Orlando Attractions Area News & Developments

[John Hargrove]

Looks pretty crazy.

[Tim3167]

The massing on this looks terrible from this angle. I hope that I'm just missing the depth perspective and it's not a big square block.

[spenser1058]

Not to be a Debbie Downer but, as someone who deals with traffic around there daily (my office is a couple of blocks over on Municipal Drive), traffic is already ridiculous around there. Until something gets better (and the current redo of I-Drive ain't gonna help much) or Harris Rosen and the local GOP decides to rethink light rail, I don't even want to imagine the nightmare something like this would cause.

[jliv]

Effing horrible.  Are they serious?  

[jrs2]

31-story megamall, hotel proposed for I-Drive

corner of International Drive and Kirkman

 

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2014/05/exclusive-31-story-megamall-hotel-proposed-for-i.html

I like it.  It's a whole lot better than that strip mall that's there now by a light year.  And this could also be a catalyst for other similar types of developments.  Too bad this isn't being proposed for the area just north of Pointe Orlando on that vacant tract of land.

 

This is actually the type of development Universal should have been considering since they have such limited space to develop on.

Edited May 1, 2014 by jrs2

[prahaboheme]

Traffic is only going to get worse - we cannot stop development and urbanization of the tourism corridor due to the lack of mass transit options.

 

Some suggest that the frustration caused by total gridlock IS the catalyst for cities to finally embrace mass transit alternatives (at least those cities that just don't have the vision and history with rail).  Orlando is obviously in this category.

[Ocityst]

A few updates on iSquare: 

 

Opening date is scheduled for June 2017.

 

Featuring a Mega Indoor Mall, 7 Star Luxury Hotel, Indoor Ice Arena, 24 Hour Revolving Restaurant and 450 Foot Observation Deck.

[John Hargrove]

450ft would make this the new tallest? I think SunTrust is at 441? Something like that.

[UPSDAN]

This reminds me of the failed Blue Rose proposal. I can't see another mall making it. I think Festival Bay already proved additional retail is not warranted. It's good to see these mega proposals making a comeback though. Maybe one will pan out but does seem like Convention ctr area is better fit though.

Edited May 1, 2014 by UPSDAN

[Alleri459]

It says roughly 160,000 square feet of retail. That's the size of a department store so mega-mall seems a little over the top.

I'm all for these big proposals, it just feels a bit out of place at this corner. Unless other projects of this nature come along.

Edited May 2, 2014 by aleonrivera

[Tim3167]

It appears that the 450' figure was from sea level. The Sentinel lists the hotel towers at 360' but no reference to the top of observation deck if that is a different figure. 

 

http://www.isquareusa.com

Edited May 2, 2014 by Tim3167

[CalvinEggnog]

24-hour revolving restaurant, huh?  Because we all need a burger and pancakes at 3:30am.

 

I really don't know what to make of this.  It looks like it belongs in Las Vegas or Dubai.  I seriously doubt this is going to be built, and is completely ridiculous in my opinion.  And if it's built, it'll probably be some beotchized (wow, it doesn't like "bast-ard-ized", I guess) and scaled down version of the artwork.  The grander the renderings and vision, the less optimistic I become, though I would love to see it built, if only because it's just completely whacked out.

Edited May 2, 2014 by CalvinEggnog

[nite owℓ]

31-story megamall, hotel proposed for I-Drive

corner of International Drive and Kirkman

 

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2014/05/exclusive-31-story-megamall-hotel-proposed-for-i.html

 

She's not very pretty... But I'd rather see it downtown. I wouldn't mind trading the boring Central Station apt complex for something like this

Edited May 2, 2014 by nite owℓ

[JFW657]

Hopefully those are just preliminary renderings & (if it ever gets built) it will look more attractive.

[CalvinEggnog]

By the way, this is what International Shoppes looks like.  I don't know about you guys, but there aren't many things worse than old tacky strip malls.  The change to this SE corner of Kirkman & I-Drive would be crazy, and I hope it would spur more development.  I only wonder if there will be any synergy with Universal Studios, such as a monorail of sorts that takes guests back and forth directly.

 

As someone mentioned just a bit ago, 160,000 sq ft of retail isn't much more than a big Macy's, but looking at the footprint of International Shoppes, I am not sure what else they can do.  The rendering makes it look much much larger than the space it will be built on.

 

Edited May 2, 2014 by CalvinEggnog

[JFW657]

I can't believe Bill Wong's is still there!!!!  

[CalvinEggnog]

No no.  My bad.  This is a picture from Google Maps.  I should have clarified.  Just wanted to give an idea of what is currently on the corner that this "thing" will be built on, if it's built.  

[codypet]

Backstage is there!  I agree something needs to be redeveloped there, but they JUST put office buildings up behind it.  Remember this thing backs up to the Golf Channel office area.  I don't think an uber tall mall is the answer.  North I-drive already made a miracle redeveloping PRIME, and Millenia is just up the road.  Festival Bay is dead.  Another mall isn't gonna do it.

[prahaboheme]

How about actual curb-sidewalk, pedestrian streetwalls along I-Drive.  All new development should be built to the curb -- this will make it much safer for pedestrians along I-Drive and actually create an identity along the North side of I-Drive.  The southern portion of I-Drive (ironically, given that it is not within the city limits), has done a much, much better job over the last decade of turning I-Drive into an urban area.

[AndyPok1]

Backstage is there!  I agree something needs to be redeveloped there, but they JUST put office buildings up behind it.  Remember this thing backs up to the Golf Channel office area.  I don't think an uber tall mall is the answer.  North I-drive already made a miracle redeveloping PRIME, and Millenia is just up the road.  Festival Bay is dead.  Another mall isn't gonna do it.

 

Yeah... that's my office right behind it on Kirkman.  I walk to Subway across the parking lot to Subway for lunch at least once a week.  That's the Kirkman Point project that is owned by Megastron.  The first building has been a uh.... interesting development.  Disney leased floors 2-4.  The ground floor offices/retail has been a bust of giant proportions.  18 months after opening, the only other tenants besides us is an Immigration Attorney with a tiny office on the first floor.  An organic restaurant is being on the side facing Kirkman that is supposed to open within a few months, and about a quarter of the remaining space is being built as 'Spec Office and Conference'.  Looks like the type of offices you can rent out if you're a small business and need a conference room for a meeting or something.

 

Long story short... I can't fathom how this would work.

[John Hargrove]

As a 6'6" 310lb adult male, they can pry Casual Male XL from my cold, dead, strangely oversized fingers.

 

(Actually DXL outside Millenia is much higher class and has far more fashionable choices. Still, we giants don't get enough respect!)

Edited May 2, 2014 by castorvx

[tennis32801]

I don't know how a  7-star hotel, whatever that means, will even work in this area. Its not the nicest area, with Lockheed nearby and unmaintained landscapes, who would want to pay that much to stay there. If this does get built, and along with I-Live and other existing major chains, international drive is becoming a distinctive destination, something that downtown Orlando lacks.

[sunshine]

Before they build this, hopefully city already has plan to urbanized this area into a pedestrian centric place...make it sort like a boulevard all the way down to lockheed.

[jliv]

Love it or hate it, Las Vegas' attraction is the Strip. In 25 years, developers have created a high-density urban district that now attracts the dining, shopping, and entertainment options that rival many of the world's great destinations. IMHO developments of this scale are needed on I-Drive to compete more aggressively for convention business with LV. However, this particular project stinks. The architecture resembles something slapped together in China or India. The developer is dubious. Add it to the massive list of absurdly silly proposals in Orlando over the years that never come to fruition, like VedaLand or...ahem...maglev.

[jrs2]

IMO, Kirkman from I-4 to Lockheed/SLR is a dead zone that can't be fixed b/c once you pass Carrier, the ramps begin again.  It's a transitional stretch of road.

 

This stretch of I-Drive stinks.  However, there is that new office building complex the Brazilians built just south of where this project would go, and they are expanding it (according to latest reports from a few months back).  So, this project or one like it would have synergy with the office park just to its south.

 

However, I agree this would have to go across from the OCCC N/S building to have any realistic chance of being taken seriously.  Or, in that tract just north of Pointe Orlando.

 

I feel like its just a proposal to attract attention so the developer can flip it to a prospective buyer who doesn't know any better. 

 

The difference with Blue Rose is that Blue Rose did sell 400+ units the first day the sales office opened.  Then it crashed and burned b/c of the bust.  That project too was remote from the OCCC- but at least that project was a mile closer to the OCCC.

 

I think the next big project on I-Drive will come from Universal.  I think they will either raze Wet n Wild and build a big urban resort there, or, they will leave it there and build a parking deck with its parking lot currently is and develop something around there.

 

Maybe this guy knows about some other projects coming down the pipeline and wants to add to the mix and sees that this stretch of I-Drive will in fact get urbanized quickly.  But I don't know.  The Sheraton tower at Kirkman and I-Drive was supposed to expand several years ago but didn't.  Also, The Wyndham at I-shops was supposed to replace the demolished buildings with a hotel tower but it didn't either.

 

Once I-Drive is revamped on the north side, and Universal completes Cabana Bay and Harry Potter II opens up and astounds the tourism world, and Universal moves forward with its next phase ofplans, we will have a much better gage on what forces exactly will affect the future development of this stretch of I-Drive.

 

ALSO, don't forget from a couple of month back the article about the foreign developer who wanted to build a 1,500 room resort at Universal & Destination Parkway near Shingle Creek.  He said that although the property was at least a mile from the N/S Bldg, he foresaw that all of those parcels and tracts of land would eventually fill up between his proposal and the N/S Bldg.  BTW, there is another development currently U/C on Universal across the street from Vista Cay- similar type of development sandwiched between the Westin and former Imagination tract and where this developer wanted to build his 1,500 room resort.  I think he saw where Rosen was and figured- Rosen isn't an idiot.

Edited May 5, 2014 by jrs2