Prime I-Drive property near Epic Universe up for sale
A prime piece of real estate on Orlando's International Drive is hitting the market, and its owner believes the timing couldn't be better with a major new theme park on the horizon.
Story Highlights Wallack Holdings lists part of Mango's Tropical Cafe complex for sale.
Empty 7,000-square-foot building has potential for 5,000-square-foot mezzanine addition.
Universal's Epic Universe opening expected to increase property demand.
A building in a popular spot in Orlando's tourist corridor is up for sale.
The northmost third of the Mango's Tropical Cafe complex at 8102 International Drive was put on the market this month by Mango's owner Wallack Holdings LLC.
Formerly the home of the Visit Orlando Official Visitor Center, the 7,000-square-foot building is empty with 30-foot ceilings.
"It's basically a shell," said Josh Wallack, CEO of Wallack Holdings. The building also has the option of adding a 5,000-square-foot mezzanine on the roof.
expand
Josh Wallack of Wallack Holdings LLC
Jim Carchidi
The building abuts Kali Ultra Lounge, a dance club which is also used for overflow seating for upscale Argentinian restaurant Corazón by Baires. Wallack said he had the walls between the two spaces reinforced with concrete and steel to eliminate noise.
The property has been listed without a price. Wallack bought the entire 2.9-acre property in 2012 for $10.4 million.
Joe Ramsberger, vice president of retail services in Orlando for brokerage CBRE, is handling the listing. Ramsberger could not be reached for comment.
The opening of Universal's Epic Universe theme park in May, which is expected to draw in 5-7 million visitors in its first year, will make this property highly sought after, Wallack said. "Everyone's waiting for Epic."
I-Drive has more than $5 billion in announced redevelopment projects outside of Epic Universe, according to Maria Triscari, president and CEO of International Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce.
expand
Maria Triscari is the President and CEO of the International Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce
International Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce
"We have right now a tremendous transformation happening of I-Drive," Triscari previously told Orlando Business Journal. "It's exactly what needs to happen so that we stay competitive in the future."
In addition to 7,393 new or renovated hotel rooms and vacation units in the works, the traditional tourist sector also has nearly 4,000 residential units from apartments to single-family homes in development. The Orange County Convention Center is also slated to start its $560 million expansion in 2026.
Meanwhile, tourist activity is predicted to be slower than usual due to international travelers avoiding the U.S. over President Trump's tariff policies. According to recent data from the International Trade Administration, non-U.S. citizen international air travel arrivals to this country were down 9% year-over-year in March — and that was before full details of the tariff policy were known.
Sign up for the Business Journal's free morning and afternoon daily newsletters to receive the latest business news affecting Orlando. Download the free OBJ app for breaking news alerts on your phone.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
‘I have peace here': Dancing, history and culture celebrated at inaugural Peace region Igbo Day
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Vibrant sounds, colourful attire and history welcomed patrons of the Radisson Hotel on Saturday, with the Igbo people of Nigeria at the centre. The inaugural Igbo Day festivities were staged at the hotel, with many cultures – both Igbo and non-Igbo – taking part in the event on June 7th hosted by the Umunna Peace Region Association. Native to eastern Nigeria, the Igbo people are also seen in other regions of Africa, including in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. Children also partook in a history of the five states in Nigeria native to the Igbo language: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, with youngsters Stephanie Chima and Jidenna Jeremy Nwokemodo being crowned the event's Prince and Princess. It was seen as a 'triumph' for Obinna Amaefule, a member of the association and the chair of the event's planning committee. 'We put a lot of work,' said Amaefule. 'A lot of reaching out. We consulted, we carried everyone along, and we got people involved in the planning. That's why you see this turnout. 'It's not just the Igbos that are here. We have Nigerians that are non-Igbos. We have people that are not even Nigerians here. It's a testament of how much planning went into making this a success today.' John Emejuru is the president of the Umunna Peace region and has seen the Igbo population grow in his decade-plus living in Fort St. John. He spoke fondly of the town and the gathering on Saturday, estimating there could be between 110 to 120 Igbo people currently residing in the Peace region. '[This is] a big celebration,' said Emejuru. 'Igbo day has been celebrated before we were born. We inherited [this] from our forefathers. So we have got to still give it to our sons, [our] daughters, to continue. 'I'm welcome in Fort St. John. I love Fort St. John. I have peace here. Everything is so close. There's no harassment or nothing. When you work in the community, the people who are living in Fort St. John are helpful. That's why I love it.' Highlights of the event included children of the community being taught simple words in Igbo describing objects, places and things and several colourful, energetic dance numbers native to the culture. Each of the children were tested after their lesson in front of the crowd, which was led by Amaefule, who told about the importance of teaching the younger generation their ancestral roots. 'All my kids were born here,' said Amaefule. 'Then they've never been to Nigeria. You could testify from the way they even pronounce the words that they know nothing about it. What we [were] try[ing] to do is to make sure that traditions of our forefathers are passed down to our children and our traditions [and] language are passed down.' Both Fort St. John Mayor Lilia Hansen and Peace River North MLA Jordan Kealy were honoured guests at the event. As part of their education on the Igbo culture, Hansen and Kealy were dressed in official royal robes and given official designations. Hansen received the title of 'Adaugo' meaning 'a daughter of honour, or the daughter who brings honour,' while Kealy received 'Enyi Oha' meaning 'friend of the people.' Hansen was also brought into a dance number, something Amaefule said is indicative of who the Igbo people are and the hospitality they represent. 'When we have guests, we treat them as guests,' said Amaefule. 'We give them first-class priority, we welcome them. That doesn't mean that your brother will not be treated right but it means that you honour your guest and you treat him as a friend.' The dignitaries were also given a tour of Igbo artefacts, including jewelry such as coral reef beads, medicine such as velvet beads, hygiene products like chewing sticks and traditional offerings like kola nut, palm oil and palm wine. The guests were encouraged by their hosts to ask questions. Hansen said she was flattered by the energy and the people in the culture. 'It's been great so far. I think there's going to be a lot more dancing,' said Hansen. While traditional Igbo Day celebrations take place in August, this Igbo Day event took place on Saturday, June 7th at the Radisson Hotel in Fort St. John because the organization was concerned about the weather. 'It's going to get cold,' said Amaefule. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
USTR eases proposed penalties, fees for non-US LNG tankers, vehicle carriers
By Lisa Baertlein LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -The U.S. Trade Representative softened fee proposals for non-U.S.-built LNG tankers and car carriers amid its ongoing effort to counter China's dominance on the high seas and revive domestic shipbuilding. The revised proposal, unveiled by USTR on Friday, would remove LNG-related penalties for failing to export a percentage of fuel on U.S.-owned ships. It also would reduce fees when foreign-built car carriers visit domestic ports and exempt those vessels when they are serving the U.S. military. USTR previously exempted ships carrying U.S. exports as well as operators of smaller ships from port fees originally aimed at China-linked vessels. The agency also exempted vessels that service the Great Lakes, Caribbean and U.S. territories. "This is a step in the right direction, and we look forward to working with USTR on a solution that ensures U.S. LNG remains competitive on the global stage," Rob Jennings, vice president of natural gas markets for the American Petroleum Institute, said on Monday. USTR caught the liquified natural gas industry off guard in April with new rules for outbound shipments of that fuel, sparking an outcry. It also surprised the vehicle carrier industry with a plan to impose port fees on all non-U.S.-built vessels in that segment - including U.S.-flagged and U.S.-crewed ships admitted to the U.S. Maritime Security Program (MSP) that supports Washington's military readiness. USTR on Friday removed language saying it could suspend LNG export licenses until its rules for moving a percentage of outgoing shipments on U.S.-built and operated vessels were met. On April 17, USTR said LNG producers would have to transport 1% of their exports on U.S.-built ships starting in April 2029. That percentage would escalate to 15% in April 2047 and beyond. The World Shipping Council, whose members vehicle carriers such as Norway's Wallenius Wilhelmsen, did not immediately comment on the revisions. The vehicle carrier fee effective October 14 was to be $150 per car capacity of a non-U.S.-built ship known as roll-on/roll-offs, or RoRos. Typical RoRos have capacity to carry nearly 5,000 vehicles. In the revision, USTR lowered that fee to $14 per net ton. It also exempted vessels in the MSP, as well as U.S. government cargo - matching previous exemptions made for other vessel segments. Companies with ships in the MSP include Florida-based American Roll-On, Roll-Off Carrier Group, a U.S.-flag operator of vehicle carriers that is part of Wallenius Wilhelmsen Group, which did not immediately comment. The RoRo fees come on top of steep, 25% fees on auto imports imposed by Trump. These affect mainly European vehicles. U.S. exporters also use RoRos to export U.S.-made BMW SUVs, John Deere tractors and other goods. Shipping industry groups and attorneys have said USTR overreached by levying fees on RoRos made in countries that were not part of the Biden administration's fast-track investigation into China. The USTR's revisions continued to reference "non-U.S. built" vehicle carriers. Interested parties, which were not previously given the opportunity to comment on rules for RoRos or LNG tankers, have until July 7 to submit feedback on the revisions. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Vehicle mobile app usage rises among EV drivers: JD Power
This story was originally published on Automotive Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Automotive Dive newsletter. As the U.S. electric vehicle market continues to grow, EV drivers expect powerful features from their vehicles, such as fully integrated mobile apps that can unlock their vehicles, plan when to charge and remotely control the air conditioning or heating. Although EV owners are increasingly using their vehicle brand apps, there's room improvement, especially when it comes to connectivity and speed, according to the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. OEM EV App Report, published May 29. Non-Tesla EV drivers are shifting gears in favor of their vehicle's app. Just 17% of non-Tesla EV drivers in 2024 reported using their brand's app each time they got behind the wheel, increasing by 15 percentage points to 32% this year. Tesla drivers are much more likely to use their vehicle's app than other EV drivers, with the report finding 79% of Tesla drivers use the Tesla app each time they drive. That's up from 69% last year. App performance varies across brands, which affects whether drivers choose to rely on their apps. Tesla's high proportion of app usage makes sense, as the J.D. Power report ranked Tesla as the highest performing EV mobile app overall. Among premium EV brands, the Mercedes Benz app ranked second, and the MyBMW app ranked third. MyHyundai with Bluelink was the highest rated mass-market brand app, followed by Kia Access and MINI. 'Top-performing apps deliver fast, consistent remote controls and have desired features,' Violet Allmandinger, mobile apps lead at J.D. Power, said in a statement. 'However, most other apps are still closing that gap.' EV owners surveyed for the report flagged connectivity and app speed as major areas where apps could improve. In fact, app speed was the best predictor of customer satisfaction, J.D. Power said. The majority of EV drivers (70%) also reported interest in app features such as in-app charge payment and trip planning, but many non-Tesla EV drivers had never used such tools, suggesting that they were either unaware of what their apps could do or that their apps had limited features. Indeed, more than half (54%) of non-Tesla EV drivers said they had never tried to pay for a charging session through their vehicle's app. In order to compile the report, J.D. Power surveyed 1,966 EV owners in the U.S. about their EV app usage, the app features they desired and app performance. J.D. Power also assessed apps from 28 EV brands in the United States (as well as 10 in China and 8 in Europe) based on app functionality, features, usability and other indicators of product performance and customer satisfaction. Recommended Reading Hyundai's updated Bluelink app simplifies EV charging Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
