ORLANDO, Fla. — One of the early pioneers of our tourism industry has passed away.
▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS
The founder of Church Street Station, Bob Snow, died Friday at the age of 82 after a fall at his home.
Channel Nine’s Greg Warmoth had Snow in the studios for a taping of Central Florida Spotlight and looked back at the life and legacy of a man who recognized the potential of downtown Orlando. Bob Snow was both a dreamer and a doer.
WATCH: Central Florida Spotlight: Bob Snow
Warmoth reflected on his own experiences at Church Street Station “I mean, they were shoulder to shoulder down there!” Snow said. “Yeah, they were. We had 650 employees and we had the Good Time Gang.”
The “Good Time Gang” was a nickname once given to employees of Church Street Station.
In December 2024, Snow reflected on the day he first saw Church Street - as a possible hot spot.
He described the area, saying, “I looked in the windows, and it was Bumby Hardware and the Rosie O’Grady building and Apple Annies and Finneas Fog building. it was run down, and it was a Salvation Army and the Bumby Hardware and it was derelict”
Located in the old Leon Building next to Rosie O’Grady’s Goodtime Emporium, Apple Annie’s opened in July 1976 as part of the second phase of Church Street Station’s development. According to the Orange County Regional History Center, it helped transform downtown Orando’s reputation as a daytime and business destination.
What followed were decades of success; it became a must-visit destination for tourists, right behind Disney World and SeaWorld.
Snow ultimately sold the area in 1990 to Constellation Holdings.
The last Dixieland show at Rosie O’Grady’s in Orlando was in 2001, and today the building is a restaurant.
Reflecting on the success of Church Street Station, Snow remarked, “We had it going. We had it going.”
He didn’t blame the new owners for changes that followed but instead attributed them to a new vision for downtown Orlando that emphasized more bars, which led to problems like increased violence and fewer visitors.
Snow reflected, “Do you have something you wish you could just turn the hands of time back and do it one more time? Well flying with Col. Joe Kittinger and the balloons and the skywriting and do it one more time.”
Those who knew him may find some comfort in knowing that he’s back in the skies with his friend, Col. Joe Kittinger, flying high again after leaving a lasting mark on Orlando and millions of lives.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2025 Cox Media Group
