Orange County commissioners are scheduled to host a workshop on Aug. 25 to evaluate an unsolicited public-private partnership proposal aimed at reconstructing and significantly widening the sidewalks extending from the corner.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TGS-L-International-Drive-Promenade-05-01.jpg\")
A conceptual rendering depicts the pedestrian-friendly promenade design, showing widened sidewalks lined with shops and restaurants leading up to the elevated pedestrian bridge. (Courtesy Gateway 2040)<\/p>\n
On July 30, Wallack presented the plans to the International Drive Business Improvement District in an effort to build local business consensus and secure stakeholder support ahead of the county commission\u2019s upcoming workshop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFeedback from stakeholders was overwhelmingly positive,\u201d he told GrowthSpotter. \u201cThey said from a visual, experience and safety standpoint, this is the best we can do.\u201d <\/p>\n
AMP Group<\/a> CEO Alejandro Pezzini, who was there for the presentation, has been investing in the I-Drive business corridor since 2001, and has since acquired 17 acres and over 250,000 square feet of retail space there.<\/p>\n \u201cFor years, many of us have talked about the need to create a more walkable, connected, and pedestrian-friendly district that better reflects International Drive\u2019s importance as one of the world\u2019s premier tourism destinations,\u201d he said. \u201cI particularly like that the vision extends beyond simply building infrastructure \u2026 and helps position the corridor to remain competitive with other major entertainment and tourism destinations around the country.\u201d<\/p>\n The proposal outlines a financial agreement in which Gateway 2040 would fund the project upfront using private equity and debt, Wallack said. Once construction is finished and the infrastructure is turned over to Orange County, the developer expects to be reimbursed for negotiated costs using future Community Redevelopment Agency funds earmarked for transportation, pedestrian safety and gateway aesthetics. Wallack noted those financial details will be discussed further during the county workshop.<\/p>\n A cornerstone of the developer\u2019s pitch is the voluntary donation of prime real estate. Wallack-controlled entities are offering to convey 25,332 square feet of largely contiguous corner frontage to Orange County at no cost. The land transfers include frontage from four major parcels: the Burger King at 7667 International Drive, Hulk Hogan\u2019s Beach Shop at 7679 International Drive, the former Perkins restaurant at 6813 Sand Lake Road, and the Hollywood Plaza Garage at 8050 International Drive. A preliminary appraisal based on market comps has valued these land conveyances at $8.8 million, Wallack said.<\/p>\n The presentation positions safety as a primary justification for the massive sidewalk overhaul. A traffic study of the intersection conducted from May 2017 to May 2022 documented 661 total vehicle crashes within 650 feet of the intersection. Of those, 13 crashes directly involved active mobility, resulting in injuries to 12 pedestrians and one bicyclist. The proposed designs seek to shift pedestrian walkways farther from active traffic lanes, realign underground utilities and deploy advanced stormwater management systems to reduce hydroplaning risks.<\/p>\n Maria Triscari, President and CEO of the International Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce for almost 38 years, said she\u2019s been concerned about safety at this intersection for decades.<\/p>\n \u201cI have watched children and families navigate these sidewalks with strollers too close to traffic. I have seen people in wheelchairs maneuver around congested sidewalks,\u201d she said. \u201cThe Promenade will create a much wider space away from traffic where pedestrians can comfortably gather before crossing the pedestrian bridge.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Orange County is actively advancing its own timeline for the overhead crossing, having closed bidding on July 14 for final design services for the International Drive and Sand Lake Road Pedestrian Bridge<\/a>. The elevated structure itself is a long-sought milestone for the corridor\u2014Wallack originally pitched the concept of a pedestrian bridge at the intersection back in 2013, and he has served as a primary public champion for the crosswalk as county officials pushed the project through initial design studies.<\/p>\n If approved, the overall schedule for the Promenade would span 37 months, including 20 months for design and permitting and 17 months for bidding and active construction.<\/p>\n \u201cBeyond the bridge, this is the most important infrastructure project we could undertake. It not only beautifies the gateway and the district, but also improves safety and ADA accessibility,\u201d said Wallack. \u201cMore pedestrians will help shops and businesses attract more customers, increase sales, add shifts and create jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at SKinbar@GrowthSpotter.com<\/a> or (407) 420-5246. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0LinkedIn.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A walk through one of Orlando\u2019s busiest tourist hubs may soon be safer and more scenic, as Orange…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":361909,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[558,28,114,1335,11477,139,141,140,480],"class_list":["post-361908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-business","tag-florida","tag-latest-headlines","tag-orange-county","tag-orange-county-developments","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news","tag-real-estate"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361908","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=361908"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361908\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/361909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=361908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=361908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=361908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TGS-L-International-Drive-Promenade-04.jpg\")
A site plan map highlights the land areas offered for conveyance and the design layout for sidewalk and infrastructure improvements along the north and east sides of the intersection. (Courtesy Gateway 2040)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TGS-L-International-Drive-Promenade-03.jpg\")
A technical concept plan illustrates the proposed sidewalk expansions, right-of-way boundaries, and bridge landing clearance zones along the south and west corridors of the intersection. (Courtesy Gateway 2040)<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/TGS-L-International-Drive-Promenade-02.jpg\")
An aerial rendering illustrates the redesigned intersection without the elevated bridge, designed with dedicated clearance zones to ensure sidewalk improvements won’t interfere with the future bridge’s structural footprint. (Courtesy Gateway 2040)<\/p>\n