ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Nightclubs continue to pop up along International Drive, and developers are hopeful they can lure tourists away from larger nightlife complexes, such as Universal CityWalk and Disney Springs.
Conventions draw 1 million visitors to Central Florida each year, and some felt the tourism corridor lacked nightlife.
Developers such as Harris Rosen sought to change that. In February, he opened Club 39 at the Rosen Plaza Hotel.
"He wanted to jump on board with the convention business as well as the activity on I-Drive and be a part of the resurgence,” said John Nichols, a hotel spokesman.
In November, The Orlando Eye opened its EyeGlow lounge and Revere nightclub opened in a former Howard Johnson motel.
Mango’s Tropical Café, a South Beach nightclub, will open a new $50 million location on I-Drive next Friday.
The Latin nightclub, which will double as a restaurant during the day, will fit up to 2,000 patrons.
The building replaced a vacant TGI Fridays restaurant.
"There was a sign in the door that said for lease,” said Josh Wallack, the restaurant’s COO. “There was a homeless guy inside. It was in the middle of the recession."
"They can't go to CityWalk every night; they can't go to Disney Springs every night,” Wallack said. “It's another opportunity to go out and spend money in the community and have a competitive I-Drive."
Developers hope trolleys and busses will prevent drunken driving in the area and reduce traffic on the frequently congested thoroughfare.
WFTV
