ORLANDO, Fla. – There are now hundreds of new places to park in the tourist district of Orlando as developers see their vision for International Drive become a reality. Joshua Wallack, owner and operator of Mango’s Tropical Cafe, sat down with us on News 6 at 9 a.m. to talk about the progress being made and the plans for the future.
Wallack Holdings LLC opened Mango’s Tropical Cafe in 2015, in an effort to bring nightlife to the area. Since then, the developer opened the Hollywood Plaza Complex next door, which includes 900 parking spaces.
We also learned new details about the company’s Skyplex entertainment area which will feature the world’s tallest roller coaster, the Skyscraper. Wallack said the $500 million project was scaled back to $250 million in the last two years and will take up less of the 14 acres set aside for the project than originally planned. The coaster is still projected to rise 570 feet and include zero-g rolls. Wallack said that decision was made in part to leave room for a future hotel. Skyplex is scheduled to open in 2020.
The county is still working to making the area more walkable and safer for pedestrians. A proposed walking bridge is part of the I-Drive 2040 concept, a long-term effort to make the area more pedestrian-friendly and serve as the gateway to International Drive.