I-Drive megal hotel and mall plans unveiled

By David Bodden, Reporter
mynews13.com

This mega hotel and shooping mall is slated for the corner of International Drive and Kirkman Road. the city of Orlando gave it the green light this week. (RENDERING/BlackMINE Group)

ORLANDO -- 

Developers of a new hotel and shopping center coming to International Drive in Orlando say they are hoping to give visitors seven-star quality and a 25^th century experience.

City leaders just gave the $400 million project the green light. 

“We are moving to 25^th century concept," said project developer Abdul Mathin. "This project and this building is going to focus on the future.”

Mathin is the chairman of Blackmine Real Estate Investments. He said the high-end hotel will have more than 700 rooms seated atop a bustling shopping mall. The project will be constructed at the corner of International drive and Kirkman Road, an area Mathin says is in desperate need of a face lift.

Orlando city leaders approved the project after Mathin agreed to lower the height of the building to just over 400 feet and come up with a comprehensive plan to deal with increased traffic.

But reaction to the project from local business owners and operators is mixed. Aleem Ally operates a vacation business at a nearby hotel. He believes the project will boost the local economy.

“It is something I think the whole area was waiting to happen," Ally said. "This is international drive and people come from all over the world and they need an international attraction...this is like a shot in the arm.”

But business owner Jessica Cardia said she fears losing her business when the current shopping center closes to make way for the new construction. She said she can only wait to see what the future holds.

Mathin said he expects to break ground on the project in the summer of 2015. He said it could open as early as 2017.