Universal Orlando Resort Expansion (Part 1)

[maxairmike]

Remember this image? Good, because its about to get a little more interesting! First of all, many thanks to Ken Storey (@klstorey) on Twitter for the tip letting everyone know something is indeed happening with the Lockheed land. Universal City Properties has requested a release of easement held by the City and the Orlando Utilities Commission on two parcels of land in the Lockheed area. In examining the lots with matching Parcel ID #s, they're two of about 8 possible lots along the west side of Universal Blvd. running down to the hotel development across from the back entrance to the North Concourse of the Convention Center (just past the Convention Way intersection). The request for release was found thanks to the upcoming Orlando City Council meeting agenda, but the parcel tracking was done on my own thanks to none of the references in the documents being complete enough to track down specific parcels. I have it narrowed down to four or five possible lots. More digging to do...

 

[Mad Dog]

Any idea how many potential acres are included in the red lined parcels?

 

[maxairmike]

I forget, I'd have to go through and recount, because the largest area is actually about 5 or 6 separate parcels. However, there's only one or two parcels with the right ID #s for this specific easement situation inside of that largest outlined area. All of the other parcels of interest line Universal Blvd. up to the Sand Lake intersection, as I mentioned above. It also includes one parcel on the south side of Sand Lake Rd. that butts right up to northernmost buildings and the existing Kirkman/Sand Lake ramps.

 

[Hockeyman55]

Remember this image? Good, because its about to get a little more interesting! First of all, many thanks to Ken Storey (@klstorey) on Twitter for the tip letting everyone know something is indeed happening with the Lockheed land. Universal City Properties has requested a release of easement held by the City and the Orlando Utilities Commission on two parcels of land in the Lockheed area. In examining the lots with matching Parcel ID #s, they're two of about 8 possible lots along the west side of Universal Blvd. running down to the hotel development across from the back entrance to the North Concourse of the Convention Center (just past the Convention Way intersection). The request for release was found thanks to the upcoming Orlando City Council meeting agenda, but the parcel tracking was done on my own thanks to none of the references in the documents being complete enough to track down specific parcels. I have it narrowed down to four or five possible lots. More digging to do...

Dig away buddy, dig away.

So with this being said, its looking more and more like Universal might be on the verge of expansion wouldn't you say?

 

[IzzyB]

Yeah, I am thinking they have had their eye on a lot of that land for awhile now and finally can start to move on some of it. Starting with Wet n Wild land and moving on to collecting more and more land. I don't see development happening anytime soon as they are going to quietly want to buy as much land as possible because any development would cause the land around it to raise in price. So they will collect everything they want for resorts, shops, and any additional gates before building anything. I also think they may start with resorts before any additional gates.

 

[USO92]

I would certainly say so!

Where on the map is UOR?

 

[ReelJustice]

I really don't think this is a big deal, but I could be wrong. All this is is a request to remove a utility company's right of use because the company is no longer using it. Universal was the original grantor of the easement. There is talk of granting a new easement when the original is released.

Like I said, I could be wrong, but without a land transaction, this isn't a big deal.

 

[cbconglom]

I would certainly say so!

Where on the map is UOR?

not on the map, above the top left corner

 

[Teebin]

Does google earth yet have a trace for acreage tool? They have just about every other geo tool one could wish for.

 

[maxairmike]

I really don't think this is a big deal, but I could be wrong. All this is is a request to remove a utility company's right of use because the company is no longer using it. Universal was the original grantor of the easement. There is talk of granting a new easement when the original is released.

Like I said, I could be wrong, but without a land transaction, this isn't a big deal.

According to the wording in the agenda item, there won't be a new easement granted until there's future development. I'll have to look into the OUC a little more, but I'm pretty sure this is more of a "We need as few barriers to redevelopment as possible." They obviously won't have removed anything below ground, but all above ground connection and support equipment has evidently been removed, and likely any provided service to those areas as well. The way the agreement and agenda item are worded say to me that there's something that's going to happen in that direction. Maybe it won't be guest-facing, but something is going to happen.

The other very interesting thing is that none of the parcels are actually owned by UCP, at least according to the latest available records I can find.

 

[Frank Drackman]

I know information gets out that a company like Comcast would prefer stayed internal, but I would like to think they already have a deal or are at least close to a deal on the land the want for expansion.

From reading these boards, I think the first hint came out when some announcement was made that included way more 'new' rooms being planned than what the resort opening next year will have.

It seems it wasn't too long after talk of a third gate started that we learned of UNI getting the land under Wet-n-Wild. Not that I know anything, but it certainly sounds like UOR has a lot of big plans being drawn up and I would hope they already know they will have the land to pull it off.

Just wondering, is the Lockheed land near the Hilton Orlando (near the convention center)? We stayed there the first time we (as a family) went to UNI and I recall being surprised that there seemed to be a good deal of undeveloped land out there, plus it was a real easy drive if we took Universal Blvd instead of I-4 or something (not really familiar with the area).

 

[Thatguyoverwhere]

The idea of UOR occupying any one of those plots of land would make any theme park nerd such as myself want to get up and start dancing around the room (ok, I'm not going to, but still...)
If you look at it on Bing Maps/Google Earth/whatever else you can see just how big it is, relative to the entire existing resort. If they work as hard to pack things as tightly together as they have with the current land, I think they would have room for a third, fourth, maybe even more gates, and many more resorts, and who knows what else :drool:
Also, if you do some rough estimating, a monorail connecting the two separated properties could be quite feasible, and would probably only take around 3-5 minutes to go from one side to the other (based on the speed of the monorails at Disney World), so that may actually be a possibility, though I don't actually have any sources to back that up, other than posts on these forums...

 

[DieHardOrlandoFan751]

Remember this image? Good, because its about to get a little more interesting! First of all, many thanks to Ken Storey (@klstorey) on Twitter for the tip letting everyone know something is indeed happening with the Lockheed land. Universal City Properties has requested a release of easement held by the City and the Orlando Utilities Commission on two parcels of land in the Lockheed area. In examining the lots with matching Parcel ID #s, they're two of about 8 possible lots along the west side of Universal Blvd. running down to the hotel development across from the back entrance to the North Concourse of the Convention Center (just past the Convention Way intersection). The request for release was found thanks to the upcoming Orlando City Council meeting agenda, but the parcel tracking was done on my own thanks to none of the references in the documents being complete enough to track down specific parcels. I have it narrowed down to four or five possible lots. More digging to do...

Well how big is this area in this picture you have exactly on this Locklead property? 100 acres? Just Enough to fit a small theme park or a big one?

 

[natespf]

The large outline in the middle is over 300 acres. So enough to fit a big themepark and more.

 

[DieHardOrlandoFan751]

well let's speculate...what kind of theme park do you think this will be since this huge property on Lockheed will stretch 300 acres and more with a resort. Screamscape says this site is planning a 18 hole golf course, a resort, and a theme park. So can we assume this will be the 3rd Universal Park? Or a Six Flags? Or a Warner Bros. Movie World come to the United States? Make another movie theme park? Possibly a Paramount Studio Theme Park? They are already planning a new one in another country, I forgot which one.

 

[blue180]

the one thing I don't like is how far it is from the main hub....I feel like thats a strong point universal has right now, that everything is so compact and you truly feeling like you are at a resort. WDW's layout is kinda annoying in my opinion. Disneylands set up i feel is similar to universals I feel like now, so I mean it will be interesting to see how Universal really connects these two lands efficiently and in a way that you still feel apart of the resort.

 

[DieHardOrlandoFan751]

Will one section of this possible universal 3rd park could be a lord of the rings area? A jaws themed area maybe put a sign up saying WELCOME TO AMITY ISLAND. Along with a new themed jaws ride, if they ever happen to bring the killer shark back to universal lol. A beach section of the jaws area which they also never had at universal, that would be tough to do. They never had that at Universal studios Florida in the San Francisco area of the park. Ghostbusters area? Maybe build a statue of the marshmallow man right when you enter the themed area? These are just ideas I highly doubt they will come true. Just brainstorming for now.

 

[natespf]

Will one section of this possible universal 3rd park could be a lord of the rings area? A jaws themed area maybe put a sign up saying WELCOME TO AMITY ISLAND. Along with a new themed jaws ride, if they ever happen to bring the killer shark back to universal lol. A beach section of the jaws area which they also never had at universal, that would be tough to do. They never had that at Universal studios Florida in the San Francisco area of the park. Ghostbusters area? Maybe build a statue of the marshmallow man right when you enter the themed area? These are just ideas I highly doubt they will come true. Just brainstorming for now.

We can dream at this point.

 

[Cole]

If it were up to me I'd have a land based on Wes Anderson and Coen brother movies. Who doesn't want to go through "The Rushmore experience"? :shrug:

 

[Thatguyoverwhere]

I can't say going through "The Rushmore Experience" has ever really been on the top of my bucket list, but to each their own All I'm hoping for is something that is of the same caliber as the two existing parks, yet is unique. And hopefully it'll lack a central lagoon, going for a more natural, Busch Gardensy layout...