Orlando Attractions Area News & Developments

[IAmFloridaBorn]

18 hours ago, jrs2 said:

That would be great.  Within the past few years, they built a new interchange in St. Cloud and more recently in Clermont.  When is it planned for?

 

1 hour ago, codypet said:

Looks like 2022 based on this. SLR/TPK

This is going to be awesome once it is completed. That John Young Sand Lake interchange like the one built in Cassellberry few years ago is going to improve the flow of traffic on both roads.
Throw in a connection from the Turnpike, it will hopefully help the OBT/528/Turnpike traffic issues as well since it is the only connection between there and I/4.

[jrs2]

Ok, so here is the new helicopter ride facility in that Brazilian owned plaza between Grand National & Municipal Drive on I-Drive.  I flew a recon sortie last night and have a few more photos of current projects in the attractions area.

Edited February 19, 2018 by jrs2

[jrs2]

So, here is the parking deck that Megastrom said they'd build with recently completed Bldg. 2 behind it along Grand National Dr.  This is a view looking south.

And this is a view looking north with the crane of the garage behind Bldg.2

Edited February 19, 2018 by jrs2

[Boomer136]

^Will it feature the character "Brazilian Helicopter Pilot" from Inside Out? "Come fly with me gatinha."

[jrs2]

I thought about jumping that fence right near Charlie's Steak House, I did, but it was too tall.  Here's the Starflyer staging area at I-Drive 360.  Looks like they are preparing to go vertical with what appear to be a whole bunch of vertical shaft parts.  I say Shaft because he's one bad mutha- shut yo mouth!

[jrs2]

I know this ain't sexy, but this is the back of that hotel at the North I-Drive curve right past Municipal Drive that was stalled for two years or so.  I'm right in front of the Nascar Kart Racing place a block behind I-Drive, looking NE.  I think Hash House A Go Go is in front of it along I-Drive.  It's south of Artegon on the same side of the road.

Thank God this wasn't abandoned.

Edited February 19, 2018 by jrs2

[tc01]

Nice update

[jrs2]

Aventura Tower...

[spenser1058]

Apartments and/or hotels at Artegon?

New Artegon developer says more than just fun center coming
http://bit.ly/2GPPpSa

From the Sentinel

[IAmFloridaBorn]

2 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Apartments and/or hotels at Artegon?

New Artegon developer says more than just fun center coming
http://bit.ly/2GPPpSa

From the Sentinel

I just don't get 'Successful' from this kind of plan. Wish Someone would do something different.

[jrs2]

On 3/1/2018 at 1:03 AM, IAmFloridaBorn said:

I just don't get 'Successful' from this kind of plan. Wish Someone would do something different.

I think they are trying to diversify the revenue sources from that property/ building.  

I’ve always thought bringing residential into the I-Drive corridor would be key to making it a live work play part of Orlando, unique compared to the Diz.  But I was thinking apartments along the lines of what’s at Millenia.  There are condos on the back side of the Wet n Wild property, but that’s about it.  The logic is similar to what you see in Midtown Manhattan; theatres, other entertainment, hotels, condos, apartments, office, eateries, etc...  I-Drive is very residential right up to the border with Sea World and not much more north of that.

The only way Artegon would be successful is if Premium Outlets absorbed it into their development with more outlets located there, with a skywalk across I-drive connecting the two, with parking decks incorporated as well.  Also, more chain eateries that attract people.

[IAmFloridaBorn]

4 hours ago, jrs2 said:

I think they are trying to diversify the revenue sources from that property/ building.  

 

The only way Artegon would be successful is if Premium Outlets absorbed it into their development with more outlets located there, with a skywalk across I-drive connecting the two, with parking decks incorporated as well.  Also, more chain eateries that attract people.

As my thinking. I actually though whoever own Premium would have purchased the property. It's big enough to make it a huge Live,Work,Play. There is also land to the south or Artegon to play with i believe (Unless it has been sold off)

[jrs2]

9 hours ago, IAmFloridaBorn said:

As my thinking. I actually though whoever own Premium would have purchased the property. It's big enough to make it a huge Live,Work,Play. There is also land to the south or Artegon to play with i believe (Unless it has been sold off)

Yeah...that was the land I thought Universal was going to purchase along with Artegon a couple years back...

[bqknight]

On 3/4/2018 at 11:10 PM, jrs2 said:

Yeah...that was the land I thought Universal was going to purchase along with Artegon a couple years back...

Apartments there aren't too far-fetched. I would never live there but some people would I guess. There's apartments within walking distance from there now. It's pretty much "Millenia" area. 

[spenser1058]

https://m.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2018/03/05/starflyer-orlandos-newest-thrill-ride-will-open-this-may

We have an opening date in May for the Starflyer, says UPer Ken Storey at Orlando Weekly. For all you boys and girls with a height fetish, it will be 425' tall (16' shorter than SunTrust.)

 

Edited March 6, 2018 by spenser1058

[jrs2]

17 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

https://m.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2018/03/05/starflyer-orlandos-newest-thrill-ride-will-open-this-may

We have an opening date in May for the Starflyer, says UPer Ken Storey at Orlando Weekly. For all you boys and girls with a height fetish, it will be 425' tall (16' shorter than SunTrust.

 

I have a serious incurable height fetish.  But I will never ride this thing. 

Funny, though, they have a bar at the base.  Now work with me on this...you go to the bar, drink more than you can handle, then spin at 400' high...  Any takers on hanging out anywhere within a couple hundred feet of this thing?  

[HankStrong]

I can't wait to try the Starflyer.

[jrs2]

7 hours ago, HankStrong said:

I can't wait to try the Starflyer.

I'll be on The Eye watching you spin around and around from the safety of my glass and steel capsule.

Edited March 7, 2018 by jrs2

[jrs2]

On 3/7/2018 at 8:12 AM, HankStrong said:

I can't wait to try the Starflyer.

Your wait may be over sooner than later...

[smileguy]

10 hours ago, jrs2 said:

Your wait may be over sooner than later..

This literally materialized out of nothing. I can't trust it. 

[dcluley98]

It's some sort of sorcery, I tell you!  I think my knuckles got white just seeing those images posted. 

Edited March 12, 2018 by dcluley98

[jrs2]

3 hours ago, dcluley98 said:

It's some sort of sorcery, I tell you!  I think my knuckles got white just seeing those images posted. 

you should've seen me quenching my incurable height fetish at the top of the I-Drive 360 garage like some perv with a camera.  "Yeah, baby, you give great height!"

[jrs2]

What's intriguing to me is that Starflyer isn't just a new attraction in a vacuum.  They are redeveloping that whole parcel, which includes the new bricked drive with wide sidewalks with planters, all the way to Charlie's, and west to I-Drive.  That being said, it looks like they are going to have surface parking adjacent to the Starflyer building based on how they paved out those border walkways.

I think that plaza's days are numbered because the next thing to get built I believe is the hotel that Prisa Group is partnering with Unicorp to build where McFadden's currently is.  Prisa is currently finishing up the dual brand hotel at Millennia.

Edited March 12, 2018 by jrs2

[aent]

58 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

What's intriguing to me is that Starflyer isn't just a new attraction in a vacuum.  They are redeveloping that whole parcel, which includes the new bricked drive with wide sidewalks with planters, all the way to Charlie's, and west to I-Drive.  That being said, it looks like they are going to have surface parking adjacent to the Starflyer building based on how they paved out those border walkways.

I think that plaza's days are numbered because the next thing to get built I believe is the hotel that Prisa Group is partnering with Unicorp to build where McFadden's currently is.  Prisa is currently finishing up the dual brand hotel at Millennia.

I heard a while back that Unicorp was trying to get Charley's steakhouse to move into the first floor of a hotel on site (which they refused at the time I heard it), and the plan was to demolish the plaza west of the Kings bowling/entertainment center, which makes sense, since Kings is fairly nice and would fit in, and was done not THAT long ago. Unicorp doesn't own the Sleuth's Mystery dinner show building along with their portion of the parking lot, so that half of the building likely will remain. The road is supposed to connect to the through section of the parking lot at Wyndham.

Edited March 12, 2018 by aent

[jrs2]

1 hour ago, aent said:

I heard a while back that Unicorp was trying to get Charley's steakhouse to move into the first floor of a hotel on site (which they refused at the time I heard it), and the plan was to demolish the plaza west of the Kings bowling/entertainment center, which makes sense, since Kings is fairly nice and would fit in, and was done not THAT long ago. Unicorp doesn't own the Sleuth's Mystery dinner show building along with their portion of the parking lot, so that half of the building likely will remain. The road is supposed to connect to the through section of the parking lot at Wyndham.

No kidding...I didn't know that about the road continuing straight through to Wyndham property.   

So, assumingly, it's the Prisa Group hotel going at McFadden's they were talking about.  Unless there is another proposal for property fronting I-Drive.  But, for Charley's, they would lose I-Drive frontage if they moved back to Universal Blvd.  Yeah, Kings Bowl is fairly new and nice. 

I just don't get what the actual footprint will be of the Prisa Group hotel at the McFadden's site.