Orlando Attractions Area News & Developments

[shardoon]

1 hour ago, codypet said:

Was it Sunrail that Paula Dockery pulled that stunt for?  My recollection it was for FLHSR.

She was a pain in the butt for FLHSR, but she did throw more lower grade antics for Sunrail too

[jrs2]

12 hours ago, Ivanhoe said:

You seem to have forgotten that Paula Dockery pulled every trick out of a hat to kill Sunrail and then governor Scott continually delayed state funding for it through legislative delays.  
It was the local counties in bi-partisan measure led largely by Buddy  Dyer who fought tooth and nail against Tea Party Republicans and they eventually won.

I forgot about Dockery. But Dockery was in Tampa.  And if she was GOP, so was Mica, who got Sunrail going for his district. She didn't want that money going to benefit CSX and namely only Orlando while Tampa got left out of the mix. Straight up regionalism.

"Led largely by"- well, Sunrail did need City of Orlando as a partner with its 4 stations. How many total stations are there again?  Dyer did his part, but it was mainly because of Mica and CSX and a Republican governor which made this happen.

But, you don't have to respond to my prior post. I didn't expect a response; only to set the record straight as to who the players are and where peoples' ire should be directed...if anywhere.

[jrs2]

47 minutes ago, jack said:

I am not going to go on a rant about the stupidity of the feds funding state roads, butI-4 was/is a P3 project led by former Governor Scott. Which makes sense that a former CEO dealing with the aftermath of a recession would get creative to deliver a large scale project. DeSantis is in a different situation and remember the guy has never collected a salary that was not paid by the government. Instinctively, he thinks government first. 

...which goes to my comment about why OOCEA was created in the first place.

Look, when the Dems push a cliche activist to fill one of those two seats I posted about, that's ultimately what you get as a result as district rep; not someone that should instead be getting involved in the day to day issues that affect business and commerce (we saw that with Murphy). 

That's his responsibility to push that issue in Tallahassee for his district just like how Mica pushed for Sunrail in Tallahassee in his own district.  He doesn't get a pass which is my point, just so that people can conveniently blanket criticize DeSantis (seen earlier), and now perhaps assume, as here, that the money wasn't spent because of, say, DeSantis' government-first nature.  I mean, did he really red line grade separated Lexus lanes in the Beyond Ultimate proposal, placed on his desk, in that manner, and for those reasons, sending it back to FDOT just for the project to get "Orlandoed"?

[jrs2]

13 hours ago, F-L-A said:

I have no idea how you've already forgotten that he wanted to kill the special district that allows Disney to act as its own quasi-government entity, as political retaliation for them daring to publicly disapprove of his backwards educational bills. If he had succeeded, Orange County would be paying to maintain all Disney infrastructure within the county. We were about to be taxed out the wazoo, and  yes, your governor was perfectly fine with that. He doesn't think anything through, he just acts upon getting his feelings hurt. 

And no one is forcing Disney to commit to the cancelled relocation. You're kidding yourself if you think there's any chance of that happening at this point. He's sent Disney a clear message about how anti-business this state is under his authoritarian rule, his "benefits" be damned. 

Why are you ignoring the posts I placed about Universal's former land use attorney who clearly has stated that he pushed for Universal to form it's own Special District, did a line item of how special districts are supposed to function, contrasted this against how WDW and RCID was not operating in said manner.

Chapek had no business turning Disney into an even a bigger activist group than it already had been. They were bleeding, it got him fired, and they're still bleeding because of all the antics of the Kathleen Kennedys of the world.  And the timing of this was when Comcast (if they were smart) likely strong armed the State if they didn't take action against RCID since they were creating a special district of their own encompassing Epic Universe.  And this is obviously all connected since Disney pulled out of the Brightline plan once Universal donated land for a BL Station within its own newly formed Special District. 

So, who's the one with hurt feelings here?

Oh, and someone or something is forcing Disney to committ to the canceled relocation...Iger cut funding across the board and laid off thousands of workers in many divisions. Did you conveniently forget about that? DeSantis is the last thing on his mind.  Not to mention that there is an attempted takeover of Disney by a major shareholder for a reason- in an attempt to right that ship, stop the bleeding, and protect his and other shareholders' investments.

[shardoon]

14 hours ago, F-L-A said:

I have no idea how you've already forgotten that he wanted to kill the special district that allows Disney to act as its own quasi-government entity, as political retaliation for them daring to publicly disapprove of his backwards educational bills. If he had succeeded, Orange County would be paying to maintain all Disney infrastructure within the county. We were about to be taxed out the wazoo, and  yes, your governor was perfectly fine with that. He doesn't think anything through, he just acts upon getting his feelings hurt. 

And no one is forcing Disney to commit to the cancelled relocation. You're kidding yourself if you think there's any chance of that happening at this point. He's sent Disney a clear message about how anti-business this state is under his authoritarian rule, his "benefits" be damned. 

Um, didn't he succeed.? Where exactly did he state his goal was to saddle Orange county with maintaining all of Disney's roads? His stated goal was to remove a special district that was solely controlled by an outside corporation and create a new one that is not rubber stamped by said corporation. He did that and navigated to not have Orange County on the hook. 

[shardoon]

This is interesting. Two hotels on the East parking lot of Icon totaling 500 rooms with a pedestal parking garage. and approval up to 450 feet. It better not be that high, or else it destroys the Orlando Eye view of Epic. at first glance, one might say that there is no way 500 rooms would have much height..... but when you think of the parking garage pedestal and the small footprint, it certainly can be quite tall. 

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/03/29/new-entertainment-venue-hotels-and-retail-planned-for-icon-park/

Edited March 29 by shardoon

[codypet]

3 hours ago, jack said:

Other way around. 

https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2011/07/01/paula-dockery-has-harsh-words-for-scott-on-sunrail-decision/

Dang.  The memory ain't what it used to be.

3 hours ago, jack said:

Whomever approved these should be thrown off of a bridge. Government waste at its finest. No one care that drivers are entering a special district. 

Its information that's not necessary along the highway. 

[Ivanhoe]

4 hours ago, jrs2 said:

I forgot about Dockery. But Dockery was in Tampa.  And if she was GOP, so was Mica, who got Sunrail going for his district. She didn't want that money going to benefit CSX and namely only Orlando while Tampa got left out of the mix. Straight up regionalism.

"Led largely by"- well, Sunrail did need City of Orlando as a partner with its 4 stations. How many total stations are there again?  Dyer did his part, but it was mainly because of Mica and CSX and a Republican governor which made this happen.

But, you don't have to respond to my prior post. I didn't expect a response; only to set the record straight as to who the players are and where peoples' ire should be directed...if anywhere.

You are so hung up on who is Red or Blue that you forget details. Or maybe you don’t, I wouldn’t know.

For the record, if DeSatan was a Democrat I’d probably be an Independent myself. This statement has nothing to do with what actual party I choose to support — just sayin’

[jrs2]

42 minutes ago, Ivanhoe said:

You are so hung up on who is Red or Blue that you forget details. Or maybe you don’t, I wouldn’t know.

For the record, if DeSatan was a Democrat I’d probably be an Independent myself. This statement has nothing to do with what actual party I choose to support — just sayin’

fair enough.  but look to my Daytona example.  This is why Miami has cleaned everyone's clocks for decades; they've pushed hard for funding for services and infrastructure; just like Mica did.  And, Charlie Crist was governor back then- but he wouldn't have done anything if not for Mica pushing for it- Mica, the local leader.  And that's my point.  It has to start local and then go up from there...and you take the bad with the good- but don't ignore the bad just because you vote the same way.  And that's why I laid it out about Volusia (red) that was gonna get the shaft from the State (red) had they not taken action...  But when the local leader DOESN'T take action to get the State to act, they need to be called out for it.  That's all I'm saying...

And believe it or not, until I learned about the lengths to which Daytona had to go to get that funding, I was floored...a consultant versus they're own representative...wow...

[jrs2]

4 hours ago, shardoon said:

This is interesting. Two hotels on the East parking lot of Icon totaling 500 rooms with a pedestal parking garage. and approval up to 450 feet. It better not be that high, or else it destroys the Orlando Eye view of Epic. at first glance, one might say that there is no way 500 rooms would have much height..... but when you think of the parking garage pedestal and the small footprint, it certainly can be quite tall. 

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/03/29/new-entertainment-venue-hotels-and-retail-planned-for-icon-park/

Okay... a few things going on here.

The first is that Merlin is back in the picture and The Wheel is The Orlando Eye once again, which is good, since it's modeled after the "sister" property, The London Eye...  So, Merlin, who once managed it, now owns it.  It probably frees up Unicorp to devote funds to more projects.  That is a very positive development.  Think about it. Not just regionally with Legoland, but with international marketing of tourists coming to Orlando.  Branding... i.e., what would you rather go to The Adam's Mark (no offense) or The Daytona Hilton? Or, The Florida Hotel or The Adam's Mark Fla Mall?

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/icon-parks-wheel-renamed-orlando-eye-in-merlin-entertainments-purchase-36491873

https://www.inparkmagazine.com/merlin-orlando-eye/  (good article)

The two hotel proposals probably means that the one to the east of the garage along Universal Blvd. must be doing well (Prisa Group hotel).  But, they had tentatively planned on an apartment building on that (those) lot(s) I thought.  They must foresee huge demand because of Epic U.

Slingshot coming down...wow...

Hotel heights- maybe they will be narrow like Society is...and yes, I can see that.  It won't be Finrock garages; they'll be poured and they'll take forever to build.  But I'm happy to see they they are moving along with plans to convert surface parking there.  They can do 20 stories gross without blocking much of the view, wouldn't you think?  Maybe even 30 stories...try to cover up the view of Martin Lockheed...

Edited March 29 by jrs2

[jrs2]

6 hours ago, jack said:

Other way around. 

https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2011/07/01/paula-dockery-has-harsh-words-for-scott-on-sunrail-decision/

 

 

Whomever approved these should be thrown off of a bridge. Government waste at its finest. No one care that drivers are entering a special district. 

I'll concede that it's probably an inside joke way to rub it in... the average person has no clue what it is or means- but Disney sure does.  See? I can be objective...

BTW, I totally forgot about Dockery.  What a terrible total recall moment to have about something or someone...  This was back when on SkyscraperCity there was this huge Tampa versus Orlando mudslinging going on for a few years in a row; I was mortified if it would have culminated in Sunrail being nixed because of her, or Scott, later...

[jrs2]

yes, I did a deep dive: @shardoon

 

[jrs2]

 

[jrs2]

So, I mentioned about Universal and their land use attorney discussing creation of a new special district for Epic Universe.  I tried to find the link I had posted before in the Lake Nona thread.  However, that thread appears to no longer exist.  Nevertheless, for those that didn't see the video in question, or, who ignored it for biased reasons, I found it again and posted it below.  The fact remains, that Comcast/Universal was not about to allow Disney to continue the way they were with RCID when they were investing another $2B+ themselves with this project.  All politics aside as how it relate to talking heads that hold public office, this post deals specifically with Disney's main competitor in Orlando, Universal. 

Universal's influence was seen- right here on these boards- with something as small-time as the Skyplex project; we saw how they influenced  City Hall to contact The County and vote down that proposal initially.  They also riled up the residents of Tangelo Park about that former proposal for a roller coaster theme park just south of Festival Bay/ Deezerland.  What makes people think they wouldn't go to The State with regards to RCID?  You are fooling yourself if you think this was a war being waged by DeSanctus in a vacuum.  Fly to NYC, go to Rockefeller Center, and look up at the former RCA Building and gaze upon that pretty rainbow peacock alongside the name "Comcast" and tell me they would gladly continue to be idle and let Disney/ABC continue having their way in Florida which would directly affect Comcast's bottom line.  If you believe that, then you are making sandwiches without bread.

Volusia hired a consultant to lobby Tallahassee for a simple interchange improvement; you really think Comcast didn't pop literary caps and legalese over RCID's 60 year deal in The Sunshine State over several billion dollars of new investments?   

Famous quote from Watto:  "Mind tricks don't work on me...only money..."  I always tell people to follow the money...

Am I happy Universal spearheaded this?  I have mixed feelings.  But, as the speaker below states, unless The State was willing to give Universal the same deal as Disney, then, they were obligated to restructure RCID and put them on an even playing field.  Re-read the prior sentence. 

 It is what it is, and people probably still can't get over the timing of all this.  That's fine, but, remember, Epic Universe has been u/c since before covid; Brightline was already moving forward with the leg to Tampa via 417 in 2022; Universal & Co. intervened, and, it's proposal for a Brightline stop ala Sunshine Corridor and Disney's refusal to participate and Disney backing out of Lake Nona-- did all occur during the same few month period.  And Universal wouldn't have donated land for a station had it not been part of a special district; and Universal wouldn't have moved forward with its special district in the first place  if The State didn't change RCID.  Add to this Disney's re-hiring of Iger to get them out of the hole Chapek was blamed for, a financial hole which they were already in long before the PRA was enacted in 2022.   

 

[jrs2]

watch the Disney commercial before this video starts (unless it's random).  the theme is "Disney thrills us like..."

I have to say it's brilliant.

Let the batttle continue between these two giants, and may CFLA reap the rewards because of it.

 

[jrs2]

OMG, how cool is this?  The Train/Dragon land show and meet and greet.  I know nothing about this movie series, but, dang, I hear it's a thing:

 

[jrs2]

 

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[jrs2]

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[jrs2]

so, the reason I post other vids on Conrad Hilton is because it is a big deal, in that, it is the latest in line for the five star brands.  It shows that five stars in Orlando weren't a passing fad that failed; rather, that its a continuing evolution of quality hotel development in CFLA that is ongoing.  While high end department stores may have slowed down ala the exit of Lord & Taylor, Saks, & Nordstrom from this market, there was an influx instead of smaller high end chains such as Dior and Louis, and dealerships such as Bentley/ RR and new locations for Porsche and Ferrari. 

But the hotels have been steadily coming, from Ritz/JW back in 2003/04, to the Waldorf/Hilton Signature in 2009ish, to Peabody being absorbed by Hyatt with a new tower, to a Four Seasons on Diz property, to a second JW at Bonnet Creek, ending with Conrad Hilton most recently in early 2024.  These all add to the inventory already here ala Grand Floridian from the early '80's and then Portofino Bay, Grand Bohemian, and Hard Rock from 1999- those wavering between 4-5 star status.

Orlando has had to rise from the ashes like the phoenix because of 911, The Bust, and most recently Covid.  Peabody was a victim, OIA's expansion, and Universal's expansion, because of at least one of these economic downturn events.  Funny, because all three ended up happening anyway- to a point...except delayed.

Another couple of hotels need mention here:  Melia at Celebration, and, The Alfond Inn.  Alfond is the reimagination of what was supposed to have been the Regent Hotel & Residences- the Residences, which, were the first thing to get built, and The Regent, which was cancelled because of The Bust.  But Rollins and Company made sure an upscale hotel was built there regardless.  It's at least a 4 star.

So, that's why I post new vids about tours of Conrad; to show that money things are still coming here.  

[shardoon]

I am interested on some updates regarding Tao, Fairmont, and Nobu. Awfully silent, but maybe an announcement soon? W had some news recently. 

[jrs2]

17 hours ago, shardoon said:

I am interested on some updates regarding Tao, Fairmont, and Nobu. Awfully silent, but maybe an announcement soon? W had some news recently. 

I go to the creek often with a sifter but no gold nuggets yet..

[Alleri459]

Long Post:

Not sure if this would be the appropriate thread, but it is all in the Attractions Corridor. 

A few nights ago on my way home I took a detour and drove around the corridor after noticing the large number of housing and apartment buildings/complexes completed and under construction. It’s pretty impressive, the number of units all these projects will add for a submarket. These below are within the City of Orlando. (Please excuse the the poor quality and lighting in some of these photos, I took these on my phone at night, and I’m posting on my phone m) I will start from the northernmost site and head south. 

Bainbridge The Grande - wedge parcel bordered by Major Blvd, Caravan Ct and Grand National Dr.  5-story wrapped around parking deck.

~ 300-350 units (based on similar scale projects)

Major Blvd looking west towards Grand National Drive

 

 

Liviano Grand National - Large parcel framed by Oak Ridge Rd and out parcels to the north,  Adriana Ave to the west, Altamira Dr to the south and International Drive storefronts to the east. South of the Outlets.

Three 4-story buildings with parking garage and 7-story Townplace Suites by Marriott property. 

~ 300-325 units (based on similar-scale projects). 

Grand Palm Dr looking south

Overlook Ct looking east towards Townplace property.

 

Deseo Grande - retro-fitted southern portion of Dezerland Park(Festival Bay Mall) parking lot. 2 phase: phase 1 completed, phase 2 under construction. 5-story wrapped around parking structure.

365 units (Phase 1)

~365 units (Phase 2 estimation). 730 total.
 

Phase 1 completed.

Looking south, phase 1 on the right, phase 2 under construction on the left.

 

Triton Cay - Carrier Dr and Lakehurst Drive(where the proposed roundabout will be). This has been completed for some time now. 4-story wrapped around parking structure.

346 units.


Carrier Dr and Lakehurst Dr (future roundabout)

*The parcel directly south (Esh Orlando LLC on the map) was fenced and cleared. Likely additional multi family housing since this developer has proposed other multi family housing developments in Metro Orlando.*

*EDIT: The parcel to the south is the second phase of this development, permitted under 'Silver Hill Phase 2" with The City for a total of 511 units, or and additional 165 units. 
 

Bainbridge Universal Sand Lake (under constitution) - SE corner of Carrier Dr and Universal Blvd. Likely 5-story wrapped around parking deck (based on 5-story elevator shafts).

~ 300-350 units (based on similar scale projects)

Looking south from The Pointe Hotel parking lot.

Carrier Dr at the Universal Blvd intersection (stopped at a red light).

Legacy Universal - SW Corner of Carrier Dr and Universal Blvd intersection. This has been completed for sometime now. 

350 units.

Looking east on Carrier Dr, Legacy West to the right. 

I’ll keep this post just for the City of Orlando portion of the Attractions Corridor/North I-Drive since south I-Drive has about the same, or more, number of developments underway and completed. I will be on the look out for more. These are a pretty big deal considering this area severely lacked housing. This area will see up to ~2,500 units total come on the market and within the City. This also doesn’t count the recently completed and under construction properties in Dr Phillips/Turkey Lake Rd.

 

 

Edited April 18 by Alleri459