plans include 17 million gallon crystal lagoon, 40ft tall flare structure – GrowthSpotter

As the future Evermore Orlando Resort planned for 1,100 acres near Walt Disney World nears its official opening in the summer of 2023, the sprawling 433-room Conrad Hotel anchored on the property is already taking shape and space has been cleared – enough to hold 17 million gallons of water – for the vacation destination’s tropical centerpiece: its Crystal Lagoon.

With recent approval from the Orange County Development Review Board, the projected $1 billion project, which will also include vacation homes with up to 11 bedrooms and villas with 2 to 4 bedrooms, has gone through all the necessary procedural steps to become a reality.

[ Related: Evermore Resort lands Conrad Hotel ]

Prior to this approval, the lead developer, Interests for dartsand his team of engineers rolled out more detailed plans for the station’s layout and amenities, including a “one-of-a-kind” torch structure nearly 40 feet tall.

A site plan written by an Orlando-based engineering firm Evans Engineering Inc shows the four-story Conrad Hotel, Orlando’s first, at the north end of the property line. It forms an L-shape overlooking Evermore Bay, a 20-acre beach resort that surrounds eight acres of turquoise blue water made using technology from a Miami-based company. crystal lagoons.

The company has offices on five continents with a portfolio of more than 2,000 patents in 190 countries around the world, its website says. Currently, there are 222 projects in various stages of development and negotiations and Florida is one of the US states where the company began its meteoric rise. Among the 51 projects in Florida are Epperson, Evermore, Sole Mia, Southshore Bay, Mirada, Aqua, Emerald Lakes, Ridgewood, Lake Susy, Tamiamiami and Haines City, among others.

Pace considers the Crystal Lagoon product to be “the heart” of the Evermore Orlando Resort.

“It’s an integral part of the Evermore experience as it offers a wide range of activities that allow our guests to connect and make memories with their families outside of the theme parks,” Pace said. “We envision it as a setting where multiple generations of a family can enjoy a relaxing roast of smores around a fire pit on the sand, a day at the beach full of sun and relaxation, or a quiet and scenic sunset cocktail – this will feel like an organic part of the Evermore experience and a welcome contrast to the busy theme park experience that so many Orlando guests come to enjoy.”

Dotted throughout the tropical aesthetic of Evermore Bay, among palm trees and white sand beaches, there will be 10 one-story cabanas of 120 square feet each, a one-story 202-square-foot bar and a bar of 120 square foot service.

A two-story, 8,448 square foot boathouse – a venue for weddings and private events – will provide panoramic views of the property from the southern tip of the lagoon, facing the hotel.

A pool with a water slide will run along the lagoon, to the west of the boathouse. Renders for waterslides and pools are not yet available. There are also plans for a rope swing.

The west side of the bay will also feature a 38.6-foot-tall aluminum torch structure that will emit flames near the top and a cooling mist from the ground onto passers-by.

“This one-of-a-kind beacon will serve as an iconic landmark within Evermore,” Pace said. “We have an incredible team of designers committed to creating the perfect ambience for our guests to enjoy the perfect evening during their stay.

The Evermore Bay area will also include eight bathrooms, 600 square feet each, according to site plans.

A collection of luxury villas, apartments and vacation homes will occupy the property to the east of the lagoon. The villas and apartments will range from 2 to 4 bedrooms. The vacation homes, ranging from five to 11 bedrooms, will be owned and maintained by the resort.

[ Related: Plans for luxury vacation rentals unveiled ]

The fact that the resort owns the vacation homes, as opposed to individuals who rent them through Airbnb or VRBO, sets it apart from other similar resort concepts, according to the project managers.

It’s like an Airbnb, but with hotel-grade service, said Joel Kaiman of TJM Communications, the public relations firm that represents Evermore Resort.

“It’s about taking the best of your hotel experience and the best of your Airbnb experience and putting them together,” he said. “When you go to an Airbnb, you don’t know who owns that house and you don’t know what to say. Every house here is owned by the same owner, the same management company. They’re the same; you get the same level of service, of the same brand consistency.”

Around 1,500 rooms will come online as part of the first phase of Evermore, which is expected to be completed in the summer of 2023. A breakdown of earlier plans estimates the developer will deliver 69 houses, 76 four-bedroom apartments; and 41 two- and four-bedroom villas.

At full construction, the complex will include around 10,000 rooms and will represent a capital investment “in excess of $1 billion”, according to the developer.

On the west side of the Evermore property, developers have plans for an 18-hole golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus. A food hall, gourmet market and casual restaurant overlook the golf course and the bay. There will also be room for food trucks.

Located along Winter Garden Vineland Road in Orlando’s tourist district, the site is directly north of Disney Springs, east of Walt Disney World Resort, and directly west of SeaWorld Orlando.

The property was once home to the Villas of Grand Cypress Resort and its signature 45-hole Jack Nicklaus golf course. It had been open for 32 years.

But soon after Dallas-based Dart Interests acquired majority ownership in 2012, they announced they would begin suspending sales of all future reservations and quickly began laying the groundwork for his plan. of redevelopment, according to its website.

In its announcement, the resort said the closure was “great news for future guests” and that “the (redevelopment) project will take over two years.”

List of sitemaps EDSA as the landscape architect for the project, Breedlove, Dennis & Associates as the environmental contractor and Yovaish Engineering Services as the surveying engineer.

Dart Interests is a national real estate investment and development company with over $1 billion in assets in markets including New York, California, Florida, South Carolina and Texas.

“Evermore is the first resort to centrally own and operate so many vacation homes in one resort community,” Pace said. “Every element of our accommodations, amenities and location will serve to create a unique experience for our guests. We see ourselves as offering something for everyone – from a luxury hotel room to an 11 bedroom home. rooms with everything else.

Do you have any advice on developing Central Florida? Contact me at (407)-800-1161 or [email protected]or send me a tweet at @DustinWyattGS. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.