Chuck Whittall, Unicorp alter $30M Restaurant Row project after residents’ pushback
A $30 million commercial project planned by one of Orlando’s busiest developers has been altered in response to concerns from residents in the Dr. Phillips community.
Unicorp National Developments Inc. President Chuck Whittall told Orlando Business Journal two significant changes have been made to the in-the-works redevelopment of the bank property he owns at 7625 W. Sand Lake Road, along Orlando’s popular Restaurant Row corridor, following a community meeting last month.
In response to pushback related to the project’s height, he said one level from the structured parking has been removed from the plans, lowering the proposed height. It is a change that, in addition to heeding those concerns, also may mean the height restriction waiver previously sought will not be needed, Whittall noted.
As for concerns about the project’s architecture, which initially was more modern, the design has pivoted to an Italian aesthetic, he said.
“I’m a resident [in the Dr. Phillips area] and the concerns of the neighbors weigh deeply on us,” Whittall said. “We’ve made changes to the project to accommodate the voices of the community.”
A rendering shared with OBJ reflects the changes and was produced by Apopka-based Finfrock, whom Whittall previously indicated was in talks to be the project’s general contractor.
With the updated plans, Whittall said the project’s construction cost may tick down some, to about $25 million or $27 million, though his all-in costs — including the land acquisition in 2002 — will be closer to $40 million.
The project’s overarching goal of featuring three to four high-end restaurants remains, he said, with a focus on securing new-to-market concepts. “We’re talking to a high-end Mediterranean restaurant and we’re also talking to a famous chef about a concept.”
Of the community meeting and the pushback encountered, Whittall noted discontent many residents already have with plans by New York-based Kimco Realty Corp. to redevelop part of the Marketplace at Dr. Phillips — the large 35-acre shopping center that Unicorp’s bank property is an outparcel to — with hundreds of apartments.
“I think they kind of stirred up the hornets’ nest, if you will – the neighbors really don’t want apartments there, and I believe Kimco probably is going to move forward under Live Local Act.”
Depending on how Unicorp’s modifications affect the Restaurant Row project’s need for waivers and rezoning, next steps include going before Orange County’s development review committee, planning and zoning and eventually the county commission — a timeline for which is not immediately available.
Meanwhile, industry experts say projects like the one Unicorp is seeking to do on Restaurant Row are important for the Orlando market to continue to improve its standing as a dining city, following its recent recognition by WalletHub as the best foodie city in America.
Alexie Fonseca, a senior vice president for Colliers who is not involved with the plans but previously worked for Unicorp, told OBJ the project is significant and “if we want to continue to elevate our dining scene, it starts with Restaurant Row and Winter Park.”
“It takes a visionary like Chuck to redevelop a site like that,” Fonseca said. “I’ve worked with a lot of developers, but the difference that Chuck and Unicorp bring to the table is his extensive travels around the world, where he gets a lot of great ideas and inspiration.
“If these higher-end concepts are going to come to Orlando, then the development has to be something very elevated.”
As for the restaurant sector in Central Florida, activity has been robust.
For instance, Central Florida’s six counties — Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia — reported a combined 1,105 food licenses granted to various establishments and operations in fiscal 2022-23, up 11.1% from 994 in 2017-18, showed recent Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation data.