Thinking inside the box
Central Florida developers are thinking inside the box — in bringing a new park concept to Lake Nona. Tavistock Development Company is using 14 repurposed shipping containers to build Boxi Park, a 30,000-square-foot venue including restaurants, two bars, a sand volleyball court, a dog park and a live entertainment venue.
The boxes were used once for shipping goods before going to SG Blocks in Huston. There, they were crafted for use at the Lake Nona park and trucked across the country.
The family and dog-friendly space will be situated in Lake Nona Town Center, about 30 minutes southeast of downtown Orlando.
Jessi Blakley, senior director for strategic communications at Tavistock Development, said she expects the park to draw in visitors from inside and outside the community.
“We think Boxi Park Lake Nona is going to be an attraction, not just for the residents of Lake Nona and the businesses that around here, but for Central Florida as a whole,” Blakley said.
Boxi Park will feature fullservice bars serving cocktails and wine, plus a beer garden and dedicated craft beer line. In addition, restaurants will rotate periodically, as the venue will serve as an “incubator” for testing new concepts.
“As an incubator, the idea is that we’re able to test concepts and see what works — not just for us in the community, but for the purveyor themselves,” Blakley said. “The concepts are meant to rotate and whether they’re here six months, nine months to a year, we’ll just have to see how it goes.”
The space will be across from the Lake Nona Town Center, a blossoming downtown district featuring apartments, hotels, office space and restaurants. Blakley said the containers could be moved in the future to help facilitate growth.
“Our downtown at Lake Nona Town Center — it’s a long-term project that’s going to take many, many years,” Blakley said. “They’re quite large containers, but the idea is that they can move. In future years, it might grow into other parts of Lake Nona.”
The park is expected to open in December 2018 and employ at least 100 people. For more information, visit the Boxi Park website or follow the progress on their Facebook page and Instagram.