Bike trails, people sitting and enjoying nature, and a juggler entertaining tourists all in an open-air, high-rise entertainment and hotel district. This is what one of International Drive’s most prominent game changers has planned for the future of Orlando’s tourism corridor.

Chuck Whittall of Unicorp National Developments Inc. wants to revolutionize the less-than-a-mile stretch from the $200 million I-Drive 360 complex to Sand Lake Road into a massive hotel, retail and open-air destination. The plan was created with assistance from architectural team members with Wallack Holdings LLC, developers of the $460 million Skyplex project, at the request of Orange County.

A site plan shows Unicorp’s idea for potentially 13 new hotel towers with retail space surrounded by natural features like lakes, small parks and walkways, and a road system. The map also shows what Unicorp has planned for about 20 acres of land just east of the I-Drive 360 complex that could host three hotel towers, a large restaurant development, a theater and a massive water feature show that would be seen from the Orlando Eye.

Whittall was not available for comment, but has previously told Orlando Business Journal he envisioned that 20 acres of land — which he has yet to close on — could be home to entertainment that tourists could find in Las Vegas, without casinos. That includes nighttime entertainment and attracting shows and singers to perform there nightly.

Joshua Wallack of Wallack Holdings said he believes Unicorp’s vision is to build an outdoor restaurant area much like the dining experience that sits next to the iconic fountains outside the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. This plays right into the district’s goal of breathing new life into the after-hours scene of the tourism corridor — a much-needed amenity for both leisure and convention visitors.

“He’s turning a sea of asphalt into a beautiful, walking paradise with green space and incredible atmosphere that fits exactly with what the county is envisioning,” he said. Also included in the plan is Whittall’s future 420-foot Starflyer project that is set to go before Orange County leaders Dec. 15 for approval. Wallack Holdings LLC’s Skyplex project, which is depicted on the map, is set to be heard by county leaders before then on Dec. 1.

While 13 new hotels seem like a lot, much of International Drive’s surrounding area is still very much undeveloped. That land, which has several plans in the works, is entitled for as many as 13,000 more hotel rooms yet to be built. In addition, the region’s nonstop growth in annual visitation — 62 million people last year — will need more hotel space to keep up with the growth.

“This is a joint collaboration to show what the I-Drive entertainment district can become. If we get it, it will be what Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs called ‘the dazzling entertainment district that would be the envy of the world,’ ” said Wallack, noting that together, the two developers will inject more than $1 billion into the new masterplan development and create thousands of new jobs. He also estimated the plan could be done within the next decade without any hiccups.

To be clear, the two companies are expected to handle their own projects — Wallack Holdings is building Skyplex and Mango’s Tropical Cafe, and Unicorp is building the block between Sand Lake Road and Via Mercado.

Stay tuned as this is a developing story.

After three visits to Slate (yet another restaurant employing shouty ALL CAPS in its branding), one oddity revealed itself: There doesn’t appear to be any actual slate used in the design of the restaurant’s interior or exterior. That peculiar fact seems lost on the dolled-up clientele at this popular Dr. Phillips sup spot, many of whom appear preoccupied with seeing and being seen, with nary a thought to spare for a metamorphic rock. Yes, being riddled with sidelong glances as you enter the dining room is an unavoidable initiation here, but the reward is a meal inside one of the more handsome restaurants in the city and the competent fare fired up by executive chef Dominic Rice and his capable staff.

The heavy hitters behind the restaurant – Chuck Whittall of Unicorp National Developments and Bob Amick of Atlanta-based Concentrics Restaurants – seemed bent on building the quintessential “Dr. Phillips restaurant” and, by all indications, they succeeded. The Johnson Studio, which worked on the interior spaces of both Luma and Prato, did a fine job in Slate’s design, and when the weather is right, there’s no better place to sit than next to the open accordion windows fronting a faux babbling brook. We had the pleasure of dining quasi-al fresco the first night said windows were opened – they had been shut since the restaurant opened in early June.

The fare? Well, it’s safe. That is, it’s seasonal, well-executed and lightly trendy, but there’s nothing too out of the ordinary for Sand Lake Road’s Westenders. Case in point: Green tomatoes ($7) were cleaved into half-moons before being battered, fried and served with a raita of sorts that provided a literal and figurative spice.

The focal point of the dining room is the enormous wood-fired oven; the sheen from the copper encasing the fire chamber likely blinded me, causing me to wrongly assume all items listed under the menu header “Dough” were pizzas. Then again, I would’ve been surprised, certainly intrigued, had gnocchi Bolognese ($16) been slathered all over a pie and served to me. That said, the wee dumplings were perfect, and the short rib Bolognese utterly stellar. Pizzas, by the way, are oak-fired at 650 degrees and cooked in about five minutes – not as fast as the oven at Bavaro’s in Winter Springs, but fast enough. On a separate lunchtime visit, I quite enjoyed sitting at the bar in front of the oven while chomping on the finocchiona pie ($14) with its fennel-seed-flavored salami, shaved fennel, marinated tomatoes and oregano. Service seemed to lag a bit at lunch, which was odd considering the room was half-empty.

Our experience at dinner has been far more positive, be it the service or the steak – a succulent flatiron ($24), to be specific – served on a tree-ring plate. I did have issues with the Key West tilefish ($26), however. A heavy spice rub, pickled mustard seeds and a Meyer lemon aioli overwhelmed the fish’s delicate, lobster-like flavor. Less is more with tilefish.

On the libationary front, Slate’s healthy wine list is worth noting. A sommelier friend of mine applauded the list’s coverage and range, noting how it stayed in people’s comfort zones without being prosaic. Saucy sticky toffee pudding ($7) with maple-malt ice cream is certainly an ending within the zones of comfort, but the dry and crumbly brioche doughnut ($7) was a resounding fail. No worries – you can always wipe your dessert slate clean and purchase a box of kouigns-amann from Trader Joe’s next door. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

A new way to play golf is making strides to become a reality near International Drive.

Topgolf Orlando, the 65,000-square-foot golfing, entertainment facility on Universal Boulevard, received its permit approvals from the South Florida Water Management District to begin construction. The project still has more government hoops to jump through, but it’s the first step toward opening the facility that is expected to create up to 125 new jobs along the tourism corridor.

Plans submitted with the water district show the facility will be three stories tall and will include the iconic Topgolf-style driving range that includes lighted-transparent features built into the driving course.

It’s also located on the Universal Boulevard strip that seems to be garnering much attention from private developers. Other projects in the mix there include a dining/entertainment center by Unicorp National Developments, a new 365-room hotel and more.

There are 19 U.S. Topgolf locations with eight others in consideration. Each location appears to advertise itself as modernized facilities that include multi-level seating, lounge-like driving areas, high-end sports bars and game rooms, as well as indoor and outdoor terrace/restaurant spaces.

A similar location slated for Jacksonville states it will attract 450,000 people a year and have an economic impact of $264.5 million over 10 years.

International Drive has several tall attractions or buildings that light up the night sky.

At the Magical Midway amusement park, the 390-foot Slingshot and the 230-foot StarFlyer are visible from Interstate 4. The Slingshot’s two crane-like towers are a glowing rainbow of light. Down the road, the Hyatt Regency Orlando, formerly The Peabody, is 428 feet tall and has beacon of light on the rooftop.

The latest attraction planned for that area is the 700-foot tower anchoring the proposed Skyplex Orlando entertainment complex.

At a recent zoning hearing, Joshua Wallack, developer of the complex, had to field early questions about lighting design.

Wallack went before Orange County’s planning and zoning commission Oct. 15 for approval needed to rezone his property on I-Drive at Sand Lake Road.

The focus instead became an argument over the height of the planned Skyscraper rollercoaster and the light the tower would emit.

Commissioner Tina Demostene brought up the lighting concerns, saying she has friends who can see the Orlando Eye from their home in Keene’s Pointe, a community southwest of Windermere.

If the Orlando Eye, at 400 feet, is clearly at visible at night, Demostene asked, what does that mean for a project almost twice as tall?

“It’s just this kind of glowing,” she said at the meeting. “It loses the iconic structure and becomes more Las Vegas-y.”

Jim Ward, a county planner, said lighting should not have been questioned at the planning meeting because it’s typically discussed by the development-review committee.

“This is zoning, so we don’t have a lighting engineer in the project at this point,” said Hal Kantor, the lawyer representing Wallack, during the meeting. “When we get to the development-plan stage we will, and we’ll address it.

The planning meeting acted as the stage for an official battle between Universal Orlando and Skyplex leaders, who have been at odds for months over the proposed development.

The focus of that spat is the height of the Skyscraper. Universal leaders contend it wouldn’t fit into the neighborhood and would likely be visible from their park. Per Orlando code, Universal’s rides and attractions can only be 200 feet tall.

Outside city limits, 501 feet tall, Wallack’s roller coaster would considerably dwarf rides at Universal, which would then stand about half as tall as the “the world’s tallest roller coaster.”

Planning and zoning commissioners voted against recommending the Skyplex for further development. Ultimately, it is scheduled to go before the Board of County Commissioners in December for more discussion and approval.

Chuck Whittall, president of Unicorp Developments,said he faced similar pushback from Universal when he was working on developing I-Drive 360, home to the Orlando Eye. He’s scheduled to go before the Orange County Planning & Zoning Commission in December for his proposed 420-foot StarFlyer, a tower ride that reaches speeds of 40 mph as riders reach the top and begin spinning.

Universal’s spoken out against that project, too, said Whittall.

Orlando attorney John Morgan, who built Magical Midway but no longer owns it, said he squared off with opponents nearly a decade ago.

“You’ve got to be careful,” he said, adding he had hotels abutting his property. “They were concerned about lighting and they’re always concerned about noise.”

One concession he made was lowering music at night, to ensure hotel guests weren’t kept up too late. In terms of any lighting concerns for tall rides or buildings, those that stand above the general I-Drive skyline, Ward said the location and context of the proposed development is crucial to consider.

“You wouldn’t go to Las Vegas and complain about things like lighting,” he said.

County and I-Drive business leaders have met monthly for the last year discussing the future of the I-Drive tourism corridor. The district has been divided into subdistricts, including the Entertainment subdistrict, where the Skyplex would be built.

“I think there’s a place for everything,” said Whittall, adding concerns about dark skies is just “a silly comment.”

Morgan said I-Drive is known for the bright lights, attractions and general hum it brings to the community.

“All the way from Universal, down Kirkman, and all the way down I-Drive to SeaWorld, I see that as one giant attraction and I always have,” said Morgan. “Everyone knows what you’re getting when you get there.”

Ward says the county’s current exterior lighting ordinance may be a little out of date, having become the governing ordinance for lighting in 2003. When it was first drafted, it focused mostly on residential and standard commercial development to reflect the ongoing growth in Orange County, he said.

“It is not so sophisticated to have anticipated 420-foot-tall Ferris wheels in 2003,” he said.

When it comes to height, the ordinance only discusses parking lots or pedestrian areas.

Whittall said he worked with county leaders to properly light the Eye without creating a tacky lighting show. “It’s not obtrusive to the area,” he said.

Unicorp National Developments Inc.’s planned $107 million Horizon West mixed-use development came a step closer to becoming a reality as the firm this week bought a chunk of land near Walt Disney World that it plans to turn into shops, eateries and homes.

Unicorp in two separate transactions spent about $12 million to buy a nearly 117-acre site on Winter Garden Vineland Road north of the Lakeside Village shopping complex on Oct. 21 from North of Albert’s LLP, Orange County records showed. The firm’s related Westside Shoppes LLC spent $2.2 million on a piece of it, while its related Venetian Isles LLC bought the balance for $9.8 million.

President Chuck Whittall told Orlando Business Journal the firm expects to break ground in next year’s first quarter on two pieces of the project, including the 70,700-square-foot Westside Shoppes and a 346-unit high-end multifamily project dubbed Venetian Isle. Unicorp has had plans in the works for this development since late 2014, as previously reported by OBJ.

A third piece of this project, which will be a middle school, likely will be built by Orange County Public Schools in 2017, Whittall said.

Unicorp has chosen Roger B. Kennedy Inc. as the general contractor for Venetian Isles — which will feature 302 apartments and 44 townhomes — and is in talks with Scherer Construction to handle building Westside Shoppes.

Unicorp is close to signing on a grocer for Westside Shoppes, and so far tenants will include Gator’s Dockside, Tijuana Flats, AT&T, Dunkin’ Donuts, Wendy’s, Great Clips, UPS Store, Luxury Nails & Day Spa and Flippers Pizzeria.

The new retail complex will complement one of Central Florida’s fastest-growing and top-performing submarkets. Southwest Orange County boasted the region’s lowest retail vacancy rate in this year’s third quarter at 4.1 percent, down from 5.1 percent a year earlier, according to CBRE Inc.. Average asking lease rates also grew during that period from $16 per square foot last year to $17.22 this year, and the submarket had the second-highest retail absorption in the area so far this year, with 168,284 square feet being backfilled, CBRE reported.

Apartments also continue to be in high demand in Central Florida, which reported a 96.3 percent overall occupancy rate — the highest our region has seen since 2006, according to a report by Charles Wayne Consulting Inc. The Winter Garden/Ocoee/West Orange submarket — which includes Horizon West — led the way with a 97.8 percent occupancy rate, the report showed.

Read more about what Unicorp is doing in Central Florida in previous OBJ stories and come back to OrlandoBusinessJournal.com for more.

Universal Orlando has had a tough time lately getting along with some of its neighbors.

The growing theme-park complex has angered two local developers of large planned attractions who have accused the resort of stifling competition. At the same time, Universal is in a legal battle with a nearby hotel and Orange County over drainage issues.

Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said the resort generally has good relationships with surrounding homes and businesses. “We want to be a good neighbor,” he said.

Industry watchers say conflict is inevitable as Universal expands and the area around it booms.

Disneyland, which is surrounded by other development in Anaheim, Calif., has faced similar issues, including a lawsuit it filed against the city several years ago over plans for apartments. When Walt Disney established his theme-park resort here, he buffered much of it against competition and complaints by buying huge tracts of land. The Walt Disney Co. even got the state of Florida to create the resort’s own local governments: two cities and a taxing district.

“I think Universal, because they don’t have the insular protection Disney does, is going to do what they can to prohibit … attractions that draw business away from them,” said Duncan Dickson, a former Disney executive and an associate professor at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

Chuck Whittall and Josh Wallack, developers behind unrelated projects on nearby International Drive, are unhappy with Universal.

After opposition from the theme-park resort, Orange County’s Planning and Zoning Commission last week voted against recommending Wallack’s Skyplex in a 4-3 vote. Orange County staff had recommended its approval. Universal argued against the height of the project, which features a 501-foot roller coaster.

“I blame them for doing business the wrong way by trying to strong-arm and dictate what happens over on International Drive,” Wallack said. “Universal’s like, ‘This is our side of town.'”

Wallack’s project will go in front of the Orange County Commission in December.

Whittall recently quit the board of an International Drive business group he said was too influenced by Universal and other big businesses. Whittall’s Unicorp National Developments is developing a complex in which a 420-foot-tall spinning ride called StarFlyer is proposed.

A representative for Universal recently urged planning officials to slow down approving height changes for the project.

Whittall also ran into conflict with Universal as he developed the I-Drive 360 complex that includes the Orlando Eye. Universal sued three companies, including Unicorp and Merlin Entertainments Group, at one point over the name of the complex, which was then called I-Walk Orlando, saying it was too similar to Universal’s CityWalk.

“They’re sore winners,” Whittall said. “They’re doing great in the market, yet they’re still souring it for other people.”

Universal has insisted that its interest in the projects has not been driven by competition. “Our concerns are about what we believe is a shared vision for our community,” Schroder said. Universal’s water-park subsidiary also recently sued the Enclave hotel and included Orange County as a defendant. The lawsuit says the county and the Enclave have permitted developers and other private-property owners to drain stormwater into an easement flowing into a lake behind Wet ‘n Wild water park, which Universal plans to close and redevelop.

“I’m very disappointed that it happened, and surprised,” Orange County Commissioner Pete Clarke said of the lawsuit. “We’ve always been very good partners with the theme parks.”

Wallack and his attorney Hal Kantor say they think the suit was aimed at Skyplex, because that project could also potentially drain into the lake.

“The lawsuit is about our ability to protect and develop our property, period,” Schroder said. “This is a private lake. Orange County is dumping more stormwater into a private lake than they should.”

Universal is surrounded by a lot of commercial development but also residential neighborhoods, whose homeowners have complained through the years about the resort’s fireworks shows and noise from rides. Some of those neighbors say relations have improved through the years.

“It was a rocky start,” said Lou Roeder, a resident of the Orange Tree subdivision between Dr. Phillips Boulevard and Turkey Lake Road. But now, he said, Universal has “acknowledged what the homeowners mean to them and what they mean to the homeowners.”

In fact, Universal has found an ally in Orange Tree in its battle against Skyplex. A Universal representative last week pointed out at Thursday’s meeting that the community had sent a letter to county officials the night before. Universal acknowledged it had reached out to neighbors about Skyplex but wouldn’t give other details.

With so many different types of development surrounding it, Universal’s relationships are bound to be complicated, said Robert Niles, editor and publisher of ThemeParkInsider.com

“They have to accommodate the relationships that come with living in close proximity with your neighbors,” he said. “Sometimes you get along, sometimes you don’t.”

spedicini@tribpub.com or 407-420-5240

Looking for your dream home near Walt Disney World? Well, you’re in luck because nearly 900 more new homes may be coming soon to areas including Windermere and the fast-growing Horizon West community.

Leading the charge is a plan for 423 homes by developers Florham Park, N.J.-based Ridgewood Real Estate Partners and New York-based Angelo, Gordon & Co. LP, who are redeveloping the former Marriott Grande Pines Golf Club near SeaWorld Orlando.

The developers are seeking preliminary site plan approval from the Orange County Commission for 423 single-family and townhome lots on 126.15 acres south of Central Florida Parkway and east of Westwood Boulevard. An unnamed homebuilder currently is negotiating to buy the site from the property owners, taking on the responsibility of developing the lots and then building the homes, said Jonathan Grebow, president of Ridgewood Real Estate Partners.

As of right now, all 423 homes would likely be built by a single homebuilder, but details are “still being figured out,” Grebow told Orlando Business Journal. If approved and the sale closes, construction on the lots could start in the first half of next year, he said.

See the graphic of the site map, below. Poulos & Bennett LLC is the project engineer, and Jim McNeil of law firm Akerman LLP is representing the developer.

Meanwhile, here’s a look at other residential projects that are seeking county commission approval in a meeting this afternoon:

• Meritage Homes plans to build 151 homes in The Preserve at Westside, a new residential neighborhood set to be part of the Westside mixed-use development that also includes a shopping center by Orlando-based Unicorp National Developments Inc. Colorado landowner North of Alberts LLC is seeking the county’s OK for new single-family home lots to be built on 33.45 acres on Winter Garden Vineland Road north of the Lakeside Village shopping center, not far from Walt Disney World. Kimley-Horn & Associates Inc. is the project engineer. If approved, Meritage Homes plans to build two product lines: A 1,700- to 2,000-square-foot product known as “bungalows” and a 2,000- to 3,800-square-foot model called “estates,” Division President Brian Kittle told OBJ.

• Madden, Moorhead & Glunt Inc. is seeking the green light on a preliminary subdivision plan for Bella Vita, a new 11-home subdivision to be built on 13.81 acres at Park Ridge Gotha Road and Maguire Road in Windermere. The two vacant parcels are owned by Remuda Holdings LLC and Mary F. Howard, Orange County records showed.

• Local land expert Daryl Carter is looking for county approval to rezone four parcels totaling 61 acres from agricultural to planned development to allow for 285 homes. The parcels are all on the west side of State Road 429, north of New Independence Parkway and east of Avalon Road.

• Going back to Unicorp, the developer is seeking the OK from the county commission to increase its planned Zen Luxury Living apartment complex near Disney from 231 to 258 units — adding 27 apartments. Kimley-Horn is the project engineer.

Here’s more on what’s happening in the local residential real estate market and be sure to come back to OrlandoBusinessJournal.com for updates.

September 9, 2015, 5:50pm

Prominent players in tourism and development are feuding over the role of a private group that has raised concerns about the size of proposed International Drive attractions.

Developer Chuck Whittall resigned Monday from Efficient PrTransportation for the Community of Central Florida, accusing the organization of overstepping its boundaries by trying to undermine high-profile projects. Whittall is the developer behind I-Drive 360, which includes the Orlando Eye, and a proposed spinning 420-foot ride called StarFlyer.

“They seem to be siding with big business,” Whittall said. “If you look at who’s on the board now, it’s Universal, it’s SeaWorld, it’s Pointe Orlando. … They say they represent I-Drive. Well, they don’t.”

Whittall says the big players want to suppress competition. ETC says it wants to promote responsible growth.

ETC has been around since the late 1980s, when it wanted an I-Drive stop for a proposed high-speed rail system. Since then it has provided input on issues beyond transportation. The ETC is represented on the I-Drive Steering Committee, formed by Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs to create an overall plan for the drive. State corporation records list ETC’s board officers as Universal Orlando lobbyist John McReynolds; Susan Godorov, who manages the Pointe Orlando dining-and-entertainment complex; and Doug Gehret, with Hilton.

“We won’t agree on all the issues that come before us and that’s okay, with big development and changes come big conversations,” ETC executive director Crissy Foglesong said in a statement.

“Currently, we have expressed support for all of the large-scale pending projects in the International Drive corridor; however, our membership has expressed concerns over certain aspects of these projects.”

Like Universal, ETC has warned against rushing through the StarFlyer project and another development called Skyplex, which is expected to have a roller coaster topping out at 570 feet. Foglesong has expressed concerns about their heights and said plans should wait until until the visioning plan underway is finalized.

David Vallillo, a general manager with Embassy Suites, also resigned from the ETC board last week. Valillo said in a letter he feels “the focus of this organization has taken a different direction and is no longer prioritizing the many mobility concerns that our community shares.” He did not comment further.

Skyplex developer Joshua Wallack said he is a member of the group but has not attended meetings in several months. McReynolds is “running the show there” and trying to squelch competition, Wallack said. At one ETC meeting with him, he said, McReynolds did most of the talking and “made it clear we’re not welcome in the community.”

Foglesong said: “I’ve not been in any meeting where anyone said, ‘We don’t want your project.'”

Universal had no comment.

Peter Latham, an attorney who represents Universal Orlando, has separately appeared at county meetings about Skyplex and StarFlyer. Latham said at one meeting that providing exemptions to such attractions would be “a huge character change to the neigborhood as well as a competitive advantage to one parcel owner versus its neighbor.”

Universal, which is near residential neighborhoods, is limited to heights of 200 feet for its rides.

SeaWorld spokeswoman Becca Bides said her theme park is a member and supports the group’s mission but would not answer questions about the company’s position on the new attractions. SeaWorld Orlando plans to debut Mako, a shark-themed coaster with a 200-foot drop, next year.

Caitlin Dineen of the Sentinel staff contributed; spedicini@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5240

There was both victory and defeat for each side in a six-hour Colony courtroom battle, which resulted ultimately in the usual outcome – postponement.

The meeting began at 10 a.m., Friday, Aug. 28 with the expectation that an auction would be held and critical Colony assets including the Recreational Lease would be liquidated and sold to the highest bidder. Heading into the courtroom, Orlando-based developer Unicorp had placed the highest bid of $650,000 and the Chapter 7 Trustee indicated acceptance.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Rodney May said earlier this month that the Chapter 7 Estate would be sold on Aug. 28 to the highest bidder and that Unicorp was in that position. But in the courtroom Friday, hours of intense argument on the side of The Association of Unit Owners to discredit Unicorp and a request by their attorney, Jeffrey Warren, to not allow Unicorp to bid at all, was entertained by Judge May. Unicorp seeks to redevelop the 17.2-acre Longboat Key resort that has been closed for five years.

At the end of the day, Judge May did rule that Unicorp is allowed to bid and that a prior agreement that the Association had to buy the Estate was no longer valid. But the Judge stopped short of approving the sale to Unicorp or entertaining bids and instead followed the request of Association Attorney Warren to hold a proceeding on Friday, Sept. 4, referred to as an evidentiary hearing in which a mini-trial will be held to evaluate the nature and the specific details of the proposal by Unicorp to buy the Estate’s assets.

Opening round

Chapter 7 Estate attorney Michael Markham explained the state of affairs to the Judge. Markham said that the Estate’s Trustee had withdrawn an agreement to sell the assets to the Association of Unit Owners and subsequently filed and approved an agreement with Unicorp. In the past weeks, Markham said, The Association had enhanced its offer and Unicorp responded in kind with a total of $650,000 in cash as well as the assumption of all future liability facing the estate.

Unicorp also has reached an agreement with the largest creditor in the Estate, the Icard Merrill law firm, to settle the balance of monies owed.

Markham told the Judge that the Unicorp offer, “Gives the highest and best offer to the Estate and gives the greatest distribution to creditors.”

And in many ways, that struck a chord with Judge May in that the basic tenet of Bankruptcy Law is to recover the largest amount of money and distribute it to creditors on behalf of the Estate.

Association Attorney Warren argued that The Association, while offering less cash to distribute, would retire its claims that it had against the Estate and also argued that Unicorp could not simply assume the liability of future litigation. In short, he made his case to disallow Unicorp’s offer and embrace the Association’s.

Time to sell or case of bad faith?

Markham grew impatient. Markham told the Judge that the Trustee for the Bankrupt Estate, “Does not want to be sitting around for several years waiting for something to happen.” He added, “Unicorp has stepped up with money, and that hasn’t happened in this courtroom in the past. The Trustee’s job is to maximize money for his creditors; that is what he has done.”

Association attorney Warren argued back vehemently, “It’s important we stop having secret side deals. The court is being told it needs to expedite this. But what is the reason? Only to benefit Unicorp and Chuck Whittall and create advantage for Unicorp.”

Warren then went on to accuse Unicorp of “acting in bad faith” and “creating great harm.” He added that the law disqualifies “bad faith bidders.”

The Association had filed previously unresolved motions to disqualify Unicorp, but no Judge has yet to agree.

As for the Association’s attempt to bid and buy the Bankrupt Estate, attorney Warren sought to convince the Judge that his client’s offer was superior. The Association held a special meeting on Aug. 18 in which it agreed to borrow money from Andy Adams who owns about 25 percent of the units. Warren argued that a $1.2 million letter of credit would cover the Icard Merrill attorney claims and that the Estate would receive $625,000 in cash.

Warren said the proceedings were forcing the owners to use a development partner (Unicorp) that they simply don’t want. Warren said that The Association contends the law does not allow the Trustee to walk away from a previous offer and agreement to purchase the assets. But that issue was refuted by the attorney for the Estate because the very terms of the agreement to sell to The Association stated that if the agreement was not consummated in 45 days, it would expire, and that is what happened.

“Unicorp has no desire to end the dispute, but to ratchet up the disputes,” said Warren.

“Your Honor,” said Warren to Judge May, “Think of the mischief out there, they (Unicorp and Colony Lender) have created chaos in this case. It makes a mockery of what has happened in these proceedings. This court does not exist to make a third party more money. If the court does not approve our offer, then we want an evidentiary hearing on Unicorp’s actions.”

Advantage — everyone…

Estate attorney Markham rose to the podium and attempted to clear the air.

He told the Judge, “Certainly there are people trying to gain advantage here. Unicorp on one side and The Association on another.”

He added that the only entity not trying to gain an advantage was the Estate. Markham said there are no secrets and said that Unicorp and Colony Lender have aligned for their own interests, just as The Association of Unit Owners has aligned with Andy Adams and Siggy Levy to secure a loan.

Markham told the Judge that Unicorp, in the Estate’s view, was simply offering more money to pay creditors and “If the Association wants to offer more, here we are.” He added that he could point his finger at any direction in the courtroom and could find blame.

A wheelbarrow of cash

All of the above wrangling took place in the first two hours of the proceeding prior to the lunch break. Just before lunch, Unicorp attorney Michael Assaf told the Judge that his client would actually increase the offer to $750,000 in cash. Assaf added that he thought the purpose as stated by the Judge earlier in the month was to “Get the highest and best amount for the Bankrupt Estate.” And he said that the litigation will only continue if The Association files appeals.

“We have done what you have instructed us to do,” said Assaf. “We came to this courtroom with a wheelbarrow full of cash. Our offer is a $750,000 cash offer.”

Assaf argued that The Association had no written offer, no written bank commitment and all they offered was their attorney’s promise which is dependent on third parties.

Judge digests then serves decision

After lunch, attorney Assaf continued by telling the Judge that the court has not heard The Association’s attorney Jeffrey Warren say he will pay more than $625,000 — “and he won’t,” said Assaf.

“Today is the day this is supposed to be resolved,” continued Assaf. He said that what was before the Judge was a best offer by Unicorp of $750,000 and indemnification against all future claims and litigation. He pointed out that Unicorp was a robust company with gross revenues last year of $72 million and more than $200 million in assets.

“We have the money and vision to redevelop this resort. The Association is attempting to buy their way out of a $23 million judgment and out of $2 million in Recreational Lease damages, and The Association caused the damages. We are not doing anything differently than The Association, which is trying to buy the $23 million judgment and Recreation Lease and not have to face the financial consequences of their actions,” said Assaf.

Warren complained that The Association could not react to Unicorp’s bids and that, “We are bidding against somebody that we don’t think has the right to bid.”

Again, Estate attorney Markham sought to bring closure to the back and forth between The Association and Unicorp.

“A lot of smoke has been thrown up in the air and it makes no sense at all. What I’m hearing is delay, delay, delay,” said Markham.

Judge May asked Markham what he recommended. Markham responded to deny The Association’s motion to prevent Unicorp from bidding and to deny The Association of Unit Owners’ motion to enforce the earlier agreement that has been superceeded by Unicorp.

Judge May agreed and denied The Association’s motions and said, “I may be sympathetic to Unit Owners but I’m not here to protect them. This is a business decision and I don’t see any evidence of bad faith by Unicorp and I believe they are a qualified buyer.”

It appeared in the courtroom as if the Judge was going to approve Unicorp’s $750,000 offer, but Association attorney Warren got up and asked for an Evidentiary Hearing.

Judge May agreed saying he did not after all of the time spent on the case, to have it reversed on appeal and that the hearing would occur on Sept. 4.

It is expected that on Sept. 4 beginning at 9:30 a.m., the Evidentiary Hearing will be held and following that hearing, the Judge is slated to approve the highest and best bid to sell the Bankrupt Estate assets.

The Colony Association of Unit Owners and its attorney, Jeffrey Warren, did not receive a blessing from U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Rodney May on Friday in their effort to buy a critical Chapter 7 estate that includes a long-term Recreational Lease worth millions of dollars.

The Association filed an emergency motion last Monday asking the Judge to enforce a sale and Settlement Agreement between the Association and the Bankrupt Estate’s Trustee Douglas Menchise. The reason for the emergency is Orlando-based Unicorp finalized a contract the week prior to buy the Estate and the Recreational Lease after the agreement the Association had expired. The Association’s agreement was also undermined by a disagreement in the terms with the largest creditor, law firm Icard Merrill.

When the Association’s agreement to buy the bankrupt estate expired, Unicorp’s President Chuck Whittall negotiated and paid the amount owed to Icard Merrill and reached an agreement with Menchise that the Trustee said was superior to the previous agreement with the Association and the Trustee then requested that Judge May approve that agreement at an Aug. 28 hearing.

In court on Friday, the Association asked Judge May to enforce the expired settlement agreement and compel the Chapter 7 Trustee to go forward with all the terms of the sale to the Associoation.

Association attorney Warren wrote that the Trustee’s actions, “Demonstrate the profound bad faith and unclean hands with which he now seeks to invalidate the Settlement Agreement.”

Warren went on to say that Trustee Douglas Menchise has been actively undermining the approval of the Settlement Agreement by negotiating a completely different deal with Unicorp. In short, Warren argued to Judge May that the Trustee did not use his “best efforts” to expeditiously obtain approval of the Settlement Agreement with the Association.

Warren also argued that even though the Association’s agreement had an expiration date for its filing and approval, it was not bound by that date since there was no “time is of the essence” clause specifically written into the contract.

Unicorp argues opposite

Unicorp was represented in the courtroom by Michael Assaf, who argued the Association’s agreement was expired. He urged Judge May to enforce his client’s Settlement Agreement instead, which is supported by the Bankrupt Estate’s Trustee Menchise, as well as the Icard Merrill law firm, which is owed the most money in the Estate.

Assaf opened his argument in his motion and opposition to the Association of Unit Owners by saying that the term of every single member of the Board of Directors of the Association has expired and they have not followed their own rules and elected a slate of directors, which is required of the organization to make decisions and enter into contracts according to their own by-laws.

Assaf then went on to cite the fact that written in the agreement between the Bankrupt Estate and the Association was the need for approval by the Bankruptcy Court within 45 days, or the agreement would expire and become null and void as defined by the words “approval deadline.” He added that the Association’s agreement contained a provision for extending deadlines but that no extension was made.

Further, and perhaps of most significance, is the fact that Icard Merrill attorney Charles Bartlett said the Association agreement cited an incorrect amount owed to his firm and his firm could not support the agreement under those terms.

Barlett on behalf of Icard Merrill also petitioned Judge May not to support the Association’s emergency motion and said that although Association attorney Warren was aware and acknowledged that Icard Merrill was owed significantly more than was represented in the agreement, no cure took place prior to the expiration of the agreement. In fact, Assaf argued to the Judge that the Association’s motion should be denied on its face because it did not meet the definition of an emergency and therefore was a derogation of law.

Judge May decides

After reading the motions and opposition motions, Judge May denied the Association’s request to uphold their agreement and decided that on Aug. 28 the Bankrupt Estate, which contains the Recreational Lease, will be sold to the highest bidder.

The Lease is important because it represents a $70,000 per month ongoing obligation due from Unit Owners for use of The Colony spa, tennis courts, and recreational amenities. There are also about $2 million in damages due under the Recreational Lease, which is also a separate claim against the Unit Owners. It is these liabilities that compel the Association to try to acquire the assets in the Estate.

Judge May said that as of right now, the agreement between Unicorp and the Estate is the strongest offer and unless it is superseded by the Association or another party on Aug. 28, will be the one that is approved.

On the horizon

The other major court date on the horizon is on Sept. 8 when Judge May will hold a final auction for the other Bankrupt Estate in the Colony denouement that holds the $23 million judgment against Colony Unit Owners.

Unicorp as well as three other entities, including the Association of Unit Owners, have qualified to bid on that date. The $23 million judgment was won by former Chairman Murf Klauber against the Unit Owners on appeal when Judge Steven Merryday found the Association was at fault for not paying assessments to repair and renovate The Colony to the General Management Partnership that was run by Klauber. Judge Merryday found that the failure to pay the Partnership led to the demise and closing of the resort in 2010.

Analysis

For those unfamiliar with the once-famous beach and tennis resort, The Colony was in operation for more than 40 years on 17.2 acres of prime Gulf-front property on the south end of Longboat Key. Klauber managed the resort and the Unit Owners had an agreement that allowed Klauber to rent their units for 11 months and they would be allowed to personally use them for one month of the year. The litigation has continued unabated for more than five years, and the two Estates discussed above represent assets whose control could help determine the consolidation and ownership of the property.

Tags: Colony Beach & Tennis Resort, Jeffrey Warren, Judge Rodney May, Longboat Key, Longboat Key News, Murf Klauber, Unicorp, waterfront real estate

In cities like Boston, Nashville, New York and San Francisco, visiting the neighborhoods is part of the itinerary. But in Orlando, where droves of tourists head straight to the theme parks, some of the city’s most-cherished enclaves go undiscovered. Carve out some time for exploring these eight personable neighborhoods, each with a distinct vibe and plenty of local flavor.

Downtown Orlando

By day, its high-rises bustle with office workers. After dark, the streets fill with decked-out club-hoppers. Yet downtown Orlando is packed with intriguing sub-destinations worth exploring. Orlando’s creative community shows its talent in the Downtown Arts District. Its CityArts Factory boasts several galleries, nearby arts venues rotate collections regularly, and street sculptures can be found in all kinds of locales, including the exterior of a parking garage, where “Our Journey” is worth seeking out. Lake Eola is a blue oasis. There, tourists ride paddleboats shaped like swans, locals stroll the perimeter at sunset, shoppers stock up on wholesome foodstuffs at the weekly farmers market, and groups practice yoga on the lawn en masse. Hipsters live in Thornton Park’s restored historic homes, urban professionals in its contemporary condos; both groups frequent the neighborhood’s casual restaurants, some of them headliners with noteworthy fare. Big venues draw huge crowds: the state-of-the-art sports and concert arena Amway Center and Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, and the recently renovated open-air Citrus Bowl stadium. Orlando City Soccer is scheduled to open its own stadium in 2016. Before and after downtown events, attendees gather around Church Street Station, where historic buildings with fanciful adornments mix with contemporary buildings to house food, drink and entertainment venues; the area is often open only to pedestrians.

Winter Park

Just north of downtown is upscale enclave Winter Park, which was the area’s first resort community as wealthy northerners came down in the late 1800s to escape cold winters. Today, the area is popular for its scenic lakes, thriving arts community and shopping and dining scene. Park Avenue is the main thoroughfare that runs through downtown and is chock-full of independently owned boutiques, retail stores, sidewalk cafes and art galleries. The Morse Museum of American Art holds the most-comprehensive collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass. Winter Park is also home to Florida’s oldest college, Rollins College, which sits on the beautiful shores of Lake Virginia. The college has a public dock and a free art museum open to visitors.

Kissimmee

A quiet agricultural community before the theme parks came to town, modern-day Kissimmee invites visitors to experience Old Florida. Visitors drive past sprawling cattle ranches while heading to traditional airboat rides. Eco tours introduce participants to Orlando’s natural side. Zip-line and ropes-course operators add a bolt of thrill to the outdoor experience. Make time to see a classic rodeo if the timing’s right. Kissimmee’s historic city center is worth a visit for its street art, including the quirky Monument of States, an early ’40s statue with mementos from 48 of the Fifty Nifty. It’s within the spiffy 25-acre Kissimmee Lakefront Park, an open-air escape with floating docks over Lake Tohopekaliga, fishing piers, wooden and paved trails, and eco “rain gardens.” Family-oriented dinner theaters abound along Kissimmee’s main tourism thoroughfare.

Celebration

The Town of Celebration is a modern take on Americana. Disney started building the self-contained neighborhood as a master planned community in 1996. Today this thoughtfully designed mini metropolis, now unaffiliated with the corporate giant, is a polished, upscale residential and commercial area with old-fashioned looking homes—big on front porches—that have modern interiors within. Market Street, the main drag, draws visitors for its indoor-outdoor restaurants with lake views. Several revered architects including Michael Graves and Philip Johnson designed signature buildings. Residents and visitors make use of Celebration’s 26 miles of walking trails and 45 parks of various sizes. A Robert Trent Jones golf course is open to the public.

Dr. Phillips/Restaurant Row

Equidistant from the Disney, Universal and SeaWorld theme parks, Dr. Phillips is the only Orlando neighborhood that draws equally from tourist corridors and residential neighborhoods. Its main drag, Sand Lake Road, has become known as Restaurant Row for its midscale and upscale restaurants, which flank the street via high-end Mediterranean-style strip centers. Boutiques, upscale grocers, and polished retailers selling goods from cigars to liqueurs beckon those looking to stock their hotel rooms or suitcases. Quiet parks dot Dr. Phillips, which was named for a citrus magnate and philanthropist. Bay Hill, a residential golf community, is home to the annual Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Ivanhoe Row/Mills 50/Loch Haven

Ivanhoe Row and Mills 50 are up-and-coming Orlando neighborhoods known for their offbeat yet attractive businesses. Ivanhoe Row was long Orlando’s antiques center; now art galleries and trendy bars fill the vintage storefronts with hipster wares and fare. It’s a short walk to Loch Haven Cultural Park’s museums and theaters. Nearby, Mills 50 is two neighborhoods in one. Artsy with an edge, it’s an LGBT-friendly enclave lined with inexpensive cafes serving flavors that span the globe. It’s also Orlando’s Asian center, packed with Vietnamese restaurants, grocery stores and acupuncture practices. Seek out Mills 50’s utility boxes, dumpsters and exterior business walls; many are painted in colorful one-of-a-kind motifs by local artists.

College Park

College Park is technically part of the city of Orlando, yet this urban commercial/residential hybrid is a closely knit community all its own. The main drag, Edgewater Drive, is a pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare with restaurants, boutiques and resale furniture emporiums. Surrounding that, 1920s-era bungalows along brick roads named for universities are home to an eclectic group of residents, most of whom shop and socialize at the now-retro 1950 Publix supermarket. Author Jack Kerouac spent time in one of the bungalows. It’s now a writer’s retreat. Away from College Park’s center, expansive homes with lake views show Orlando living at its most graceful.

Winter Garden

Plant Street, the heart of Winter Garden, is a retail and restaurant strip created from what was long a worn-down citrus center’s downtown. Quaint, friendly and free of pretention, the welcoming enclave with brick-paved streets and faux gas lamps is timeless yet trend-forward. Children jump in splash pads and couples cavort in oversized porch swings set in the center of town–where silver-haired gentlemen sometimes play Americana tunes alfresco. Adults sup and sip wine and martinis in welcoming dining rooms, cafes and watering holes—chic, bohemian or cozy. Athletes walk, jog, bike and skate by, as Plant Street is part of the expansive West Orange Trail. A brewery and indoor locavore market, plus a weekly farmers market, offer up artisan wares and groceries.

The city of Lake Mary is looking to create an area called Midtown, in part, to house a new $200 million mixed-use development planned by Unicorp National Developments Inc.

The city is seeking a change to its comprehensive plan to create a mixed-use Midtown future land-use category. And the first project within that proposed Midtown district would be Unicorp’s planned 34.5-acre Griffin Farm Town Center at the southwest corner of West Lake Mary Boulevard and Longwood-Lake Mary Road, city documents showed.

Midtown is being proposed as the area east of Rinehart Road and west of Fifth Street, city documents showed.

A change to the comprehensive plan would require state approval and the Lake Mary planning and zoning commission is expected to discuss sending those plans to the state for review during a meeting on Aug. 25, city documents showed.

A public hearing will be held this evening on both items and the applicants are property owners Griffin Interests LLC and Piloian Property Holdings LLC, documents showed. The planning and zoning commission meets at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 100 N. Country Club Road in Lake Mary.

If the planning and zoning commission recommends sending the plans to the state, the county commission would have the final say-so, which could happen as early as September.

Unicorp President Chuck Whittall previously talked to Orlando Business Journal about preliminary plans for the project, which include 120,000 square feet of retail — including a new-to-market organic grocery store and health club — along with 300 high-end apartments and 200 single-family homes. Previous reports also mentioned a possible Panera Bread in the development.

Whittall couldn’t be reached for comment by press time.

However, Unicorp could close on the land — owned by the historic Griffin family cattle ranchers — in January, pending approvals. The project could create hundreds of temporary construction and permanent jobs in Central Florida and would bring plenty of new housing, shopping and dining options to existing residents and those looking to move to the area.

THE $23 MILLION JUDGMENT

Four bidders are seeking the $23 million judgment against Colony Beach & Tennis Resort unit owners that U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee William Maloney seeks to sell. Longtime Colony owner Dr. Murray “Murf” Klauber won the judgment on appeal in 2012.

Why it matters: Developers need the judgment to assess unit owners for money owed and use the funds to redevelop the resort. The association needs the judgment to bury it and prevent other developers from using it to assess them.

The latest: The following four bids will be reviewed 10 a.m. Sept. 8 in May’s courtroom:

• Newcomer Bluewater Oceanfront Investments LLC, a new Windermere-based corporation formed July 17 by registered agent Robert Butler, submitted the highest bid at $4 million along with a $400,000 deposit.

• The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort Association submitted a $3 million cash bid with a $300,000 deposit. • Unicorp submitted a $3.5 million bid with a $350,000 deposit.

• Naeco LLC, a New Hamshire-based corporation controlled by Delray Beach-based Ocean Properties, submitted a $3.7 million bid with a $370,000 deposit.

All offers except the association’s would still allow the winning bidder to assess unit owners for the $23 million judgment they are seeking as part of a redevelopment plan for the resort.

Parties will explain to Judge K. Rodney May why their offers should be approved and can raise cash bids at the auction.

THE REC LEASE JUDGMENT

Future development of the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort requires settlement of a long-disputed recreational lease, along with a $2.5 million recreational lease judgment that U.S. Bankruptcy Chapter 7 Trustee Douglas Menchise controls.

Why it matters: To develop the entire 18-acre Colony site, a developer needs approximately three acres of tennis courts, walking trails and other amenities that sit mostly in the middle of the property. When the resort was operational, Klauber collected $650,000 a year from unit owners for their right to use the amenities. The 99-year lease has approximately 60 years remaining, but payments haven’t been made in nearly a decade. The judgment for rec lease payments and the rights to use the property are crucial to future development. Unicorp already has an agreement in place with Colony Lender LLC, which has agreed to give Unicorp rights to the 95% interest it owns on the property it acquired from Klauber’s collateral on overdue bank loans and Carolyn Field.

The latest: Menchise was bringing forward a $600,000 settlement he reached with the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort Association to Judge May at 10 a.m. Aug. 28.

But the settlement offer won’t be presented to May as planned because Menchise filed a motion last week to withdraw the offer. Menchise noted in his Aug. 6 motion to rescind that the agreement expired and contained a mutual mistake of fact.

Why is he rescinding it? Unicorp President Chuck Whittall announced Aug. 7 he’s reached an approximately $1.4 million cash settlement agreement with Menchise that acquires the rec lease judgment and provides more cash for Menchise to settle claims. The settlement also releases the liability of all claims involved with the rec lease estate. Judge May will review the settlement Unicorp has reached with Menchise 10 a.m. Aug. 28.

Colony Beach & Tennis Resort Association President Jay Yablon, though, said the association will attempt to enforce its agreement. “We already signed an agreement that’s scheduled for approval,” Yablon said. “Behind the scenes, Whittall interfered with that and he’s trying to reach a separate agreement.”

PAYING ALL CREDITORS

The key to resolving the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort bankruptcy case, at its core, involves paying myriad creditors owed money when the resort closed its doors in 2010. Only after creditors are paid can the bankruptcy case be closed to pave the way for a future resort.

Why it matters: Becoming the largest affected creditor in the Colony bankruptcy case settles yet another legal issue because another party that expected a large payment has been paid and resolved. Settling all disputes and claims is what will end the bankruptcy case.

So who’s the largest affected creditor owed money in the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort bankruptcy case? It was Sarasota law firm Icard Merrill, which is owed $1,047,000 for legal fees involved with the case over the years.

Whittall filed a motion last week confirming that he paid Icard Merrill its amount owed, which now makes Unicorp the largest affected creditor in the case. The association intends to fight the settlement, though, because it says it reached its own three-way settlement with Icard Merrill and Menchise for the rec lease.

An agreement the association had in place to purchase the Icard Merrill claim, though, expired July 30. Icard Merrill filed an objection to the former association settlement of its claim because the amount listed it was owed was incorrect.

There are a variety of other claims from parties still seeking to be paid as part of the bankruptcy case.

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

It depends on whom you talk to.

All eyes are on Whittall to see if his settlement offer with Trustee Menchise for the rec lease is considered and approved.

If it’s approved and Whittall is able to put up enough cash at the all-day auction in September for the $23 million judgment controlled by Trustee William Maloney and convince Judge May that his offer comes along with resolving outstanding claims, Unicorp will have the pieces in place to resolve the bankruptcy case. Colony Lender has also agreed to settle litigation, damages and claims it believes it has if Unicorp controls the rec lease judgment.

“We’re excited,” Whittall said. “If Judge May approves our settlement with Menchise and awards the $23 million judgment to us, we will have all the pieces in place to turn dirt at the Colony, get the economic engine there going and eventually get people back on that beach.”

Yablon, though, said if Whittall acquires the two judgments instead of the association, the legal dispute will drag on.

“If he (Whittall) gets those two judgments, then unfortunately we go full force on litigation,” Yablon said. “We will fight him right through appeals and try to turn the judgments into zero. More time will be wasted, and lots of money will be spent on attorneys who will profit from it.”

The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort Association filed an emergency motion late Monday afternoon that urges U.S. Bankruptcy Judge K. Rodney May to enforce a $600,000 settlement agreement it reached with U.S. Trustee Douglas

Menchise for a recreational lease judgment of $2.5 million. Menchise was bringing forward a $600,000 settlement he reached with the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort Association to May 10 a.m. Aug. 28.

But the settlement offer won’t be presented to May as planned because Menchise filed a motion last week to withdraw the offer. Menchise noted in his Aug. 6 motion to rescind the agreement expired and contained a mutual mistake of fact.

Unicorp President Chuck Whittall announced Aug. 7 he’s reached an approximately $1.4 million cash settlement agreement with Menchise that acquires the rec lease judgment and provides more cash for Menchise to settle claims. The settlement also releases the liability of all claims involved with the rec lease estate.

May will review the settlement Unicorp has reached with Menchise 10 a.m. Aug. 28.

A Colony redevelopment suitor, Orlando-based Unicorp, finalized a contract last week to buy critical assets including The Colony Recreation Lease from one of the resort’s bankrupt estates.

If the contract is approved on Aug. 28 in Judge May’s courtroom, it could spell a blow to the Association of Unit Owners who had a contract in place that expired and was not executed last month according to Unicorp and the Chapter 7 estate trustee.

The arguement that the contract expired allowed Unicorp’s President Chuck Whittall to create a reorganization plan with the Bankrupt Estate’s Trustee Douglas Menchise.

But for Colony Association of Unit Owners President Jay Yablon, “Any talk that the agreement expired is sheer advocation and the Association has money in the bank to execute its own agreement.”

The Association had an agreement to buy the Estate for $600,000 but there were two issues clouding the sale: the Estate was in dispute with law firm Icard Merrill over the amount of legal fees due, and the Estate maintained it owned The Colony Recreational Lease but Colony Lender and Unicorp bought the Recreational Properties at auction earlier last year and maintained that the lease transferred with the property.

The Recreational Lease is important because it was and is an ongoing obligation of $70,000 per month due from unit owners for the use of The Colony spa, tennis courts and recreational amenities. The lease continues far into the future and the right to collect goes with whomever controls the assets in the bankrupt estate. There are also about $2 million in damages due under the recreational lease that is also a separate claim and liabity against the unit owners.

The Association of Unit Owners sought to buy these assets, but, according to Whittall, their agreement expired on August 2 and subsequently Trustee Douglas Menchise filed a motion seeking to sell the property of the Estate to Unicorp.

Also, Unicorp recently paid more than $1 million to settle the disputes and bought Icard Merrill’s interest in the Estate. Whittall says that not only gives Unicorp standing, it also removed the largest creditor in buying the Icard Merrill claim.

Whittall says, “The bankruptcy court’s job on Aug. 28 is to make sure money goes back to the creditors. These are not bills we created, the Association of Unit Owners created these bills and debts and in their scenario, people do not get paid. I get the feeling that Judge May is tired of kicking the case down the road.”

But for Yablon, the agreement and contract it had in place with Menchise is binding and there is no expiration. Yablon added that the Association is filing a motion in court next week to enforce the agreement.

Whittall said that if Judge May approves the contract in place between Unicorp and the Chapter 7 Estate, it does three things: cleans up a significant piece of The Colony mess, gives the ability to enforce the claims or forgive them, or, it gives the ability to settle the claims.

Doc Klauber’s docs are strong

Unraveling the nexus of Colony legal agreements and contractual obligations is no easy task because former Chairman Murf Klauber, says Whittall, fashioned very strong agreements.

“Murf’s documents were very good; he did an excellent job in setting up The Colony agreements,” said Whittall.

Part of why all of the above is of such importance is that until the above interests are resolved, there will be an encumbrance on the title for anyone who wants to build on the property. In essence, the Recreational Lease goes with the property and must be either satisfied or resolved.

Judge May on Aug. 28 can take several paths with the Association arguing that it has a deal in place and will seek to enforce the deal and Unicorp argueing the Association’s deal is expired and their agreement supercedes the Association’s.

Whittall said Unicorp’s agreement, if approved, will leave about $600,000 for creditors in the Estate since they have already paid Icard Merrill; which was the largest creditor.

What about the $23 million judgment?

The other case set to be resolved on Sept. 8 is the sale of the other bankrupt estate that holds the $23 million judgment against Colony Unit Owners.

Four bidders including Unicorp, the Association of Unit Owners, Naeco (owned by the Key Club’s Walsh family) and Bluewater Oceanfront Investments have qualified.

Unicorp has an agreement in place for the $23 million judgment with the Chapter 7 Trustee, William Maloney, at a price of $3.5 million, but Judge May last June said that an auction would determine the highest and best bid.

The $23 million judgment was won by former Chairman Murf Klauber against the Association of Unit Owners on appeal when Judge Merryday found the Association of Unit Owners at fault for not paying assessments due in order to repair and renovate the Colony to the General Management Partnership, which led to the demise of the resort in August 2010.

Judge May will hold the final auction for the $23 million on Sept. 8 in an all-day bidding process between the four contenders.

Analysis

If the Association argues successfully that it still in fact has a deal in place for the Estate containing the Recreational Lease, there will be ongoing legal disputes since Unicorp maintains that the lease went along with the recreational property it acquired at auction last year. Unicorp would also be owed the claim that it bought from Icard Merrill.

If the Judge agrees with the Trustee and Unicorp on Aug. 28, it will continue Unicorp’s consolidation of Colony assets and Unicorp would be able to demand the rent payments or settle or negotiate for their interests.

If on Sept. 8, the Association of Unit Owners succeeds in being the highest bidder for the $23 million judgment, the Unit Owners will have successfully retired the largest liability they face at roughly $100,000 per unit in claims.

If Unicorp succeeds at being the highest bidder, the entity will be in the strongest position to either seek repayment of a judgment or negotiate.

Even if the entire $23 million were paid, it is only for past expenses and a damages claim and does not include money to bring the resort back into shape. The units still would need to be restored or rebuilt with estimates coming in at about $150,000 per unit or $37 million in total.

Additionally the sewer, fire and electrical systems would have to be restored and roads would have to be put into place.

For Whittall, even though other entities are bidding, if anyone else wins on Sept. 8 he maintains they will have to partner with Unicorp. That is because Unicorp owns the 2.3 acres that contains the waterfront, the recreational property and possibly on Aug. 28, the Recreational Lease.

“There is excitement in the air. Some day a new Colony will be a great economic driver for Longboat Key,” said Whittall.

Arguably the most critical asset that could determine who ends up controlling The Colony Beach and Tennis Resort attracted four bidders last Thursday.

The four entities are vying to purchase the $23 million judgment against The Colony Unit Owners. The top bid of $4 million was made by Bluewater Oceanfront Investments, LLC. Bluewater is based in Windermere, FL and was formed on July 17, 2015 by Managing Member Robert Russell. Russell submitted the required 10 percent deposit, which made him a qualified bidder for the final auction that will be held Sept. 8 in U.S. Bankruptcy Judge William May’s courtroom.

Russell wrote in the letter that accompanied his bid that, “In an effort to ensure my bid is at least equivalent to existing or future bids, I am willing to offer to indemnify and hold harmless you as trustee from any costs or claims that are made or have been filed by Colony Beach and Tennis Club, and/or individual unit owners against the estate.

The second highest bid of $3.7 million was made by Naeco, LLC. Naeco is owned by the Walsh family, which owns numerous hotels in the Longboat Key and Sarasota market, including the Longboat Key Club, the former Longboat Key Hilton, as well as waterfront hotels from Florida to Northern Maine.

Naeco did not indemnify the bankrupt estate from claims in its bid.

The next highest bid of $3.5 million was made by Unicorp, an Orlando-based company, headed by Chuck Whittall, who has maintained over the past few years a desire to redevelop The Colony into a combination of hotel and condominium units sharing amenities. Unicorp’s bid does indemnify the estate against unit owner and the Association of Unit Owner claims.

The issue of indemnification against claims stems from the Association of Colony Unit Owners stating that it has up to $15 million in unsecured claims against the estate. The estate is the now bankrupt entity that was run by the general partnership and controlled by former Chairman Murf Klauber and was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the resort. Klauber won the $23 judgment against the Unit Owners on appeal when Judge Merryday found the Association of Unit Owners at fault for not paying assessments due to the management partnership and for taking actions that led to the demise of the resort, which official closed in August of 2010.

The Association of Unit Owners also qualified with a $3 million bid, waiving Association claims and certain unit owner claims.

On Sept. 8, Judge May will commence an auction at 10 a.m. and the bidders will be able to argue the merit and the strength of their bid to the judge and the parties will be able to raise their bids until the close of the auction at the end of the day.

Highest and best

Judge May decided last June to hold the auction when the Chapter 7 trustee, William Maloney, filed a petition asking the Judge to approve a $3.5 million offer made by Unicorp for the estate. Maloney said that it intended to go forward with the sale to Unicorp if no higher bids were received. Due to the fact that higher opening bids have come in, the final auction will take place on Sept. 8.

If an entity other than the Association of Unit Owners buys the judgment, it would be adverse to the Association of Unit Owner’s interest in that the winner of the auction could move to demand to collect the value of the $23 million judgment. If the judgment is spread out among the owners, it amounts to almost $100,000 in liability per unit.

If the Association is successful in acquiring the judgment, it would essentially retire the largest outstanding threat and liability unit owners face.

Either outcome will inch forward the process of resolution and consolidation of interests. The owners, Klauber’s management companies, the owner of the recreational interests and outparcels, as well as potential developers have battled in and out of court for more than half a decade as the community has watched the site slowly decay at 1640 Gulf of Mexico Drive.

Unicorp National Developments Inc. is busy building 1,000 apartment units throughout Central Florida, but it’s never too busy to miss out on a good investment sale opportunity.

Unicorp’s related Maguire Roberson LLC sold the nearly 2-year-old, 276-unit Casa Mirella apartment complex in Windermere for $50 million, or $181,159 per unit, to Raia FL SPE Hackettstown II LLC, an entity related to Ramsey, N.J.-based Raia Properties Corp., Orange County records showed. The sale closed on Aug. 3.

The price per square foot was among one of the highest in local apartment sales in the last several months. Unicorp President Chuck Whittall told Orlando Business Journal he elected to sell the property because “we received a good offer.”

Unicorp first began working on the $40 million Casa Mirella project in late 2012, debuted its first 216 units in late 2013 and completed the final 60 units earlier this year. The property was more than 90 percent occupied at the time of the sale, Whittall said.

The Best Western Mt. Vernon Inn is no longer standing in Winter Park, and Unicorp National Developments Inc. is finalizing plans for the $25 million boutique retail complex set to take its place — and relieve the parking headache that many are anticipating may follow.

Unicorp on June 22 is expected to go before the Winter Park Commission for approval to grow its parking structure by 77 spaces to a total of 274 spaces, which would take the complex from two-and-a-half to three levels, city documents showed. The additional parking spaces could help in relieving what’s expected to be a busy future retail complex on the busy intersection of U.S. Highway 17-92 and Morse Boulevard, documents showed.

The changes wouldn’t shift the footprint, location, setback or dimensions of the parking structure, but would raise the total height to 25 feet with the third level being roof parking, documents showed.

Meanwhile, razing of the former 66-year-old, 147-room Mt. Vernon Inn also began earlier today and it’s expected to be redeveloped into a a 37,473-square-foot boutique retail complex.

The center’s retail space is about 77 percent accounted for, and Chuy’s Mexican restaurant signed a lease to move into Lakeside Crossing, as did Sage Dental.

The previously announced Coopers Hawk Winery and Ra Sushi will not be coming to the center, but Unicorp is in talks with Kona Grill and a third restaurant concept, the company confirmed.

Other tenants who have committed include Fitlife Foods, an unnamed South Florida full-service salon and spa and Spavia massage center.

Orlando can finally get a taste of what Chef Dominic Rice has cooked up at a new independent restaurant in Dr. Phillips.

New neighborhood, chef-driven eatery Slate is now open at 8323 W. Sand Lake Road in Unicorp National Developments Inc.’s $12 million Parkside at Dr. Phillips retail complex, which is anchored by Trader Joe’s. The restaurant is a partnership between Rice, Atlanta-based Concentrics Restaurants and Unicorp President Chuck Whittall.

New restaurants help establish the city’s budding culinary scene, showcase top talent and help draw more visitors to the area. It also provides new opportunities for local vendors, creates new jobs, construction opportunities and more dining options for locals.

Rice hosted a media dinner on June 16 to showcase some of the dishes from Slate’s menu. Check the photo gallery for a look at some of the appetizers, entrees, sides and desserts.

OBJ first learned about slate in 2013, when Whittall first talked about this newest endeavor. Check out more recent headlines on the retailing and restaurantsindustries.

Winter Park’s historic Best Western Mt. Vernon Inn is set to become a thing of the past come June 22.

Unicorp National Developments Inc. next week will begin razing the 66-year-old, 147-room hotel on U.S. Highway 17-92 and Morse Boulevard to make way for its $25 million redevelopment of the property into Lakeside Crossing, a 37,473-square-foot boutique retail complex. It’s unknown which companies were named as general contractors for the demolition and for the project.

Kimley-Horn & Associates Inc. is the project engineer and Antunovich Associates is the architect.

Lakeside Crossing, which sits just southeast of Unicorp’s existing Trader Joe’s-anchored Lakeside Winter Park shopping center, is expected to revitalize an older property, bringing more jobs to the region as well as more shopping and dining options for residents and businesses. \

Unicorp recently confirmed to Orlando Business Journal that Chuy’s Mexican restaurant will take 7,000 square feet of space in the center. And President Chuck Whittall also had previously told OBJ Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant planned to take 11,000 square feet of space, and Ra Sushi has signed up for 6,500 square feet.

Signs for Chuy’s and Ra Sushi can be seen on renderings, but not Cooper’s Hawk. Check out some of those images in our photo gallery

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge K. Rodney May quickly corrected an attorney when he described a Colony Beach & Tennis Resort matter he believed.

“No, that was two year ago,” May said. “This case is entering its sixth year of ongoing litigation this summer.”

Colony Chapter 7 Trustee William Maloney’s attorney, Jordi Gusso, quickly responded: “Time flies when you’re having fun, judge.”

May smirked at the comment, but made one thing clear later during the June 4 hearing in his Tampa courtroom: He won’t let appeals or past decisions mire the way he handles the case in the future.

“The district court could wipe out the sanctions,” May said. “I’ve been surprised a number of times with (appeal court) decisions made and the lis pendens (lawsuits against unit owners) might be upheld. It makes more sense to schedule bidding and see where it leads.”

May approved an emergency motion from Colony Beach & Maloney that allows him to move proceed with bid and auction procedures for a $23 million judgment against unit owners this summer.

Maloney, who doesn’t foresee a settlement among Colony parties, urged May to move forward with a process that could lead to an August auction of a judgment that longtime Colony owner Dr. Murray “Murf” Klauber won on appeal against unit owners.

Maloney seeks to sell the judgment to Unicorp National Development President Chuck Whittall, who offered $3.5 million for the judgment, or a higher bidder with a better offer at auction. Maloney and Whittall, who already submitted a $200,000 deposit for his offer, have already signed a contract for the judgment.

“In the face of a $3.5 million cash offer, it’s appropriate to bring this forward to you,”

Gusso said. Gusso asked for a bid process for other parties to compete with Whittall’s offer that included the following parameters: an all-cash offer and a deposit that would amount to 10% of the amount of the total bid. The first available bid above Unicorp’s, Gusso said, should be set at $3.6 million.

May called the motion and parameters reasonable.

“You’re doing your fiduciary duty by bringing this to me,” May said.

Colony Beach & Tennis Resort Association Attorney Jeff Warren disagreed with May’s assessment and asked for a continuance of the motion, citing not enough time to review the motion and the motion being prejudice against his client.

Warren noted that the association asked May last month to consider barring Unicorp and Colony Lender from being qualified as active bidders as part of recent sanctions May levied against them.

Warren also said that Unicorp and Colony Lender’s appeal of the sanctions means that lawsuits levied against unit owners that May ordered to be lifted remain in place for the time being.

“That’s a disadvantage to unit owners and those looking to bid on something that has a lawsuit pending on it,” Warren said.

May disagreed with Warren on several points. Warren said a settlement the association proposed to Maloney in May that included wrapping up issues with other parties (minus Colony Lender and Unicorp) wasn’t considered.

“We think the trustee hasn’t exercised good business judgment by attempting to sell the asset for cash instead of even considering a settlement that resolves more than half the claims in this case,” Warren said. “And we think they (Colony Lender) don’t come to the court with clean hands.”

U.S. Trustee Douglas Menchise, who controls everything regarding a disputed recreational lease and a rec lease judgment for $2.5 million, also objected to Maloney’s motion.

“The court has yet to determine who owns what for the (rec lease) asset,” said Menchise, who said a bigger asset shouldn’t be sold before the rec lease matter is determined.

Michael Assaf, attorney for Colony Lender LLC, took offense to Warren’s comments, noting Unicorp made the judgment offer. “Unicorp is trying to assemble the pieces, not Colony Lender,” Assaf said. “Colony Lender is being acquired by Unicorp and has nothing to do with this.”

Assaf said no other party has put up cash offers for Colony auction pieces like Unicorp.

“Because of hard feelings about Colony Lender, they (the association) are unfairly making Unicorp out to be evil,” Assaf said. “The truth is Unicorp has the only skin in the game because they are the only one willing to write a check.”

Assaf said if developer and Colony unit owner Andy Adams would have put up $15 million as part of a proposed association settlement that went awry two years ago, the case would be resolved.

The comment irked May, who cut off Assaf’s speech.

“That’s totally out of bounds,” Assaf said. “Stop, stop, stop. You’re out of bounds on several points.” Gusso noted that the association and other parties still have a right to object to a future sale.

“We came hand in hand with the association in 2013 with a settlement,” Gusso said. “But the big void was an absence of cash. There’s an all-cash offer on the table and the trustee is simply trying to maximize the recovery of its asset.”

After Gusso’s speech, May granted Maloney’s motion.

Bids for the auction are due July 30. A hearing will be set in August or early September for an all-day hearing and auction for the judgment May will oversee. Appeals for the bids and auction process will be accepted until Aug. 15.

The association was granted a bit of relief, though, from its objections to Maloney’s motion when Warren convinced May to relax Gusso’s all cash offer parameters.

Warren pushed for offers that include both cash and/or a combination of parties agreeing to a waiver of claims to resolve issues.

“I’m arguing for more than just cash,” Warren said.

After a short recess so Maloney could consider the request, Gusso announced the trustee is agreeable to offers that he can deem appropriate for both cash and/or a waiver of claims/settlements with parties.

Near the corner of W. Lake Mary Boulevard and Longwood Lake Mary Road, sits a large patch of land which Orlando-based developer Unicorp National Developments Inc. hopes to turn into a mixed-use development.

“It’s a 35 acre piece of property [that has been sitting vacant there forever, and the parents passed away and the children decided to sell the property,” explains Chuck Whittall with Unicorp.

Right now, the land [map] looks like something you would find in a farming community and Whittall says that’s exactly what they want to model the development after.

“Lake Mary is a great area. It’s a great piece of dirt, and it affords a great opportunity. We expect to bring an organic grocery store there. We’re negotiating with a couple health and fitness clubs, restaurants and retailers, and we’re also going to have residential and apartments as part of it.”

Plans for the project include 300 upscale apartments in the complex.

“Lake Mary has a lot of good jobs coming there with all the growth, and we think there’s a need to do really nice high end apartment homes.”

Whitall says they’re expecting to break ground on the $200 million project early next year.

“It’s going to be a great project, and it’s going to be unlike the central Florida market has ever seen. We are really going out of our way to do something special there.”

Unicorp National Developments Inc. is expanding its development pipeline further east on Interstate 4 into Lake Mary.

The Orlando-based developer — which was responsible for bringing niche grocer Trader Joe’s to Orlando — is working on plans for a new 35-acre, mixed-use development on Lake Mary Boulevard, President Chuck Whittall told a group of real estate professionals during the June 11 RealShare Central Florida conference.

Whittall told Orlando Business Journal his firm has the site under contract on the southwest corner of West Lake Mary Boulevard and Longwood Lake Mary Road and is working through approvals with the city of Lake Mary for what he’s calling Griffin Farm Town Center. Tentative plans for the project, which Whittall said would be valued at “a couple hundred million dollars,” include single-family homes, apartments, a grocery store, shops, restaurants and a possible health club, he said.

Unicorp could close on the land — owned by the historic Griffin family cattle ranchers — in January, pending approvals. The project could create hundreds of temporary construction and permanent jobs in Central Florida.

Unicorp already has plenty of projects throughout the region, including the recently debuted $250 million I-Drive 360 complex, the neighboring Vue at 360 complex, $25 million Lakeside Crossing shopping center in Winter Park and the Westside mixed-use complex in west Orange County, among others.

The firm’s developments have brought plenty of temporary construction jobs to the region, as well as offering hundreds of retail and service jobs, plus offering new shops, eateries and entertainment facilities for travelers, business professionals and residents area-wide. Whittall joined Skipper Peek of Tavistock Development Co. LLC, Paul Ellis of CNL Commercial Real Estate, Marianne Gurnee from the Florida Department of Transportation and Steven McCraney of McCraney Property Co. during a panel discussion on development and redevelopment opportunities in Central Florida.

Winter Park will soon welcome a new neighbor by the name of Chuy’s.

The Austin, Texas-based restaurant chain signed a lease for a 7,000-square-foot space in Unicorp National Developments Inc.’s $25 million Lakeside Crossing retail complex, which is set to replace the historic Best Western Mt. Vernon Inn on U.S. Highway 17-92.

Unicorp President Chuck Whittall said Chuy’s Tex-Mex will be one of three restaurants in the new development, which is across the street from the Trader Joe’s-anchored Lakeside Winter Park shopping center.

“We excited to have them [at this development],” Whittall said. “There’s no real Mexican restaurant in Winter Park, and we think it will do very well there.”

The restaurant will feature indoor and outdoor seating and is set to open in June or July 2016 when the entire project debuts in Winter Park.

Chuy’s currently has three Orlando-area locations, including one in Unicorp’s $100 million I-Shops development on International Drive.

The chain previously said it wanted to open at least four to five locations in the Orlando area, and was considering submarkets like Winter Park, Lake Buena Vista and east Orlando near the University of Central Florida. Meanwhile, Whittall said they’re close to finalizing another tenant for the Lakeside Crossing project, which will be announced in a few weeks. In addition, Unicorp is putting the finishing touches on the new Slate restaurant in Dr. Phillips, which is set to open on June 10.

Restaurant group owner Bob Amick has plenty to do when he travels to Orlando.

The president of Atlanta-based Concentrics Restaurants — a group that owns, manages and develops restaurant concepts across the country, including Luma on Park and Prato in Winter Park — is working on three concepts in the Orlando area, two of which will debut this summer.

Concentrics has teamed up to open restaurants at two Unicorp National Development Inc. projects: Slate, at the Trader Joe’s-anchored Parkside at Dr. Phillips complex; and Somm, a wine bar at the $200 million I-Drive 360 entertainment complex.

Somm is slated to open in July near the entrance of the 400-foot Orlando Eye observation wheel. The wine bar will offer a curated selection of boutique and fine wines developed by advanced sommelier Justin Amick, Bob’s son.

In addition, Somm will carry craft beers, artisanal sodas and a selection of hot and cold dishes prepared by Slate restaurant in Dr. Phillips.

Meanwhile, Slate’s debut on Restaurant Row is right around the corner. The 4,500-square-foot modern American restaurant is set to open June 10, according to Unicorp President Chuck Whittall, and will offer wood-grilled cuisine and a seasonally driven menu headed up by Chef Dominic Rice.

“We’re excited to expand in the flourishing Orlando culinary scene with Slate and Somm,” said Bob Amick, owner and founder of Concentrics Restaurants, in a prepared statement. “We selected the location for Slate near the residential end of Sand Lake Road to bring a new dining option for the residents of Dr. Phillips, Isleworth and Windemere, but we also foresee it becoming a top culinary destination for all Central Floridians as well as visitors.”

The Johnson Studio designed Slate. Get an inside look at Slate’s construction process here. And check the May 29 weekly edition of Orlando Business Journal for a closer look at Slate.

In addition, Concentrics is working with Tavistock Group to open a restaurant later this year in Lake Nona’s Laureate Park. However, Amick previously told Orlando Business Journal that the restaurant doesn’t have a name yet.

The historic Mt. Vernon Inn in Winter Park will be demolished in the next 30 days. City Commissioners have approved a 68,600 SF development called Lakeside Crossing to replace the former home of Red Fox Lounge on the corner of Morse and 17-92. The new development will house three new restaurants and ten retail spaces. The developers, Unicorp National Developments, are planning to put in a 300 + space parking garage to help alleviate the parking issues across the street where popular sops like Trader Joe’s draw large crowds of daily shoppers. Unicorp had originally planned to put in a luxury apartment complex called the Luxe, but plans for the project were not embraced by the City or by residents, leading them to scrap their original concept.

The new project that will replace Winter Park’s historic Mt. Vernon Inn has been given the green light to start construction. City Commissioners gave final approval on Monday for the 68,600-square-foot Lakeside Crossing project, the latest development in Winter Park by Unicorp National Development Inc. The development sitting along U.S. Highway 17-92 across from the Lakeside Winter Park shopping plaza will include three restaurants and 10 retail spaces, accompanied by 300 parking spaces spread between a parking lot and a two-floor garage. It’s a project that combines the charm of Winter Park with something more modern, said Unicorp President Chuck Whittall. “ We want the elegance of Park Avenue but with the poshness you’d find in a brand new development,” Whittall said. “We’re really not going the next mile, but the next 10 miles in architecture and design.” The parking will play a part in relieving the parking woes in the shopping plaza across the street, Whittall told City Commissioners earlier this year. The popularity of the plaza’s Trader Joe’s location continues to bring large crowds of residents, with multiple cars circling the parking lot trying to find spaces. Winter Park Mayor Steve Leary said more parking is a welcomed site. “I think all the parking we can provide to residents and guests in the community is helpful,” Leary said. The project approved on Monday followed a long winding road of amendments and downsizing. The project was originally shown to residents last July as a 170-unit apartment complex and parking garage with retail and restaurant space mixed in. That design was met with reluctance from many residents and some City Commissioners, fearing the project wasn’t in character with Winter Park and could potentially make existing traffic problems worse along U.S. 17-92. “ Already 17-92 and the side streets as well are just overwhelmed with traffic,” Winter Park resident Barbara Bytell said during an informational meeting last October. “They were not designed to carry that amount of traffic.” But some residents believe the project has become too plain. Former Winter Park Mayor Joe Terranova said during a February City Commission meeting the development has become a disappointment since Commissioners requested the project be scaled-down. The project could have instead been the city’s first planned development – one of mixed-use buildings of larger size, he added. “What we have here is a nice design, but it’s a strip mall,” Terranova said. “It doesn’t add anything to the character of Winter Park. It doesn’t do anything for 17-92. It’s same old, same old.” The Mt. Vernon Inn meanwhile has become dilapidated, with many of its windows broken and its doors boarded up. Whittall said the Inn will be torn down within the next 30 days. An application has also been made to increase the garage’s height from two levels to three levels, which will go before the city’s planning and zoning board in June, Whittall said.

The Orlando Eye has had its doubters. “But what can you actually see up there?” has been a common refrain, followed by “After all, this isn’t London.” Well, stop the presses, this isn’t London, folks. True, Central Florida can’t offer the historic vistas such as Big Ben or the River Thames, but there’s still interesting landscape to take in from nearly 400 feet above Florida. You just have to concentrate a little. For an area known for sprawl and man-made attractions, there was a surprising amount of nature visible from inside one of the I-Drive 360 attraction’s 30 capsules during a media preview Wednesday morning. To the east, all sorts of greenery skirting around Lockheed Martin and heading for the Atlantic coast. To the west, the blue waters of Big Sand Lake and Little Sand Lake are in the foreground just beyond Interstate 4. “ I think it’s genuinely surprising,” said James Paulding, Merlin Entertainments Group’s head of new openings for North America, who said he found the nature to be a lovely benefit during his initial rounds on the Eye. Other early users agreed. “ Look at this beautiful view up here. You can see everything,” said daredevil Nik Wallenda as he stood atop the wheel — outside his capsule, mind you — before completing a short morning constitutional up there.

The wheel spins first toward the south, and about the time our capsule cleared the Sea Life Aquarium building that shares space with the Eye, we got a new perspective on the massive Orange County Convention Center. Just beyond that is the aqua-colored rail of Kraken, coaster at SeaWorld Orlando. About a quarter-way around the circle, we noticed a yellow ball popping up over the horizon. It was Downtown Disney’s Characters in Flight balloon. From there we spotted other Walt Disney World landmarks including Spaceship Earth at Epcot and Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom. The possibility that I was spying a wee little Cinderella Castle had me wishing for binoculars. Farther north, mounds of dirt from Universal Orlando construction projects were dominant, but the longer we peered, the more we saw, including the Incredible Hulk coaster and Hogwarts castle, home of the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride at Islands of Adventure theme park. At the top, we tried to find Kennedy Space Center, which Merlin says can be spotted on a clear day. Although Wallenda said the grayish conditions were perfect for his gig, that wasn’t true for seeing the gigantic Vehicle Assembly Building about 50 miles away, as the crow flies. To be fair, the morning haze also was obscuring downtown Orlando, which appeared mostly in silhouette form. As we descended I remembered a high-flying International Drive ride I took years ago. It was a constant-motion, open-air, white-knuckle experience that left me with an I-Drive impression that consisted primarily of a blur of rooftops, air-conditioning units, minivans and blacktop that was frighteningly easy to imagine hitting head first. Not so much with the Eye. The enclosed capsules have AC, full-length tinted glass and a soothing voice-over pointing out sights and sharing Florida historical facts. A small bench is built in for folks who need a standing break during the 22-minute journey. The square-ish capsules hold about 15 people, so this attraction might be more challenging for claustrophobics than acrophobics. Still, I’d rather be inside than standing on the roof, which is how Wallenda returned to the ground. The overall relaxing atmosphere had me re-evaluating the area. I-Drive’s colors seem brighter and cleaner, and that made me want to stay awhile. Orlando Eye officially opens Monday, but there are preview “flights” available Friday-Sunday. For tickets and more information, go to officialorlandoeye.com and click on “Sign up.”

His great grandfather once said, Life happens on a wire.” But for a few minutes on Wednesday, April 29, it happened on a wheel. Daredevil Nik Wallenda made history with a walk atop Merlin Entertainments’ The Orlando Eye at Unicorp National Developments Inc.’s I-Drive 360. The stunt was the first of its kind and a high water mark for public relations at the multimillion-dollar entertainment complex, opening May 4. Due to limited parking and the expected media presence, the public had been asked to watch from home, but that never helps. Hundreds gathered to watch the event from the complex entrance. A short weather delay did not dampen the fun, or the crowd, as expected morning rains held off long enough for the walk, which only spanned a few yards but was enough to create a buzz and bring the love.

It may not be as large as SeaWorld, but International Drive’s new aquarium is a sight to see for tourists who want to know more about our watery neighbors under the seas. Sea Life Orlando Aquarium, one of three major Merlin Entertainments attractions at I-Drive 360, held a media preview on April 27 to showcase what guests can expect to see come May 4 – its official opening date. The experience, which took OBJ Photographer Jim Carchidi and I about an hour to complete, takes you through the various oceans and natural ecosystems of the world and gets you pretty darn close to many of the lifeforms that call the seas their home. Guests can get as close as the acrylic/glass window allows to look at fish as small as seahorses to the massive Wobbegong Shark, which was my personal favorite. The attraction will join the Madame Tussauds wax museum and The Orlando Eye attractions opening on May 4 including the dozens of other attractions, restaurants and entertainment venues at the $200 million I-Drive 360 complex. New attractions like I-Drive 360 help draw more tourists to Orlando — which had more than 60 million visitors in 2014 — as well as spur economic impact in the billions of dollars for the region.

The American Society of Travel Agents recently named Orlando the No. 1 “Hot Spot for Summer Travel” in 2015. After a multi-year surge of blockbuster expansions at Orlando’s world-class theme parks, International Drive (I-Drive) is following suit with the addition of new retail, dining and entertainment venues. Visit Orlando, the destination’s official tourism association, is sharing 10 new ways this summer’s visitors to Orlando can experience I-Drive 360: I-Drive 360 In the heart of Orlando’s tourism corridor, I-Drive 360 is a new entertainment complex and home of The Orlando Eye. The massive project will include attractions, restaurants, music venues and retail locations. 1. SEA LIFE Orlando delivers breathtaking views of over 5,000 underwater creatures from the three oceans of the world. Guests can experience face-to-face encounters with sharks in Orlando’s only 360° Underwater Tunnel as well as touch the velvety back of rays during the touch pool experience. Interactive educational talks will guide guests through the wonders of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans while providing majestic views of the creatures that roam these mysterious waters. 2. Madame Tussauds, the world’s most famous celebrity wax attraction, offers guests a star-studded experience with its signature red carpet treatment. Visitors will move through themed rooms where they can observe and interact with waxworks of their favorite film, music, sport and historical celebrities. 3. The Orlando Eye is a 400-foot-tall observation wheel providing breathtaking panoramic views of Central Florida within fully enclosed, air-conditioned glass capsules. Before entering the 20-minute ride, guests will enter a 4D theatre and watch a short film about Florida. 4. Skeletons Animals Unveiled!, a first-of-its-kind museum, exhibits over 400 skeletons in creative poses and dioramas. The 7,750-square-foot space will feature exotic animals from all over the world as well as eight human skeletons. The walk-through experience will last about 90 minutes and will include interactive exhibits. 5. Naru Restaurant & Sushi Bar, a Brazilian sushi chain, debuts its first U.S. location at I-Drive 360. The 140-seat restaurant blends the best of Japanese and Brazilian cuisine and features Sakerinhas, a perfect fusion of Japan’s sake and Brazil’s caipirinha drink. 6. Tin Roof is a bar, eatery and music venue welcoming its first Florida location on I-Drive 360. Promising live music every night, guests can expect local and regional rock and country bands on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, with acoustic acts during the week. The legendary Nashville venue will bring an eclectic environment as well as creative food offerings and signature cocktails. More information about I-Drive 360 restaurants and shops can be found on Visit Orlando’s blog. Dining Hot Spots 7. Mango’s Tropical Café, one of Miami’s hottest dance clubs, will open a new location on International Drive. The 55,000-square-foot entertainment space features a stage, dance floor and restaurant serving Floribbean Cuisine and tropical cocktails. Drawing inspiration from Caribbean and South American carnivals, the nightlife destination features high-energy dance performances featuring diverse genres of Latin music. 8. Del Frisco’s Double Edge Steak House features chef-driven cuisine paired with the best aged, hand-cut USDA Prime Beef and fresh-off-the-boat seafood including Australian cold-water lobster tails with an extensive award-winning wine list and genuine hospitality. Attractions and Shopping 9. Orlando International Premium Outlets adds four new stores to their retail lineup with DKNY, the retail store for fashion designer Donna Karan, along with high-end watchmaker, Citizen, handbag and accessory maker, Vera Bradley and Italian fashion brand, Diesel. 10. Escapology Orlando and America’s Escape Game, are the two escape game locations on International Drive. Both venues offer guests the exciting opportunity of being locked in themed rooms where they must rely on clues and their wit to solve puzzles and find the key to escape. With new rooms being introduced periodically, there’s always something new to unlock on International Drive. About Visit Orlando Visit Orlando is the official tourism association for the most visited destination in the United States, with representation in more than a dozen countries around the world. Visit Orlando, together with its 1,200 member organizations, represents the area’s leading industry.

Dr. Phillips recently welcomed its newest resident, Trader Joe’s grocery store, and now another new addition to the neighborhood is taking shape right next door. Unicorp National Developments Inc. President Chuck Whittall has teamed up with Bob Amick, owner of Atlanta-based Concentrics Restaurants, and Chef Dominic Rice to open a new restaurant called Slate. The 4,500-square-foot eatery is part of Unicorp’s $12 million Parkside at Dr. Phillips complex on Sand Lake Road. It will feature a modern American seasonal menu, and about 60 workers will be hired for the restaurant, Amick said. New restaurants not only create temporary construction jobs and permanent jobs, but also new opportunities for local vendors and more dining options for area businesspeople and residents. I got a chance today to tour the restaurant with Amick and Rice. While construction is still ongoing and furniture for the restaurant will be delivered May 11, Amick expects Slate to open around May 30. When you first walk in, you’ll notice an industrial feel with steel, brick and copper accents, and plenty of glass chandeliers. The entry of the restaurant will feature a wine wall, and as you walk into the main dining room, you immediately get the feeling of sitting at a chef’s table. The large open-concept kitchen will showcase the culinary work and the large L-shaped floating bar in the restaurant will give guests a view of the dining room or the outside seating. Another section of the dining room will feature a large wood storage wall for the wood-burning grill and oven. It also will feature a fireplace that can be seen both inside and outside of the restaurant.

The Orlando Eye, the 400-foot observation wheel on International Drive, officially lit up for the first time Thursday night with the flip of a giant switch. The new attraction, which will open May 4 in the I-Drive 360 entertainment complex, will be lit with about 64,000 LED bulbs, said a spokeswoman for Merlin Entertainments Group, the wheel’s operator. The attraction has been lighting up for the last several nights as construction workers finish the light installation, a process that took four weeks. While Thursday’s display appeared lit with a purple tint, the wheel’s lights range in color, including pink, red, blue and green among the mix. Merlin officials said the wheel can be lit for various holidays or other celebrations. The Orlando Eye terminal building also includes Madame Tussauds wax museum, Sea Life Aquarium and a food court. The complex, developed by Orlando-based Unicorp, also includes restaurants and retail shops.

Will you and your gang be heading to a theme park (or two or three) this year? If so, you’ll surely want to hop aboard your favorite tried-and-true rides. Butpart of the fun at parks is checking out the latest additions. We’ve already reviewed the newest coasters coming in 2015, so let’s run down some of the other new rides and attractions — the latest and greatest — that park fans are eagerly awaiting this year.

Justice League: Battle for Metropolis at Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags St.Louis

Perhaps the most anticipated non-coaster ride that will be battling for attention in 2015 will come from Six Flags, the park chain that is renowned mostly forits butt-kicking coasters. Actually, make that most anticipated rides: Six Flags locations in Texas and Missouri will both be opening Justice League attractions.

The ultra-sophisticated rides will borrow concepts from the Universal and Disney parks. There will be roving motion base vehicles and projected 3D media a la attractions such as Universal’s Transformers. As in Disney’s Toy Story Mania rides, passengers will be issued blasters to rack up points (and defeat the evil Joker). The multi-modal attractions will also include animatronic characters, real sets, 4D sensory effects, and other high-end trickery to offerimmersive E-ticket experiences rarely seen at regional parks.

RELATED: Six Flags theme park guides

Voyage to the Iron Reef at Knott’s Berry Farm

Another ride that wouldn’t be out of place at nearby Disneyland, the interactive Voyage to the Iron Reef will also feature 3D imagery and invite passengers to shoot their way, video game-style, through richly realized environments. In this case, the targets will be weird, mechanized, ocean beaststhat are threatening to destroy Knott’s Berry Farm.

Fast & Furious – Supercharged at Universal Studios Hollywood

The dancing cars sequence, a cheesy homage to Universal’s “Fast & Furious” movie franchise that has capped Universal’s iconic Studio Tour for a few years, will be replaced with a new, cutting-edge showstopper. Similar to the tour’s King Kong scene, the trams will enter a show building, and passengers will be virtually transported into the middle of hyperactive, effects-laden mayhem. Universal will supercharge the poky trams by placing them on hydraulic motion bases that will move in sync with the frenetic 3D action projected onto a 360-degree screen that will extend 400 feet (making it the world’s longest screen of its type) and completely envelop riders. While the trams will scarcely move, passengers will feel as if they are furiously hurtling at 100 mph alongside the ultra-fast sports cars.

RELATED: Universal Studios Hollywood guide

The Orlando Eye at I-Drive 360

After a busy 2014 that saw the opening of Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley and the Magic Kingdom’s Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Ride, the major Florida parks will be taking a virtual breather this year. Something big – and I mean really big – will debut along popular International Drive, however. At 400 feet, the Orlando Eye will be among the world’s tallest observation wheels. It will offer a leisurely 20-minute ride in air-conditionedcapsules and should offer stunning, panoramic views of the nearby parks. The I-Drive 360 entertainment, dining, and shopping complex will also feature Sea Life Orlando aquarium and a wax museum, Madame Tussauds Orlando.

RELATED: The five tallest observation wheels (and one to come)

Thomas Land at Edaville USA

In 2015, Edaville USA will open a major expansion based on the long-running PBS series, “Thomas and Friends.” The featured attraction will be a ride aboard a full-scale train led by Thomas the Tank Engine. Located near Cape Cod, the 20-minute scenic route will wind through cranberry bogs. There will be a total of 14 new rides, including a roller coaster, Ferris wheel, and a drop tower, all inspired by Thomas characters such as Cranky the Crane and Harold the Helicopter. Sir Topham Hatt will preside over the land and invite visitors to explore the Island of Sodor.

SpongeBob SubPants Adventure at Moody Gardens It’s not a theme park, per se. But the edutainment center, Moody Gardens, will welcome a park-like attraction starring the goofy and loveable SpongeBob SquarePants and his pals from Bikini Bottom. Using digital puppetry, animated characters rendered in 3D will be able to improvise and engage with audience members during the show. If the attraction and the puppeteers/voice actors can nail the tone and the giddy vibe of the popular Nickelodeon TV show, SpongeBob SubPants should be especially entertaining.

NEW YORK, April 14 (UPI) — Nik Wallenda has announced his next major death-defying feat will take place on Florida's soon-to-open Orlando Eye. The daredevil said at a New York press conference Monday that he will attempt to walk on top of the 400-foot tall observation wheel without a tether or wire while it is moving on April 29. The Orlando Eye forms part of the I-Drive 360 entertainment complex, which will celebrate its grand opening this month. "When I heard about the Eye, I just had this vision of how cool it could be to tackle it and on top of that it's just really an amazing structure to behold. There are so many [actual] moving parts to this walk that I think people are going to enjoy watching it as much as I'm going to enjoy taking part in it," Wallenda said.

NEW YORK, April 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — With each walk, Nik Wallenda, “King of the High Wire,” has always managed to push the envelope and this time, he just may have agreed to what could be his most dangerous and unique walk yet. Today, during a New York City press conference, the famed daredevil revealed that his next feat will take place at the soon-to-be-unveiled Orlando Eye, located in the most-visited tourism destination in the US–Orlando, Florida.

On April 29, 2015, Wallenda will attempt to walk on top of the giant observation wheel without a tether and without a wire while it is moving. Standing 400-feet tall, the Orlando Eye forms part of the I-Drive 360 entertainment complex, which celebrates its grand opening this month and is located in the heart of Orlando’s newly revitalized International “I-Drive” District.

From the top, the Eye provides breathtaking views of Central Florida in all directions, with sights of downtown Orlando’s skyline, theme parks, lakes, and lush landscapes. On a clear day, one can even see Cape Canaveral at a distance.

During the press conference, Wallenda explained why he chose the Orlando Eye as his next challenge.

“When I heard about the Eye, I just had this vision of how cool it could be to tackle it and on top of that it’s just really an amazing structure to behold. There are so many (actual) moving parts to this walk that I think people are going to enjoy watching it as much as I’m going to enjoy taking part in it.”

Follow Nik on social media as we get closer to the walk for more late breaking news and updates.

To download video of “The Orlando Eye” click here.

Orlando Eye

The new iconic 400-foot tall observation wheel provides breathtaking views of Central Florida in all directions, with sights of downtown Orlando’s skyline, theme parks, lakes and lush landscape, and on a clear day, views of Cape Canaveral on the east coast. See more at: https://www.officialorlandoeye.com/

Famous daredevil Nik Wallenda announced Monday that his next stunt won’t be a high-wire act: He will be walking on the spinning Orlando Eye, a 400-foot-tall observation wheel in Florida that is slated to open next month.

“It’s extremely unique,” Wallenda said of the April 29 event.

“My whole life is about facing death in the eyes,” the seventh-generation aerialist said at a press conference. “Do I think of death? Often.”

He said he will take a passenger capsule to the top of the structure and will walk on the outer rim as it spins — without a safety harness or a balancing pole. He said he has not determined how long he will walk, though it would take about 20 minutes for the wheel to make a full revolution.

Trader Joe’s opened Friday morning in the Dr. Phillips neighborhood with no traffic jams and a relatively short line, compared to the raucous opening in Winter Park last summer.

Trader Joe’s is known for big opening ceremonies that sometimes attract hundreds of people with long lines and traffic. That happened last June in Winter Park, which was the first Trader Joe’s to open in the Orlando area. In Dr. Phillips on Friday, police patrolled the area, but there was almost no evidence of the event outside of the new shopping center parking lot. The Dr.Phillips location has a very different configuration than the Winter Park center.The newer center is set back further from the road, with parking behind the building. “I hope I exceeded the expectations of the community with what we built here,” said Chuck Whittall, CEO of Unicorp Developments International, which built thenew shopping center. Unicorp plans to open it first venture into the restaurant business soon, next door to Trader Joe’s. Terri Buce was among the first to emerge from the store after it opened. She was pleasantly surprised by the prices and the quick line. “I thought Trader Joe’s might make the prices higher because of this location in Dr. Phillips,” said Buce, who lives a short walk away from the new store. “But they were the same prices they have everywhere.” Buce said many of her neighbors were worried about the impact on traffic. “It will add traffic. I drive past here for work, and the last mile takes 15 or20 minutes already. So I may avoid this for a while, and take the long way around,” Buce said. Another resident who lives nearby, Earl Vasquez, said the area already has too much traffic, and he expects the store will only add more. But he said he hadn’t heard much complaining from neighbors. “Everybody calls this area restaurant row now. We have four grocery stores within a mile, so that’s good to have options,” Vasquez said. Besides Trader Joe’s, there are two Publix stores and a Whole Foods.

ORLANDO, Fla.- Orlando's newest Trader Joe's opened Friday morning in Dr. Phillips, welcoming guests who had lined up outside. The grand opening took place at 8 a.m. at 8323 West Sand Lake Road. Trader Joe's first Orlando-area location opened in Winter Park in June 2014. The neighborhood grocery store said 80 percent of what they carry is under their private-label brand and has nothing artificial in the products. Fans of the store say it offers the quality of the store Whole Foods, but at Walmart prices. Right after the Winter Park location opened, customers discovered huge challenges when it came to parking. The Winter Park location has 150 parking spots for Trader Joe's and the many other retailers and restaurants in the shopping center. While many believe the Dr. Phillips location boasts a larger parking lot, they're wrong. The parking lot for the new location will have even fewer parking spots than Winter Park, boasting just 97 spots for Trader Joe's and the new restaurant, Slate, which is expected to open later this year. The Orange County Sheriff's Office will be directing traffic along that stretchof West Sand Lake Road for the grand opening weekend.

Dirt is expected to start moving this year to prep for a new retail center in a fast-growing residential area near Walt Disney World.

Unicorp National Developments Inc. expects to start construction in early fall on Westside Shoppes, a 70,700-square-foot neighborhood shopping center on the corner of Winter Garden Vineland Road and Reams Road in Orange County’s Horizon West master-planned community. A general contractor hasn’t yet been selected for the project.

The estimated $10 million-$14 million retail complex is planned to be part of a mixed-use development that includes a 402-unit apartment complex called Venetian Isle and a middle school. It’s expected to bring hundreds of temporary construction jobs to the area, while also providing much-needed shops, restaurants, services and schools for the booming residential neighborhoods nearby.

The 116.8-acre site, which is just north of the existing Publix-anchored Lakeside Village shopping plaza, is owned by Longmont, Colo.-based North of Alberts LLP, Orange County records showed. Unicorp President Chuck Whittall told Orlando Business Journal his firm should close on the purchase of the entire site in July.

He expects to announce signed retail tenants in another month or two, but some that had previously been mentioned in marketing materials include Tijuana Flats, Keke’s Breakfast Cafe and Title Boxing Club, among others.

The 2014 tourism numbers are in, and boy, are they good for the metro Orlando region. Visit Orlando reports that more than 62 million people visited Orlando in 2014,marking an all-time new record for the U.S. travel industry. In addition, a record 32 million room nights were sold in Orlando in 2014, resulting in bed tax collections topping $200 million for the first time in Orange County. “This historic milestone is the latest testament to Orlando’s leadership in tourism,” said Visit Orlando President and CEO George Aguel. “It’s a tribute to the steadfast commitment and continued investment by our tourism community, the special brand of service that greets our visitors and the global marketing and sales efforts of our Visit Orlando team and member companies.” A number of expansions and new additions to area theme parks helped contribute to the totals. In 2014, Walt Disney World Resort completed New Fantasyland, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley at Universal Orlando Resort opened. Visitors to Orlando in 2015 will experience the first full year of these exciting expansions that opened in 2014 and be the first to see several new attractions, including I-Drive 360, featuring a trio of new attractions from Merlin Entertainments, as well as a multi-year transformation of Downtown Disney into Disney Springs. “The impact of tourism on our community is remarkable and, in fact, the travel and tourism industry is the largest generator of jobs and economic impact for our region,” said Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs. “In addition to delighting visitors and families from around the world, our travel and hospitality industry helps to support a great quality of life for Orlando’s residents, including our amazing new performing arts center and outstanding sports venues.”

ORLANDO – The 400-foot-tall Orlando Eye is the tallest Ferris wheel on the EastCoast, and Orange County firefighters spent Wednesday climbing all the way to the top of the structure as they tried out for a special operations team. Crews competed Wednesday to be on the team that will be prepared to rescue people from the observation wheel in an emergency. Out of the 70 people who tried out Wednesday, 40 will be selected for the team of elite firefighters. They will spent about three days at the Orlando Eye for training. “To train on a structure like this is very unique,” said Orange County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief David Hollenbach. Strapped in only a harness, the firefighters climbed up a 400-foot-high latter that runs up the entire Orlando Eye, having to stop to reposition themselves asthey made it up the wheel. Orlando Eye staff provided the firefighters with new ropes and equipment to navigate the wheel. “Our responsibility for Orange County Fire Rescue Special Operations is to identify the low-frequency and high-frequency events, train our people for themand continuously train them,” Hollenbach said. They also had to learn how to operate the ride and open the gondolas from the air to rescue passengers. Merlin Entertainments, the same group that operates the Orlando Eye, also operates the London Eye, and brought in people from London to assist with Wednesday’s training. “They have many years of experience,” said Robin Goodchild, general manager of the Orlando Eye. “Also having worked in London, myself, at the London Eye, we’ve never had any need to rescue anyone from the London Eye, and we don’t for see that being an issue here. It’s just a part of the preopening planning and testing phase.” Hollenbach said the firefighters’ training would be finished by the time the Orlando Eye opens on Monday, May 4, as part of the new I-Drive 360 complex.

Ready for some Two Buck Chuck wine, Dr. Phillips? Trader Joe’s on April 10 will open the doors to its much anticipated store No. 2 in Central Florida — this time on Orlando’s southwest side. The Monrovia, Calif.-based niche grocery store will debut at 8 a.m. at 8323 W. Sand Lake Road atUnicorp National Developments Inc.’s Parkside at the Dr. Phillips shopping center. And the craveable products — ranging from fresh produce and dairy to prepared foods and snacks — will be displayed among artwork that boasts some of the best the neighborhood has to offer. Hand-painted murals grace the walls featuring scenes like Bay Hill Country Club, Big Sand Lake, the I-Ride Trolley, theme parksand more. The back wall of the store, meanwhile, features a timeline on Trader Joe’s. Store manager Tim Weaver, who moved to Orlando from St. Louis nearly a year agoto open Trader Joe’s in Winter Park, said though most stores are similar in size, the decor and shoppers are really what make each location unique. “We try to tailor each store as local,” said Weaver, during a sneak-peek tour of the store on April 7. “Florida, in general, is a growing market for us. We will be the 15th store in Florida, and Naples was the first in 2012.” About 80 percent of the estimated 100 workers at the store are from the immediate area — including some who will transfer from the Winter Park store, Weaver said. As for the crowds, the Orange County Sheriff will have officers on-site directing traffic and managing parking from April 10-13. Hopefully, that will help avoid major holdups on Sand Lake Road — though you should give yourself plenty of time if you plan to visit. Check out the slideshow for a sneak-peek tour of the store and see what else Weaver had to say in our video.

Orlando’s newest major retail, dining and entertainment complex on International Drive is just weeks away from the official grand opening and buzz about I-Drive 360 is sky high. The project has altered Orlando’s skyline forever with the construction of a large observation wheel named The Orlando Eye at the center of the complex. Beginning May 4, 2015 vacationing in Orlando will reach new heights with all new family fun and thrilling attractions. Anchoring the massive new complex are three new attractions from Merlin Entertainments – operators of LEGOLAND Florida. The attraction you can now see from all over Orlando is The Orlando Eye where guests can enjoy the sights from 400 feet in the air. Day or night, “flyers” will enjoy a breathtaking experience in one of 30 capsules. To enjoy the full flight experience, guests are encouraged to pair their ride on The Orlando Eye with a pre-flight 4D Cinema Experience. Opening with the new Madame Tussauds is a line-up of music stars, Hollywood film legends, sporting greats, historical icons and local heroes displayed in a way that has made the attraction world famous. Included in the Orlando collection will be figures important to the Florida area. Visitors can grab a ‘selfie’ with A-listers from Selena Gomez to Ricky Martin, measure up against sporting greats like Orlando local, Tiger Woods and former Orlando Magic player, Shaquille O’Neal and relive the Apollo missions with astronaut Neil Armstrong. Discovering the magic beneath our oceans comes alive in a whole new immersive attraction called SEA LIFE Orlando. The design and feel of this unique 25,000-square foot aquarium attraction puts guests in the middle of a lost underwater city teaming with marine life. Visitors will enjoy interactive exhibits, bubble aquariums, floor-to-ceiling displays, and 360-degree and 180-degree ocean tunnels featuring more than 5,000 sea creatures. “First to Fly” Weekend We have an exclusive opportunity for you to be among the first to experience these attractions before they officially open. The “First to Fly” weekend is a special ticket that can get you access to one or all three attractions between March 1 – 3, 2015. More Fun, Dining and Shopping Boasting a wide range of dining options, I-Drive 360 offers everything from live entertainment to the largest collections of craft beers on tap in Orlando.When fully opened, there will be something for every food craving and shopping urge. Enjoy some fresh food and some fresh tunes at Tin Roof where the menu is influenced by generations of popular American music. At Yard House you can sip from 140 beers on tap including a rotating selection of seasonal and limited draughts on the “Chalkboard Series.” Carrabba’s and Outback Steakhouse are also currently serving up classic food favorites. Your quest to have a cool drink in the Florida sun just got easier. Get your official Orlando tumbler at the new Tervis store. America’s favorite insulated drinkware has made its local debut. Make no bones about it, SKELETONS: Animals Unveiled will be one of the most talked about attractions along International Drive when it opens this April. You can browse 300+ REAL bones of 300 species of animals, including humans. Kicking up in May will be Cowgirls Rockbar Orlando, where guests can ride the mechanical bull, or drink and dance with “sassy” cowgirls. Sugar Factory Orlando, a celebrity favorite will satisfy any sweet-tooth craving. Try a delicious goblet drink or splurge for The King Kong Sundae begining in May. One of I-Drive 360’s biggest benefits is the free parking. Oh, and did we mention that the free parking is in a convenient, covered garage?

ORLANDO — May 4 is a huge day for the I-Drive 360 complex and three of its big attractions. That’s the official grand opening date of the Orlando Eye, Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, and the Sea Life Orlando Aquarium.

So will they be ready? And what’s opening earlier on International Drive?

We spoke with both Unicorp National Developments President Chuck Whittall and John Stine, the sales and marketing director for the I-Drive 360 complex.

Orlando Eye: Whittall said that all “major constuction” is over and done with. The 400-foot-tall wheel is in its “final testing stage” as engineers and crew are the only ones getting inside the vehicles. Whittall expects to take his first spin next week. Stine said lighting and electrical work needs to be completed.

Sea Life Orlando Aquarium: Stine confirmed the first round of fish and marine animals have been introduced to the aquarium. The little guys need time to acclimate to their new home before the big boys — sharks! — get in there.

Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum: Jimmy Fallon, Jim Parsons and Ricky Martin are already comfy with their new digs, but Stine said a few additional figures may be on their way. Regardless, the attraction is “near completion.”

Skeletons: Animals Unveiled: The grand opening is April 25. As you can see from the image above, the bones of more than 400 birds and animals are now arriving!

Tin Roof – A Live Music Joint: It’s been open for months.

McFadden’s Restaurant & Saloon (located at Vue @ 360) : This new-place-to-party is throwing a three-day bash with special festivities April 9 to April 11. VIPs/media have an event from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on April 9, with doors opening to the public at 10 p.m. McFadden’s is bringing in special guest Vanilla Ice April 11, so that night is really considered the “grand opening.”

Cowgirls Rockbar and Sugar Factory: Both are slated for a “sometime in May” grand opening. Lots of construction remains. Cowgirls is “home to Orlando’s only mechanical bull.”

Also opening elsewhere on International Drive:

Mango’s Tropical Cafe (located near I-Drive and Sand Lake Road): Soft opening expected in July. This club is going to be three to four times bigger than the one on Ocean Drive in South Beach. Live entertainment includes Michael Jackson tributes, a “Magic Mike”-style number, mariachi bands, Flamenco dancers, salsa, bachata… yep, you’ll be groovin’ no matter what you’re into.

Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill (located at Artegon Marketplace): Already open. Big country music act Thompson Square performs May. 2.

Thirty-one days.

The countdown is on for the opening of the $200 million I-Drive 360 project that Chuck Whittall, president of Unicorp National Developments, started in 2013 and is set to open on May 4.

It’s hard to miss the development now, as it’s one of the newest and most-prominent spots on International Drive — not to mention its giant observation wheel that’s visible from miles away. Each day, tourists wander throughout the center looking at the storefronts under construction, asking anyone on-site when it will open — even us, when we visited to do this feature.

On opening day, the center will cater to Orlando’s 60 million visitors via Merlin Entertainments Plc.’s 400-foot-tall Orlando Eye observation wheel, Madame Tussauds Orlando wax museum and Sea Life Aquarium Orlando. Merlin’s attractions building also will serve as the Orlando hub for connecting tourists to Legoland Florida in Winter Haven, a Merlin Entertainments theme park.

In addition, the complex will host several restaurants, shops and entertainment venues new to Central Florida, including Skeletons: Animals Unveiled museum, iCafe de Paris, Sugar Factory restaurant and upscale candy shop, Tin Roof live music bar, Cowgirls Rockbar Orlando country western bar, Paramount Fine Foods, Naru Restaurant & Sushi Bar and Tapa Toro, in addition to some favorites that also can be found elsewhere in the region.

Twice a day, the complex will showcase a $1.5 million water show set to music and color-changing lights. In addition, the complex will offer free parking in its 1,600-space garage, which is near many other tourist attractions like King’sBowling, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, Sleuths Mystery Dinner Show and Pointe Orlando.