Zicav Group has approval from the City of Orlando for a condo-hotel tower near Universal, but the developer appears to be switching course after filing an amended application for a hotel project on the property instead.
The Colombian developer submitted plans to the city last year calling for a 16-story condo-hotel tower with 174 units and about 6,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space on 1.75 acres at 5600 Major Blvd. The city approved the application, but now Zicav Group is looking to construct two hotel buildings on the property.
The new plans propose a pair of adjacent hotel buildings with a combined 349 rooms, about 27,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space, and 237 parking spaces. Under the plan, the taller tower would be built in the first phase and would now rise 17 stories with 7,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and a 7,000-square-foot rooftop restaurant. The building, called GZ Tower Hotel, would be built on top of three stories of structured parking and have a 6,358-square-foot outdoor amenity area on the fourth floor adjacent to a kid’s room, a gym, and multiple indoor lounge spaces.
The 17-story tower would be built at the back of the property, while an additional 5- to 7-story building would be constructed just off Major Boulevard. The plans indicate that the smaller building, which would be built in a second phase, would have over 13,000 square feet of incorporated retail and restaurant space. The application doesn’t clarify how many of the hotel rooms would be built in the first phase.
A project narrative submitted to the city by the applicants claimed that the proposed density is compatible with the surrounding area and with the existing zoning of Metropolitan Activity Center (AC-3), which is “intended … for large, concentrated areas of residential, commercial, office, industrial, recreational, and cultural facilities”.
“As noted, the subject property is located within the most intense zoning district outside of the city’s downtown core. The proposed project fits within the development pattern of the surrounding vicinity which includes many other hotels with similar building mass as well as many major attractions, such as the Universal Studios and Island of Adventure theme parks,” the document reads.
The latest proposal has some similarities to an original conceptual plan that Zicav Group submitted to the city in 2022. Those plans called for a 17-story tower with a six-story parking deck, along with an outdoor pool sandwiched between the main tower and a separate 4-story amenity building situated at the front of the property.
Orlando-based architecture firm DM Architect and law firm Nelson Mullins are also working on the project. Maria Luisa Lord, a Columbian-born attorney and co-founder of Lord & Lord Consulting previously told GrowthSpotter that she assisted Zicav Group with establishing a Florida-based LLC for Zicav Group, helped connect the developer to project partners, and found the land for the planned project. Zicav Group purchased the property in 2023 from Temple Grove Major LLC for $3.8 million.
Representatives from Zicav Group, which primarily develops residential and commercial buildings in its home city of Barranquilla, Colombia, weren’t available for comment.
The I-Drive tourism corridor is seeing a boom in hotel construction near Universal and the upcoming Epic Universe theme park, which is set to open on May 22nd.
For example, IHG Hotels & Resorts plans to build a 784-room resort hotel in partnership with Unicorp National Development and Flag Luxury Group as part of a $1.5 billion redevelopment of the former Wyndham Resort and Convention Center at 8001 International Drive south of Universal. The hotel, which is expected to open in 2028, will feature five restaurant and bar concepts, a 15,000-square-foot spa and wellness center, a pool, a fitness center, and 106,000 square feet of meetings and events space.
IHG Hotels & Resorts also plans to open a 7-story dual-branded EVEN and Staybridge Suites hotel with 288 rooms on 4.5 acres next to the main entrance to Epic Universe.
Universal Orlando is also set to open three hotels with a combined 2,000 rooms on or next to Epic Universe. The 750-room Universal Stella Nova Resort opened in January with a resort-style pool, multiple restaurants and bars, a game room, a gym, and a resort store. The resort is located next to the 750-room Universal Terra Luna Resort, which opened to the public in March with amenities similar to those found at Stella Nova.
Additionally, Universal will open the 500-room Helios Grand Hotel on park property within Celestial Park in May when Epic Universe opens to the public. The hotel will have a resort-style pool and feature a rooftop lounge called Bar Helios, which will serve cocktails and tapas and provide spectacular views of the park.
Maryland-based Buccini/Pollin Group intends to build a 400-room Marriott-branded W Hotel on a nearby, 10-acre property on the northwest corner of Universal Boulevard and Destination Parkway. The 22-story tower, which could break ground later this year, would include a 2,000-seat concert venue, a 700-car parking garage, and five bars and restaurants, including a flagship restaurant with 400 seats.
Additionally, South Florida-based hotel developer Amir Dhanji wants to build a 119-room, 5-story Fairfield Inn and Suites near Epic Universe on Destination Parkway.
Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at (407)607-8160 or TyWilliams@GrowthSpotter.com. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.
