ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County leaders are considering a $19.4 million plan aimed at improving pedestrian safety along International Drive near Sand Lake Road while also supporting businesses in the tourist district.

The proposal, called the Promenade, would create an elevated, wide sidewalk built up and away from International Drive traffic and closer to the entrances of nearby businesses. The project would connect with Orange County’s planned pedestrian bridge over the International Drive and Sand Lake Road intersection.

The area is one of the busiest in Central Florida for both vehicles and pedestrians, and crashes have been common. A study for Orange County found 661 crashes between May 2017 and May 2022, including 12 involving pedestrians and one involving a bicyclist.

Joshua Wallack, owner of Mango’s Tropical Café and other land along the tourist corridor, proposed the Promenade to Orange County earlier this year, and Orange County leaders have expressed interest in moving forward with the plan. The goal is to keep people farther away from traffic, Wallack said.

“People will never be close to these cars like this again,” Wallack said while walking on the current sidewalk next to International Drive. “This is not where the people should be.”

Wallack said the Promenade would allow visitors to walk near storefronts instead of directly beside traffic.

“I wanna interact with what’s in the windows,” Wallack said. “I am now hell and gone from the cars, which is what the whole point of this is.”

Wallack’s Gateway 2040 LLC would front the $19.4 million cost for the project and would be reimbursed after the project is completed. Orange County would also get ownership of the land where the Promenade sits through voluntary conveyances.

Wallack said he hopes the Promenade can be completed by 2030, ahead of the planned pedestrian bridge wrapping up in 2031. An Orange County spokesperson said the construction timeline could change depending on negotiations between the county and Wallack’s company.

Community meetings are being set up, with meetings planned for November.