Universal Orlando files plan for 2,451 new parking spaces

Universal has filed a plan with Orange County to get approvals for 2,451 “overflow” parking spaces on vacant land it owns along Destination Parkway near Orange County Convention Center.

The land is part of a 475-acre purchase north of Universal Boulevard and west of Destination Parkway purchased in December 2015 by SLRC Holdings LLC, a company affiliated with Universal.

Universal Orlando spokesman Tom Schroder said the company has nothing further to say about the parking spaces at this point.

There has been a lot of speculation about what Universal is planning, but Universal hasn’t provided any detail for the properties. Comcast execs say they have a lot of ideas on how to use the land but no firm plans. A Nintendo-themed area is also coming to Universal Orlando.

In 2015, executives told analysts that they want to open an attraction every year at each major location.

There’s also litigation regarding the future of the land, a lawsuit attempting to block any new theme parks on the property. Georgia developer Stan Thomas is behind the suit in Orange County circuit court. Thomas once controlled the properties but lost the land in a foreclosure.

According to the lawsuit, there are still private restrictions on the land that prevent a large-scale tourist attraction. But the area is already green-lighted with entitlements for thousands of hotel rooms, mixed-use development and tourism attractions.