ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — International Drive businesses and community leaders gathered for a round table meeting hosted in Orlando Thursday.
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The roundtable was held at Mango’s Tropical Cafe where the community was briefed on expansions to the theme parks, infrastructure improvements and the overall growth heading to the I-Drive Corridor.
Epic Universe was a big topic of discussion for community leaders.
The theme park will be the fourth individual park in the Universal Resort family, joining Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay.
Construction is well underway for Epic Universe which will feature five distinct lands, each with their own attractions, dining, and shopping experiences.
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Meanwhile this week, Disney revealed a timeline for their Walt Disney World expansion. The company is investing billions in their parks and has announced Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot will all get major upgrades.
Leaders at Thursday’s round table touted both the Disney and Universal expansions as massive wins for the I-Drive corridor.
Aside from investments at the theme parks, The International Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce said the corridor will see more than $5 billion worth of planned development in the next few years.
That will include renovations at the convention center and other roadway infrastructure improvements.
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“That 5 billion dollars is going to be another just incredible economic jolt for the I-Drive corridor. That along with the Epic is just going to be a game changer,” said Maria Triscari, President and CEO of The International Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce.
Triscari also said the corridor is focused on improving transportation.
According to the City of Orlando, Universal Studios is working on improvements to Carrier Drive from Universal Boulevard to Kirkman Road.
The goal is to facilitate bicycle connectivity and pedestrian transportation especially for tourists.
Triscari said that improvement paired with a planned congestion relief project along I-4 should help generate business for the corridor.
“All those major initiatives that are going on right now is going to create a great seamless transportation system. And that is our goal,” said Triscari.
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