The Bainbridge Companies, almost a year after opening the first multifamily phase at Bainbridge World Center, is gearing up to break ground on the second and even larger phase after closing on the land and receiving construction financing for the project.
Bainbridge recently purchased the land for the roughly 22-acre project from Intram Investments for $18.5 million and received a $69.245 million construction loan from PNC Bank, according to county records. Bob Thollander, president of development with Bainbridge, said that he expects the company to break ground on World Center 2 within a matter of days, with the goal of opening the clubhouse in 14 months and the entire 415-unit community in two years.
Last summer, the developer opened Bainbridge World Center, a 341-unit complex located at 14051 International Dr. The elevator-serviced community includes four 5-story, L-shaped buildings, along with a central clubhouse next to an outdoor pool and lounge area. The next phase, World Center 2, will be located directly north but will function as a separate community with its own amenities.
World Center 2, which will have a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, will feature a design akin to that of the first phase, with four buildings and a clubhouse and pool area. Community amenities found at World Center 1 include indoor lounge space with a shuffleboard and a pool table, a cafe with a coffee bar, offices and coworking space, and a gym with cardio and strength training equipment. The outdoor pool area has additional lounge space, grills, and a covered lanai with a fireplace and TVs.
Civil engineer Kimley-Horn, landscape architect Dix-Hite, architect Cormia Design Group, and surveyor Base Line Land Surveyors complete the development team.
According to Thollander, the proximity to major throughfares and job centers is the main reason why Bainbridge decided to build more apartments at the site.
“Being on the north side of the 417 Beltway, there’s an on ramp right there, just to the east. You can get off there, or you can jump on. The other thing is, World Center Drive in the other direction will get you right on the I-4, and if you go up I-drive you can get to the 528, so we think accessibility wise, it really opens up a lot of opportunities for people…to get to their different jobs in pretty good time without a lot of traffic,” he said. “You’re really not that far from Lake Nona, which is a huge job center, and you’re not that far from Epic Universe and Disney, so you’re kind of right smack in the middle of everything.”
Bainbridge isn’t the only developer making moves in the immediate area. Htl 1 Dux LLC, an entity associated with developer Ricardo Coelho, owns a 4-acre parcel on I-Drive directly west of Bainbridge World Center. Earlier this year, he submitted plans to Orange County, revealing a proposal for a seven-story hotel called “Rio Hotel by Bourbon” on the site.
Preliminary plans for the hotel call for 300 rooms, a kids’ lounge, offices, a destination club, a bar, an outdoor pool, and ground-floor retail space. An adjacent building would also include space for meeting rooms and events.
Bainbridge has completed several luxury apartment communities in Orlando’s tourism corridor and near Lake Nona. Earlier this month, GrowthSpotter reported that the company would venture into Lake County for the first time as the multifamily developer for a 300-unit apartment community in the Hills of Minneola town center.
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