Skyplex
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Skyplex was a planned entertainment complex to be located on a lot at the northeast corner of
Sand Lake Road State Road 482 (SR 482), named Sand Lake Road and McCoy Road, is an east–west state highway in south Orlando, Florida, United States. It is a surface road providing access to some of Orlando's biggest tourist attractions. Route descriptio ...
and
International Drive International Drive, commonly known as I-Drive, is a major thoroughfare in Orlando, Florida, United States, and is the city's main tourist strip. I-Drive is located several miles southwest of proper Downtown Orlando in the southernmost li ...
in
Orlando, Florida Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
. Plans for the complex were to include a tower which would have featured the world's tallest roller coaster,
Skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Most modern sources define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition, other than being very tall high-rise bui ...
, and the world's largest Perkins Restaurant and Bakery. In January 2019 the project was expected to cost and include space for a future hotel. The complex was originally planned to open first in 2016. But pushed back to 2017, then 2018. The project was once again delayed to 2019, then was delayed yet again to 2020. In 2021, Joshua Wallack revealed that Lionsgate originally signed a deal with Wallack Holdings LLC to turn Skyplex into a theme park named Lionsgate World Resort Orlando, which was rumored to start construction in early 2021 and was set to open in late 2024. However, no updates nor announcements on the project happened. On December 21, 2022, US Thrill Rides LLC and Polercoaster LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and would be liquidated. On January 30, 2023, WPC (Winter Park Construction) confirmed on a message that the project would not be moving forward, resulting in the complex being delayed. On October 17, it was confirmed that Skyplex is cancelled as the area is being put up for sale.


History

The project began in 2012 with a planned budget of US$500,000,000. After several successful land negotiations conducted under the name WF IDrive Realty, development of Skyplex and the
roller coaster A roller coaster is a type of list of amusement rides, amusement ride employing a form of elevated Railway track, railroad track that carries passengers on a roller coaster train, train through tight turns, steep slopes, and other elements, usua ...
began. The complex was designed by Helman Hurley Charvat Peacock/Architects Inc. In May 2014, a website seeking investors was published. In 2015, Wallack Holdings LLC spent to develop a retail complex, a parking garage, and a Mango's Tropical Cafe on the southwest corner of the same intersection as Skyplex. On December 1, 2015, the Orange County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the project's rezoning. The project was lobbied against by ''Save Our Orange County Community'', a group backed primarily by
Universal Orlando Universal Orlando Resort, often shortened to Universal Orlando, is a theme park and entertainment resort complex located in Orlando, Florida. It is the flagship of the Universal Destinations & Experiences theme park chain. Following the succe ...
. Universal's main issues with the project were that the Skyscraper would have ruined the sight lines from their parks (specifically
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter ''The Wizarding World of Harry Potter'' is a chain of themed areas at Universal Destinations & Experiences based on the ''Harry Potter'' media franchise, adapting elements from the Warner Bros.' film series and original novels by J. K. Rowling. ...
), and that Universal itself was not permitted to build anything over . Portions of the roller coaster's track had been completed by
Intamin Intamin Amusement Rides is a design and manufacturing company in Schaan, Liechtenstein, best-known for designing and constructing Amusement ride, thrill rides and roller coasters at dozens of international theme parks, amusement parks and other e ...
and were in storage by April 2017, but the start of construction in Orlando was on hold pending the approval of permits, which did not come to fruition. In January 2019, it was announced that the project had been scaled back to and would only take up a portion of the planned site, but that the size of the tower and 2020 opening date would remain unchanged. The project was later removed from Mango's Tropical Cafe's website in June 2019. In 2021, Wallack revealed that Wallack Holdings had signed a licensing deal with
Lionsgate Entertainment Starz Entertainment Corp, formerly known officially as Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation and commonly as Lions Gate and/or Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company currently headquartered in Santa Monica, California. Founded by ...
to open Skyplex as a Lionsgate Entertainment World resort, but the project had lost its financing in early 2020 as theme parks in Florida were being forced to closed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. Wallack Holdings still held the licensing deal and Joshua Wallack said that while he still believed in the Skyplex concept, practical considerations had him considering other uses for the site such as a resort hotel to support the nearby upcoming
Universal Epic Universe Universal Epic Universe is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida, United States. It opened on May 22, 2025, as the third theme park and fourth park overall to open at Universal Orlando. The park was part of a larger development and feature ...
theme park. On December 21, 2022, Polercoaster LLC and US Thrill Rides LLC, the companies that were planning to have the project be built, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. On January 30, 2023, WPC (Winter Park Construction) confirmed that the project would not be moving forward, with the planned complex falling into uncertainty. The project was officially cancelled on October 17, 2024 with the area being put up for sale or lease.


Planned attractions

Skyplex was to feature
Skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Most modern sources define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition, other than being very tall high-rise bui ...
, which would have been the world's tallest roller coaster at over . Development of Skyscraper began in 2012 after the
Polercoaster Polercoaster was a type of amusement ride offered by US Thrill Rides and Intamin. An installation would have consisted of a large tower structure, featuring glass elevators to an observation deck, as well as a steel roller coaster wrapping aro ...
concept from US Thrill Rides was selected as an attraction for the new complex. Skyscraper was officially announced on June 5, 2014. In February 2015, it was announced that a drop thrill ride called SkyFall was to be incorporated into the design of Skyscraper. An adult game room was to feature party rooms, a central bar,
billiards Cue sports are a wide variety of games of skill played with a cue stick, which is used to strike billiard balls and thereby cause them to move around a cloth-covered table bounded by elastic bumpers known as . Cue sports, a category of stic ...
, video games, and simulators. The family game area would have featured traditional games, electronic games, and simulators. There would have been a high speed competitive go-cart track, and a track designed for all ages. The Apex Sports Bar would have included private party rooms, VIP seating, a tequila bar, and large screen theatre style viewing of sports programs. The Skyplex Observation Deck would have been high, and was planned to be accessible via what was to be Florida's tallest glass elevator. There was to be an open-air retail area promenade, SkyPlaza, with a raised pedestrian walkway leading to the main entrance. SkyPlaza would have been anchored by a Perkins Restaurant and Bakery, which was to be the largest in the world. The promenade would have included several other retail and restaurant tenants.


References

{{reflist Buildings and structures in Orlando, Florida Tourist attractions in Orlando, Florida Proposed skyscrapers in the United States Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2022