Orlando Attractions Area News & Developments

[JRS1]

Tourist board approves resort tax hike

Orange County's Tourist Development Council voted 6 to 1 Thursday, with hotelier Harris Rosen opposing, to recommend to the Board of County Commissioners an additional sixth cent of resort tax.

Orlando Business Journal Article

Rosen opposed! that is priceless!

[JRS1]

Bella Vista is the development across Floridays Resort on I-Drive.

[JRS1]

LBV Resort & Spa--- Bldg#3---- its on the 11th floor right now, and if you are heading down I-Drive past Orl. Premium Outlets towards 536, it look massive lumbering above the trees. I can imagine the view from 417.

Floridays--- all 6 bldgs. look finished and ugly, I might add. I dislike the color.

Blue Heron#2--- they are already on floor 3-4. this will be like 23 stories; much taller than tower#1. The color sucks, but, with multiple towers, it might look better...not. I have to admit, I never thought this would ever get built.

Marriott World Center-- there are cranes on or adjacent to its property doing something. Is this San Marco?

Regency--- next to Dixie Stampede-- they've got it seems the foundation footprint in place with blocks. this is supposed to be 12 stories. are they just going to stack concrete blocks that high? there's no cranes.

Westin Imagine-- almost all the first floor pylons or supports are in place for the tower. exciting.

Vista Cay-- still building new bldgs. I think they are going to leave the retail center for last.

Shingle Creek-- looks done.

Reunion Grande-- topped off

Sheraton timeshare near Floridays--- still building new bldgs. straddling I-drive to the south of the entrance.

Aquatica-- fenced off

Hilton Vacation Club-- Orl. Prem. Outlets-- building tower#6

Point Orlando-- still renovating it.

The Point condos-- stakes are in the ground, tractors, trailers, etc...

any other updates, please add 'em in.

[demon]

The only ones I see on a consistent basis are Point Orlando & Veranda Park. Not much looks different on either fo those.

I wouldn't mind seeing pictures of The Welesly in College Park.

[bulldogger]

The only ones I see on a consistent basis are Point Orlando & Veranda Park. Not much looks different on either fo those.

I wouldn't mind seeing pictures of The Welesly in College Park.

I don't have any pictures, but the Wellesley is starting to look really good. I like the stone work at the base of the building.

[SMR17]

Marriott World Center-- there are cranes on or adjacent to its property doing something. Is this San Marco?

That wasn't WorldQuest was it? That's the only resort I didn't see on your list that under construction. I know the first phase is 99% completed-they should start closing on those units-if they haven't lately. I haven't heard of the second phase starting construction yet-maybe that's it?

[JRS1]

That wasn't WorldQuest was it? That's the only resort I didn't see on your list that under construction. I know the first phase is 99% completed-they should start closing on those units-if they haven't lately. I haven't heard of the second phase starting construction yet-maybe that's it?

No, I think Worldquest is on the south side of 536 near the Nickelodeon Holiday Inn Hotel. these cranes look to be at the eastern edge of Marriott's property.

Phase 1 is 99% complete? really? I had no idea.

Back to List:

-Citymark: Delta Resort is no more; completely demolished. Now would be a good time for some updates from Mr. Markey about the project.

-Veranda Park- my God that thing looks huge from Hiawassee! I love what they're doing in Metrowest.

-Wellesley- I agree. Very pretty and nice stonework at the first level.

-Hughes Supply Indus. Bldg./ Old Winter Garden & 408-- very huge and superstructure is already up. granted, this is not the attractions area. it could be, though...

-Waterford Lakes T.C.-- it's just getting bigger and bigger. they should connect the east and west sides with a couple of skybridges.

[johnatl]

Guys, the work around the MWC is pretty basic stuff. They're adding a new employee parking deck, expanding/renovating the conference center, etc.

[JRS1]

Guys, the work around the MWC is pretty basic stuff. They're adding a new employee parking deck, expanding/renovating the conference center, etc.

thanks. I remember hearing they were expanding their CC a while back. that's good news.

[SMR17]

Phase 1 is 99% complete? really? I had no idea.

Back to List:

Yeah-you can go to their website http://www.worldquestresort.com/index.html to see the updated pics of construction.

[JRS1]

LBV Resort & Spa--

If you all haven't been there yet, I suggest a trip out there just to see how they took what I thought would be a cheesy condotel and did a clever job of incorporating it into my least favorite outlet center (LBV Outlets), and the result is a very functional symbiotic relationship between the hotel & retail center; they also share a common entrance.

Now, the condotel makes the outlet center more relevant and vice versa. I am impressed. and this thing is supposed to get alot larger.

[SMR17]

LBV Resort & Spa--

If you all haven't been there yet, I suggest a trip out there just to see how they took what I thought would be a cheesy condotel and did a clever job of incorporating it into my least favorite outlet center (LBV Outlets), and the result is a very functional symbiotic relationship between the hotel & retail center; they also share a common entrance.

Now, the condotel makes the outlet center more relevant and vice versa. I am impressed. and this thing is supposed to get alot larger.

I agree with you on the resort itself-it has great amenities onsite and with I-drive to someday run through the resort really makes them the center point for the south side of I-drive for future development. Pretty smart move on the developer-I just wish they would've hired a little better management company to run it but.....I also wish I-drive would've been planned a little better since the planned extention of I-drive will not link up with the very south side that's already completed and runs all the way to 192. When finished you'll have to come out of LBV Resort, turn right on 535, then make a left on I-drive a short while down-but it's still not going to connect directly.

[JRS1]

I agree with you on the resort itself-it has great amenities onsite and with I-drive to someday run through the resort really makes them the center point for the south side of I-drive for future development. Pretty smart move on the developer-I just wish they would've hired a little better management company to run it but.....I also wish I-drive would've been planned a little better since the planned extention of I-drive will not link up with the very south side that's already completed and runs all the way to 192. When finished you'll have to come out of LBV Resort, turn right on 535, then make a left on I-drive a short while down-but it's still not going to connect directly.

I though that in the Ballari renderings, it depicts a "missing link" of I-Drive which would connect I-Drive where it ends at 536 and I-Drive South where it begins at 535. unless that was only conceptual... someone posted a couple of renderings a while back-- probably on this thread.

[SMR17]

I though that in the Ballari renderings, it depicts a "missing link" of I-Drive which would connect I-Drive where it ends at 536 and I-Drive South where it begins at 535. unless that was only conceptual... someone posted a couple of renderings a while back-- probably on this thread.

Yeah I remember that also and that would make more sense to me, but the website http://www.amoninvestments.com/ doesn't show that same rendering as before-or at least it doesn't name the roads that run through the resort. Even if I-drive does go through Ballari it will then go below the 417, run through LBV Resort, and end up at 535. What's also interesting is that Poinciana Blvd. is planned to end up running into LBV Resort at one time or another.

[JRS1]

Yeah I remember that also and that would make more sense to me, but the website http://www.amoninvestments.com/ doesn't show that same rendering as before-or at least it doesn't name the roads that run through the resort. Even if I-drive does go through Ballari it will then go below the 417, run through LBV Resort, and end up at 535. What's also interesting is that Poinciana Blvd. is planned to end up running into LBV Resort at one time or another.

this is like the 3rd time Amon has changed the plans for Ballari. at least its still listed on the website... I see what you mean about the road structure--- its a little confusing in this newest rendering. can someone go to the website and capture a still of those two renderings and post them here?

[bic]

"Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty has stepped down from the board of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. That's after the Orange County Comptroller's Office raised questions about a potential conflict of interest: Crotty votes on county funding for the bureau, which markets Orlando tourism."

Orlando Sentinel Article

[JRS1]

Hotels Magazine March 2006 Worldwide Construction Quartery Report-- it lists the following Orlando hotels as "new construction":

1. Sheraton Vistana Villages (190 rooms); 2007

2. Westin Orlando (603 rooms); 2007

3. Solis Resort & Spa (300 rooms); 2008

4. The Blue Rose (1,300 rooms); 2008

5. Intercontinental (2,254 rooms); 2009

[gibby]

Yeah I remember that also and that would make more sense to me, but the website http://www.amoninvestments.com/ doesn't show that same rendering as before-or at least it doesn't name the roads that run through the resort. Even if I-drive does go through Ballari it will then go below the 417, run through LBV Resort, and end up at 535. What's also interesting is that Poinciana Blvd. is planned to end up running into LBV Resort at one time or another.

It will not run under 417. A spur from I-Drive will but I-Drive will curve over to 535 to line up with South I-Drive which runs to the Gaylord I think.

[SMR17]

It will not run under 417. A spur from I-Drive will but I-Drive will curve over to 535 to line up with South I-Drive which runs to the Gaylord I think.

Well, the sales office (and the developer) for LBV is giving the wrong info then.

[JRS1]

Well, the sales office (and the developer) for LBV is giving the wrong info then.

I wouldn't be surprised. if you knew the number of times someone from within the "industry" fed me wrong info. I mean, sometimes, people just blurt out info w/o knowing what they're talking about. there's certain types of info out there whose accuracy some people just don't place a value on; its almost like a gossipy thing to them, i.e., as long as they're in the ballpark, then its acceptable to relay the info to another. sorry for the rant.

a family member either owns or owned a unit at LBV R&S-- not sure if they sold it yet. I'll try to find out using that "in" about the road alignment (not that it would matter much).

[SMR17]

I wouldn't be surprised. if you knew the number of times someone from within the "industry" fed me wrong info. I mean, sometimes, people just blurt out info w/o knowing what they're talking about. there's certain types of info out there whose accuracy some people just don't place a value on; its almost like a gossipy thing to them, i.e., as long as they're in the ballpark, then its acceptable to relay the info to another. sorry for the rant.

a family member either owns or owned a unit at LBV R&S-- not sure if they sold it yet. I'll try to find out using that "in" about the road alignment (not that it would matter much).

Well-to give some clarity on this drawn out matter, I-drive as in the county books, will be and is being built right now to go under 417 and through LBV Resort. What has been rumored was the idea that you'll have 2 decisions to make when the missing I-drive link is completed. One being to go under 417, or the other is to make a right before 417 and end up connecting to the south side of I-drive that goes past Gaylord. Again, from the horse's mouth-Ballari (if it comes out of the ground or not) has drawn up in their design to also lead I-drive through their resort, go under 417, through LBV Resort which leads out to 535. If it changes in the future, well so be it.

[JRS1]

Well-to give some clarity on this drawn out matter, I-drive as in the county books, will be and is being built right now to go under 417 and through LBV Resort. What has been rumored was the idea that you'll have 2 decisions to make when the missing I-drive link is completed. One being to go under 417, or the other is to make a right before 417 and end up connecting to the south side of I-drive that goes past Gaylord. Again, from the horse's mouth-Ballari (if it comes out of the ground or not) has drawn up in their design to also lead I-drive through their resort, go under 417, through LBV Resort which leads out to 535. If it changes in the future, well so be it.

is there any kind of rendering of its proposed alignment? In other words, where I-Drive terminates now at 536 at the light, are they planning to make that an overpass/underpass, or realign I-Drive further east to go under 417/536 and then loop it south and west thru LBVR&S? I'm curious what they are planning to do. You think this is a FDOT Dist. 5 project?

[gibby]

is there any kind of rendering of its proposed alignment? In other words, where I-Drive terminates now at 536 at the light, are they planning to make that an overpass/underpass, or realign I-Drive further east to go under 417/536 and then loop it south and west thru LBVR&S? I'm curious what they are planning to do. You think this is a FDOT Dist. 5 project?

There is already an overpass on 417 for the anticipated road. The roadway alignment south of 417 for the spur road can be seen on the property appraiser's website. FDOT will not be involved at all. They are only responsible for 536 west of I-Drive in this area. Construction of a westbound left turn lane on 536 begins on Monday. It will eventually serve the new extension. I still believe that the I-Drive extension will connect I-Drive to I-Drive south and will not cross under 417. I believe that a spur road will go under 417.

[That Crazy Guy]

Does anyone have any info on the I-drive Hilton and the Peabody expansion? Both of these projects are supposed to break ground this year and would really benefit the OCCC.

[garydove]

Does anyone have any info on the development Tierra Del Sol (on US 27) and its sister development Los Jardines Del Sol