Orlando's Convention District is Growing!
By April of 2015, convention organizers across the globe will have even more reasons to choose the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) located on International Drive as the host for their exhibitions. Not only will the convention district’s skyline be graced by The Orlando Eye observation wheel, there will be two accompanying attractions- Madam Tussauds Orlando wax museum and Sea Life Orlando, a 25,000 gallon aquarium!
Above, the base for the observation wheel has been placed, with the wheel portion expected to be complete late this year. The complex has been officially named I-Drive 360 and will also feature a huge lawn for open air events, new dining and late-night options including Seafood Republic, Dick’s Last Resort and an oversized Outback Steakhouse. Already completed and open for business are Yard House, Chevy’s, Longhorn Steakhouse, and Twin Peaks restaurants. All of these are within walking distance or a short trolley-ride from the OCCC. Adjacent to the I-Drive 360 site is I-Shops which is also currently under construction and will feature dozens more upscale restaurants and shops.
The Orlando Eye observation wheel will be a twenty minute ride reaching up 400 feet with views of Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, Sea World and on a clear day, all the way out to Cape Canaveral! The Sea Life Orlando aquarium will showcase a plexi-glass tunnel through the aquarium giving visitors a total immersion experience with 360 degree view of fish, sharks, jellyfish and more throughout the aquarium. The new complexes so close to the Convention Center will add fresh, new options for convention organizers and attendees alike.
The Orange County Convention Center is the second largest convention center in the U.S. and will also be seeing some improvements in the coming year. In 2012, a $187 million 5-year Capital Improvements Project began and is still on track for completion by 2017. TS CREW VP of Operations, John Zipay, attended an update about the Capital Improvements Project earlier this month. “It’s really great seeing what they’ve already completed and what’s yet to come.”
“Just recently they finished the digital messaging project- installing 15 informational sign, 4 monument signs, 8 freight signs and 5 new parking signs. The West hall will be getting the bulk of the improvements moving forward since the North/South Halls are so much newer. They are in the process of adding additional soft seating areas in the West Hall Concourse and through the next year there will be renovations to the Gary Sain Café and the addition of Vision Gardens.” Vision Gardens will be an Areoponics urban farm on the roof of the West Hall, creating a facility to self sustain the use of food in a safe and controlled environment.
“They are also adding a pedestrian walkway over I Drive from the Hyatt to the Convention Center which is going to make it safer and easier for convention guests to get over there.” Pictured to the right is a snapshot of the rendering – taken at the Capital Improvements Update – of what the pedestrian bridge will look like. All this excitement on International Drive and at the OCCC and our Orlando corporate office is just a couple blocks away from it all!
