By Ken Storey
Unicorp unveiled its new billion-dollar tourist focused development last week. The project seems to be a combination of other successful Unicorp projects including I-Drive 360 and its various apartment projects around Central Florida. There’s a ton of new projects in the works around the tourist district but O-Town West is unique for a few reasons. Here’s five things that make O-Town West unique.
Fountains
Blame it on Unicorp’s President Chuck Whittall’s obsession with fountains but O-Town West will have one of the biggest and most impressive fountain shows in Central Florida. Anyone who’s visited Unicorp’s other projects like the two Trader Joe’s plazas in town or I-Drive 360 are familiar with their impressive fountains but this will be different. Whittall compared the fountains to a former dinner show restaurant that was in downtown Orlando but unlike the Dancing Fountains this outdoor lagoon show will visible from multiple restaurants and from along the ‘boardwalk’ retail area. Some have compared it the Bellagio while that seems like a bit of an over sale there’s no question this will be one of the most unique retail experiences in Florida.
Destination Dining
Situated all along the shores of the fountain filled lagoon will be unique to market dining establishments. Don’t expect cookie cutter, generic dining establishments here. Unicorp has stated they want destination dining. This model has been successful at I-Drive 360 with the likes of Tin Roof and Tapa Toro. While I-Drive 360 mixes these unique dining offerings with more well-known brands like Shake Shack and Outback, at O-Town West expect only the most unique of dining options.
Luxury Homes and 1,500 Apartments
Unicorp unveiled its new billion-dollar tourist focused development last week. The project seems to be a combination of other successful Unicorp projects including I-Drive 360 and its various apartment projects around Central Florida. There’s a ton of new projects in the works around the tourist district but O-Town West is unique for a few reasons. Here’s five things that make O-Town West unique.
Fountains
Blame it on Unicorp’s President Chuck Whittall’s obsession with fountains but O-Town West will have one of the biggest and most impressive fountain shows in Central Florida. Anyone who’s visited Unicorp’s other projects like the two Trader Joe’s plazas in town or I-Drive 360 are familiar with their impressive fountains but this will be different. Whittall compared the fountains to a former dinner show restaurant that was in downtown Orlando but unlike the Dancing Fountains this outdoor lagoon show will visible from multiple restaurants and from along the ‘boardwalk’ retail area. Some have compared it the Bellagio while that seems like a bit of an over sale there’s no question this will be one of the most unique retail experiences in Florida.
Destination Dining
Situated all along the shores of the fountain filled lagoon will be unique to market dining establishments. Don’t expect cookie cutter, generic dining establishments here. Unicorp has stated they want destination dining. This model has been successful at I-Drive 360 with the likes of Tin Roof and Tapa Toro. While I-Drive 360 mixes these unique dining offerings with more well-known brands like Shake Shack and Outback, at O-Town West expect only the most unique of dining options.
Luxury Homes and 1,500 Apartments
The focus might be on tourist but O-Town West didn’t forget that its close to Dr. Phillips, and even closer once a few key roads open in the coming years. 300 to 400 luxury homes, the cheapest of which will clock in at half a million dollars, will sit along man made lagoons. Next to the neighborhood will be a 1,500-unit apartment complex. Amenities for residents at O-Town West will include jogging trails, a dog park, and other resort style amenities. The retail area will also include non-tourist retail including a grocery store, possibly a Goodings replacing the one that at Crossroads. That plaza is slated to close as part of an I-4 expansion known as Beyond The Ultimate.
Crystal Lagoon
If a fountain filled lagoon wasn’t impressive enough O-Town West will have a second water feature, a tropical style Crystal Lagoon. The Miami-based Crystal Lagoons is already working on one of their sand bottom, beach lined, natural looking lagoons for Lake Nona but the O-Town West one would be circled by luxury homes and will include walking trails and a on the water activities for residents. It will also look great from all the helicopter tours that pass by.
Purposeful I-4 visibility
The 82-acre O-Town West development sits directly along the western edge of I-4. Unicorp has mentioned it plans to include digital signage along the interstate. A new exit ramp is also in the works for the current flyover. While specifics on the layout haven’t been set the fountains will likely also be visible from the interstate. With LED screens, massive fountains, and numerous multi-story buildings this stretch of I-4 will be very different than the current trees and farm land now along it. O-Town West will develop one of the last remain empty parcels of land along I-4 between Disney and downtown Orlando. It will make this stretch, that also includes the 200-foot tall Krakatau volcano of Volcano Bay, the 400-foot tall Orlando Eye, and numerous high-rise hotels, even more interesting.
Crystal Lagoon
If a fountain filled lagoon wasn’t impressive enough O-Town West will have a second water feature, a tropical style Crystal Lagoon. The Miami-based Crystal Lagoons is already working on one of their sand bottom, beach lined, natural looking lagoons for Lake Nona but the O-Town West one would be circled by luxury homes and will include walking trails and a on the water activities for residents. It will also look great from all the helicopter tours that pass by.
Purposeful I-4 visibility
The 82-acre O-Town West development sits directly along the western edge of I-4. Unicorp has mentioned it plans to include digital signage along the interstate. A new exit ramp is also in the works for the current flyover. While specifics on the layout haven’t been set the fountains will likely also be visible from the interstate. With LED screens, massive fountains, and numerous multi-story buildings this stretch of I-4 will be very different than the current trees and farm land now along it. O-Town West will develop one of the last remain empty parcels of land along I-4 between Disney and downtown Orlando. It will make this stretch, that also includes the 200-foot tall Krakatau volcano of Volcano Bay, the 400-foot tall Orlando Eye, and numerous high-rise hotels, even more interesting.