Budget grows for Disney garages
The Reedy Creek Improvement District on Wednesday added $4 million to the $360 million budget for improving transportation around Disney Springs.
Reedy Creek is a Disney-controlled taxing district. Disney is its primary taxpayer.
Extra costs were about $4.7 million but were offset by a $750,000 decrease in the Buena Vista Drive reconstruction price tag
Most of the extra money covers increased expenses in parking garages, which will cost $157 million.
The entire project also includes Buena Vista Drive reconstruction, a ramp leading into one of the parking garages from Interstate 4, and pedestrian bridges.
Bruce Jones, the district’s manager of contract and risk management, said Reedy Creek had decided to add new safety improvements to the first garage, which opened last year. Visitors are using doorways meant for emergency access only, he said, so the district is adding doors with signs that make it clearer they are not for general use. The district is also adding railings so that people who exit through the doors don’t wander into traffic. That will cost $1.1 million. The second garage, which opens later this year, will cost $3.1 million more than originally planned. Jones said the district had to replace soil that had vegetation in it, which would have created instability when it decomposed. The district also had to relocate unexpected utility equipment that it ran across.
The I-4 ramp will cost $400,000 more than originally budgeted, primarily because of increased electronic signage costs.
The extra $4 million will come from $15 million worth of bonds approved last year for transportation improvements in the corridor.
Also on Wednesday,
a new Reedy Creek Improvement District board member was selected — Maximiano “Max” Brito, cofounder and partner in the Rhodes+Brito architectural firm. Brito replaces member Tom Moses, who died last year. Property owners get votes based on acreage owned. Disney owns the majority of the district’s land.
Universal gets I-Drives seat
Several months after complaining that it wasn’t represented on the Orange Countyorganized committee to create a vision for International Drive, Universal Orlando got a seat for the last scheduled meeting.
Universal lobbyist Melanie Becker sat on the committee. She represented the Universal Boulevard Property Owners Associa- tion, which Universal Orlando is a part of since an affiliated company bought 475 acres near the Orange County Convention Center in December.
Becker said at the meeting one thing Universal wants to discuss with the county is the placement of Kirkman Boulevard, which needs to be expanded south to accommodate development.
Universal would not provide further details. Orange County Planning Manager Alberto Vargas said his staff has not yet had discussions with Universal about Kirkman’s extension.
SeaWorld board member to step down
One of SeaWorld Entertainment’s board members has decided not to serve any more. Joseph Baratta, global head of private equity at Blackstone, plans to step down either following SeaWorld’s shareholder meeting or when the company has a nominee to take his place. His term expires this year.
SeaWorld Chief Executive Officer Joel Manby told analysts Baratta remains supportive of the company’s director but faced an increase in professional responsibilities at Blackstone Group, which owns 22 percent of the company’s shares.
Little savings from removing floors
SeaWorld Entertainment will realize few financial benefits from removing those emergency-lift floors it installed in some killer-whale pools following the death of a trainer in Orlando several years ago.
The company told
analysts