Mid August in Orlando means the last stretch of summer heat, the countdown to the school year, and a calendar already filling with autumn plans. This week brought one of the largest real estate transactions in Central Florida history alongside a full slate of local openings, markets, and things to do before the weekend turns over.
Headline of the Week
The headline number of the week: $1.38 billion. That is the price Trinity Investments accepted for Grande Lakes Orlando, the luxury resort complex anchored by a JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton, in one of the largest hospitality sales the region has seen, according to The Business Journals. Ryman Hospitality is the buyer, per IPE Real Assets. A deal of that size signals continued confidence in Orlando as a destination, and that kind of confidence tends to ripple outward into everything from hotel jobs to the neighborhoods that support them.
Around Town This Week
- Animate Orlando, a three day anime and pop culture convention, takes over the Orange County Convention Center Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, August 14 through 16.
- Cirque du Soleil: Drawn to Life continues its run at Walt Disney World on Friday, August 14.
- UCF Knights Women's Soccer takes on Florida at the UCF Soccer and Track Complex on Thursday, August 13.
- Thursday Thinks Trivia runs at Dirty Laundry on Thursday, August 13.
- The Wiggles: Tree of Wisdom Spectacular plays Hard Rock Live Orlando on Wednesday, August 12.
- Blue Man Group performs at ICON Park on Wednesday, August 12.
- Live music rounds out the week with Running Punks and the Indie 900 Jam, both at Lil' Indies tonight, Tuesday, August 11.
New and Notable
Orlando has paused its downtown business incentive program after demand for the grants outpaced expectations, a sign of how much investor interest is currently flowing into the urban core, per Spectrum News 13.
Dellagio Town Center in Orlando is welcoming a new market to its lineup, adding another gathering spot to the popular shopping and dining destination, according to West Orange Times Observer. Orlando's Mills 50 district is also drawing a fresh round of restaurants and small businesses, continuing that neighborhood's run as one of the city's most dynamic corridors, per Spectrum News 13. Farther afield, Orlando based Westgate Resorts opened its first Bahamas property this week, part of an $850 million push into the Caribbean, per The Business Journals, a reminder that some of the region's hospitality names are expanding well beyond Central Florida.
Food and Drink
Whataburger has made its Orlando return, opening a new Colonial Drive location on August 6 complete with a grand prize giveaway, as covered by orlandoweekly.com and WFTV. Chick-fil-A has also opened a new Orlando restaurant, adding to the chain's already dense local footprint, per Chick-fil-A. And Visit Orlando's Magical Dining program returns next month with new restaurants and menus joining the roster, according to WKMG.
Parks, Trails, and the Outdoors
Downtown Orlando is offering a full slate of arts, sports, and family friendly programming this season, from public art to outdoor recreation, per the City of Orlando. For those already looking past summer, the Orlando Date Night Guide's roundup of fall festivals and pumpkin patches is already worth bookmarking for family weekends ahead.
Living Here
Central Florida's farmers markets remain one of the easiest ways to spend a weekend morning outdoors, and fresh guides from the Orlando Date Night Guide and Orlando Sentinel lay out which markets are open and when. On the housing side, realtor.com took a look at what a home around $400,000 looks like in Orlando right now, a useful gut check for buyers gauging what that budget actually buys in today's market. Separately, Stacker ranked which cities in the Orlando metro have seen the fastest home price growth, a reminder that appreciation across the region is far from uniform from one neighborhood to the next.
The Week Ahead
Between a headline grade resort sale, new markets, new menus, and a downtown incentive program that has become a victim of its own popularity, this week's roundup captures a region still very much in motion. Add in a weekend already stacked with anime, cirque, and live music, and Central Florida shows no sign of slowing down as summer winds toward its close. Questions about buying or selling in Orlando? Austin Munday is always glad to help.
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