Universal Orlando Resort (USO, IOA) Discussion Thread

[jedimaster1227]

^

[pianojohn]

Some new pics I took yesterday of King Kong construction and Hulk.

 

Enjoy!

Edited December 16, 2015 by pianojohn

[I love pie]

and Hilk

Did I miss the renaming of the coaster?

Edited December 16, 2015 by I love pie

[cfc]

^HILK SMISH!

[I love pie]

^HILK SMISH!

Staring

Brice Binner

[cfc]

But seriously, folks . . .

 

Thanks for the photos, John. The Kong show building looks pretty cool.

[I love pie]

But seriously, folks . . .

 

Thanks for the photos, John. The Kong show building looks pretty cool.

I agree. The photos are quite nice.

It would be awesome if the new hilk-err hulk, has B&M 2nd gen hyper seats.

[Ed Farmer]

Well, at least we can stop debating who is doing the refurbishment...

Giovanola is back.

 

 

 

I believe it will be filled with sand. And I think they do have caps on them. I've tried looking on talon and hydra at DP because they are both filled with sand and I've never been able to find/see the caps. I'm going to Orlando this weekend so I hope I see some of the track arrive.

Good, cause whenever I imagine the Incredible Hulk smashing things, he always goes about it peaceably so as to not disturb anyone nearby- not roaring like some violent green monster with a bad temper...

[shadox17]

 

I believe it will be filled with sand. And I think they do have caps on them. I've tried looking on talon and hydra at DP because they are both filled with sand and I've never been able to find/see the caps. I'm going to Orlando this weekend so I hope I see some of the track arrive.

Good, cause whenever I imagine the Incredible Hulk smashing things, he always goes about it peaceably so as to not disturb anyone nearby- not roaring like some violent green monster with a bad temper...

[jray21]

The Kong addition is looking really good! Thanks for the pictures.

[DirkFunk]

And to continue with this chain of posts from the MK and SeaWorld threads, Universal is now wanding everyone who enters Citywalk. Of course, since that doesn't preclude loose articles from entering, you can expect to be subjected to wands again before riding the coasters.

[I love pie]

Well, at least we can stop debating who is doing the refurbishment...

Giovanola is back.

 

 

 

I believe it will be filled with sand. And I think they do have caps on them. I've tried looking on talon and hydra at DP because they are both filled with sand and I've never been able to find/see the caps. I'm going to Orlando this weekend so I hope I see some of the track arrive.

Good, cause whenever I imagine the Incredible Hulk smashing things, he always goes about it peaceably so as to not disturb anyone nearby- not roaring like some violent green monster with a bad temper...

Don't be silly. We all know Intamin is making rides with the track they use on their stand ups!

[jedimaster1227]

Universal has closed a deal to purchase over 450 acres of land near the Orange County Convention Center, minutes away from the existing Universal Orlando Resort!

 

http://www.growthspotter.com/news/idrive-developments/gs-474-acre-package-from-colony-capital-sold-last-week-to-unknown-buyer-price-untraceable-20151223-story.html

 

 

A buyer has emerged for the 474-acre, 19-parcel package owned by Colony Capital near Universal Boulevard and the Orange County Convention Center, but in an example of expert corporate obfuscation, the parent company behind the LLC and the sale price remain unconfirmed.

 

Two sources with direct knowledge of the property package re-affirmed for GrowthSpotter on Wednesday that Universal Orlando or a subsidiary of its parent company, Comcast, had an option contract for the land as of late November, and planned to close on the acquisition in December.

 

"Universal or a subsidiary moved to purchase the property after we acquired it in the foreclosure. Comcast has entities all over the country, so who took title to it I have no idea," Robert F. Cooke, a Miami-based attorney who represented Colony in court leading up to its acquisition of the land, told GrowthSpotter.

 

A quit-claim deed signed Dec. 17 was filed a day later in Orange County by a Colony Capital affiliate, which acquired the property in a Nov. 18 foreclosure auction. The buyer is named SLRC Holdings, an LLC formed in Delaware on Oct. 28, for which an Orlando post office box is the lone address.

 

That LLC filed in Delaware is represented on paper solely by Enterprise Corporate Services, a firm that helps companies form out-of-state companies like this. "SLRC" may stand for Sand Lake Road Complex, a name applied by past owners to the vast expanse of property east of Universal Boulevard and north of Destination Parkway.

 

GrowthSpotter first reported on Dec. 1 that Universal Orlando had a contract in place to buy the 474-acre package of 19 parcels, with plans to potentially build a new theme park, confirmed by nine sources who say they were told this directly by a Universal or Comcast official.

 

Universal Orlando declined to comment on the market rumor at that time, and did not respond to an email requesting comment on Wednesday.

 

As of Wednesday afternoon, SLRC Holdings could not be traced back to any parent company by address or registered agent.

 

Delaware's State Division of Corporations does not collect any more information for the formation of an LLC, like a list of managing members that are required for Florida LLC formations. This LLC has yet to register with Florida's Division of Corporations, and may not have to if it never generates income in Florida.

 

Less than $1 in deed doc taxes were paid in Orange County for the deed filing, making it difficult to determine a true sale price for the property package.

 

A spokesperson with the Orange County Comptroller's office told GrowthSpotter on Wednesday they'll be reporting this transaction and SLRC Holdings to the state Department of Revenue, because no taxes were paid for the deed document.

 

The comptroller cannot challenge who is the grantee on a deed filing if the document is adequately prepared, and notarized, as this deed was.

 

The filing of a quit-claim deed for the 474-acre package is within reason, because on foreclosed property like this was, everything is clear on the property history. There are no liens, the title work is ready and due diligence can be done in 30 days or less.

 

Filing a quit-claim deed can be a way for the buyer entity to tie up this package of property for a limited time so that it can't be sold to anyone else, said Raymond L. Schumann, partner with Florida In-House Counsel Law Group.

 

An amended deed could be filed by SLRC Holdings weeks or months from now in order to pay the full deed doc taxes on the purchase price, and any potential interest owed to the county.

 

GrowthSpotter first reported that Colony Capital would kick off its global marketing campaign for the package on Oct. 30, and expected offers of $150 million to $200 million by one buyer for all the land.

 

"This recently formed entity doesn't have to register in the state of Florida if it's not generating income here. In Florida you have to register a physical address for a business, but in Delaware you don't," Schumann said. "The people behind this really knew what they were doing."

 

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/brinkmann-on-business/os-universal-orlando-purchase-20151223-post.html

 

White outlines show the new Universal property (CBRE)

 

A company affiliated with Universal Theme Parks has closed on the purchase of 450-plus acres near the Orange County Convention Center, sources confirmed.

 

The purchase would pave the way for possible expansion of Universal’s theme park empire in Orlando. The property was transferred through a simple quit claim deed on Dec. 18 to an obscure Delaware company.

 

“It’s Universal, it’s a done deal, they’ve closed on it,” said Robert Cooke Jr., a Miami attorney who represented the seller, California-based Colony Capital, in recent court cases.

 

Universal’s media spokesman in Orlando, Tom Schroder, said the company would not be commenting in response to questions Wednesday. Universal has declined repeatedly to comment on their interest in the property.

 

A source with knowledge of the deal said he doesn’t believe there’s a timeline for development yet.

 

“My feeling is, it’s a lot of land, and my guess is, it will be phased in, and they will figure it out after the holiday break,” said the source, who commented on the condition of anonymity.

 

The property includes the largest tracts of vacant land in Orlando’s International Drive tourism corridor, and is already loaded with entitlements allowing thousands of hotel rooms, residential units and – on one portion -- a theme-park style attraction.

 

A previous Universal company, Universal Vivendi, had once owned the property. It was originally acquired from defense contractor Lockheed Martin in 1998, and was part of Lockheed’s Sand Lake Road complex. Later a team of developers acquired it, including Georgia businessman Stan Thomas, with certain restrictions on what they could build. But the entire acreage fell into foreclosure during the Great Recession.

 

Colony acquired the property through a foreclosure on Nov. 18 this year. A principal with Colony, Paul Fuhrman, had promised that it would be marketed globally, but Colony stopped talking about it after multiple sources said Universal had a contract on it.

 

There’s a lot riding on the future of the property. County officials and businesses for miles around have been trying to plan for traffic demands and development patterns in the area.

 

Universal’s lobbyists had recently asked the county to pause a long-term vision process for the region.

 

But Alberto Vargas, manager of Orange County planning, said efforts to plan for the region’s future will not wait on Universal until a more specific proposal for the vacant land is revealed.

 

“I have not talked to Universal specifically about this property. If they come forward with a plan, it could potentially accelerate projects to improve roads and transportation there,” Vargas said.

 

The property is just north of the convention center, and south or southeast of Lockheed Martin's Missiles and Fire Control plant. Two major road extensions are expected to connect through the vacant area: Kirkman Road and Destination Parkway.

 

Destination is already part of the county’s capital improvement plan, but there’s no funding in place for Kirkman yet, Vargas said.

A look at this plot in relation to major neighboring Orlando offerings along Universal Blvd and International Drive.

A view of proximity to the existing Universal Orlando Resort.

Edited December 23, 2015 by jedimaster1227

[jray21]

Awesome news! Can't wait to see what they do with the land!

[COASTER FREAK 11]

Im going to guess this is where Disney will build their 5th park.

[KBrylczyk]

More hotels, guys. Or more Potter. They're gonna be chomping at the bit with Fantastic Beasts coming out.

[Themonerd]

Im going to guess this is where Disney will build their 5th park.

 

 

Nah. It's gonna be a expansion of Wet N Wild.

[Meteornotes]

Move all the Pottertown stuff over there, and bring back Jaws!

 

dt

[stricklandCC]

Supposedly all that land was once owned by Lockheed (Lockheed Martin) for a missile development and testing site. Once they got news Disney was coming to town they realized that wasn't going to be a great idea anymore.

[Brassinthegrass]

Odd that one of the bodies of water is in the block, but the other is not... Anyone have any ideas on that? Would they have to build around that or something?

[KBrylczyk]

Move all the Pottertown stuff over there, and bring back Jaws!

 

dt

 

 

Odd that one of the bodies of water is in the block, but the other is not... Anyone have any ideas on that? Would they have to build around that or something?

 

Looks like the one that was included is actually a filled lake while the other is still water.

[Jew]

Supposedly all that land was once owned by Lockheed (Lockheed Martin) for a missile development and testing site. Once they got news Disney was coming to town they realized that wasn't going to be a great idea anymore.

 

Missile production and testing started long before Lockheed Martin and WDW existed. The predecessor to Lockheed Martin (pre-merger Lockeed and Martin were two separate companies) built and tested missiles on the site starting in 1958 all the way up 1996 when the now Lockheed Martin shut that part of the operation down. They still build electronics for missiles and guidance systems in Orlando.

 

That predecessor company (Martin Marietta) actually built the Mark IV monorails for WDW at these facilities as well...

 

The funny thing about all this is that Universal originally bought this land from Lockheed after they shut the plant down only to have GE sell it off.

Edited December 24, 2015 by Jew

[The Yeti]

Move all the Pottertown stuff over there, and bring back Jaws!

 

dt

 

I wouldn't be mad if they built a new park which was all Nintendo themed.

[jray21]

Move all the Pottertown stuff over there, and bring back Jaws!

 

dt

 

Totally agree!

[SharkTums]

Move all the Pottertown stuff over there, and bring back Jaws!

 

dt

 

I wouldn't be mad if they built a new park which was all Nintendo themed.

 

We would all love that, but I fear not.