Developer Chuck Whittall quits I-Drive group in feud over attractions
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