FES, SWE, and ASHE as well as SMPS to plan joint E-Week events. Below is a list of planned events.
· Formal Dinner with awards ceremony – February 24, 2024 at the DoubleTree by Hilton
· Engineers in the Classroom – Osceola County Public School, TBD
· Panel Discussion with UCF Student Chapters of ASCE and SWE February 20, 2024
· Panel Discussion with ERAU Student Chapters of ASCE TBD
· Future Cities Film showing at Orlando Science Center – still working out dates of film with OSC.
| |
Become a Sponsor Today!
- Bronze: $1,000
- Silver: $1,500
- Gold: $2,000
| If you have any questions, or comments about E-Week or would like to join the committee, please contact Michael Olka mike.olka@hotmail.com | |
YOUNGER MEMBER FORUM
The goal of the ASCE Younger Member Forum (YMF) is to promote professional development among young engineers. YMF hopes you will join us for some of our upcoming events in the new year.
| Join YMF for a joint event with UCF students at Congo River Golf on January 16th. | Join YMF on a tour of FDOT D5 Regional Transportation Management Center on January 18th. PDHs available! | Join YMF for our 2024 winter kickball league. Register before January 19th. | Join YMF for an online lunch and learn on February 7th. All proceeds will benefit Engineers Without Borders Guatemala Water Supply Project. | Save the date for an upcoming event to watch the Magic take on Oklahoma City at the Kia Center. Registration opening soon. | |
Recap
The YMF officers got together to celebrate the holidays together. We hope everyone had a great holiday and got a chance to spend time with family and friends.
|  |  |  |  | |
SAVING THE DAY, PAVING THE WAY
Support ASCE Florida Section's Unprecedented Hosting
of the 2024 ASCE Southeast Student Symposium
We're thrilled to announce the 2024 ASCE Southeast Student Symposium, hosted by the ASCE Florida Section. This dynamic event will showcase the incredible talent and innovative spirit of over 600 collegiate civil engineering students from 19 esteemed universities across Florida, Georgia, and Puerto Rico. Beyond the competitions and academic showcases, this event is an unmatched platform for businesses to gain visibility and directly connect with the future trailblazers of engineering. And here's where you come in: We invite you to be part of this transformative experience by becoming a sponsor. By sponsoring, you're not just placing your brand at the forefront, but you're also investing in the next generation of engineering talent. Plus, with our tax-deductible benefits as a 501c3, and a range of sponsorship tiers tailored to your needs, there's an opportunity for every business to contribute. Let's drive innovation and nurture potential, together. Dive in, and let's make waves in the world of engineering!
| |
January Update
Members were able to reflect on a successful semester and focus on finals during the month of December. After finals, we were able to host a paintball social for our section’s mentees and mentors. This was a great event for mentees to hang out with other mentors and to celebrate the end of the semester with some fun paintball. Additionally, conference captains have been meeting with their teams over winter break to research, discuss, practice, and prepare to obtain the best results at the conference.
|  |  | |
Senior Highway Engineer
KCG Transportation Services (KCGTS) is currently seeking a professional with the skills and passion to excel within their areas of expertise and a desire to experience notable career advancement within our company. If you have a desire to serve clients with excellence, innovation, and responsiveness and you aspire to grow into project management and/or chief engineer roles – we are looking for you!
KCGTS has immediate openings for a skilled and motivated Senior Highway Engineer with FDOT roadway design experience. This position involves hands-on design and the ability to work well within a team environment.
The successful candidate will be responsible for the following:
Perform design and plan development tasks for transportation-related projects from preliminary to final design. Develop specifications, and cost estimates, and prepare final bid packages. Participate in project decisions regarding technical approach, budget, and schedule. Interact with colleagues and clients to ensure successful project delivery. Engage in business development activities. Experience working on FDOT projects is required. We seek an individual who is motivated to learn, grow, and seek out new project responsibilities.
Job Requirements
Minimum 10 years of highway project engineering experience. Experience should include the development of FDOT construction plans for highway projects.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering.
- Registered Professional Engineer in Florida.
- Experience working on FDOT projects is required (and with District 5 a plus).
- Experience with MicroStation and Geopak is required.
- Experience with OpenRoads is also valuable.
- Drainage design and permitting experience is a plus.
- Experience in business development a plus – client engagement, LOR’s, Interviews/ presentations, negotiations.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Our success is created by our people. If you have the drive and experience it takes to achieve design excellence and exceptional project performance – contact us. We are seeking an innovative and motivated professional to join our dynamic team.
Interested applicants should send a resume along with a brief cover letter to Frank Caruso, PE, fecaruso@kcgcorp.com
|
ROADWAY DESIGNER II
Job Details
Posting Number: 23-12-15-3266
Pay Grade: 22N (Salary: $26.12 - $41.51 per hour)
Agency / Dept. / Office: Public Works - Engineering - Design Engineering
Closing Date: Open Until Filled
Job Summary
The essential functions of the position include writing legal descriptions, reviewing legal descriptions, entering and maintaining property information in GIS for the Right of Way Section, performing property vacations, assisting with property title reviews, and assisting with property acquisition. The position is responsible for creating maps and GIS solutions for resolving business/operational problems, collecting and maintaining GIS data, troubleshooting technical problems, providing professional customer service at all times, and performing related work as assigned. The position is also responsible to acquire right-of-way (ROW) through donation or purchase for road construction operations, stormwater, trails and other projects of the Public Works Department.
May be required to assist with emergency support functions in the event of a declared emergency and/or any other emergency duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
Any equivalent combination of education, training and experience may be considered. Requires an Associate’s degree in civil or transportation engineering, urban planning or a closely related field with four years of related experience or six years experience in Stormwater Design and Road Design.
Requires a valid Florida driver’s license. AutoCAD certification preferred.
Apply HERE
|  | | | | |
