I-Drive’s $386 Million Hotel, a $2.2 Billion Builder Deal and 845 Winter Garden Apartments: Orlando Week in Review

This Orlando week in review covers a pipeline Jared calls massive: multiple billions of dollars changing hands in two weeks, thousands of hotel rooms moving through approvals and new rooftops in every corner of the metro. Development figures here come from Jared’s video and public reporting, and the dollar amounts were not checked against MLS.

Jared’s full week in review: the I-Drive hotel loan, Publix in Lakeland, the Dream Finders and Beazer deal, Gateway Osceola, 845 apartments near Winter Garden and a rapid-fire round from Apopka to Kissimmee.

What is being built at 8001 International Drive?

Flag Luxury Group and Unicorp are building the InterContinental Orlando, a planned 700-room luxury hotel, after Civitas Capital Group provided a $386 million senior construction loan.

The plan calls for about 105,000 square feet of meeting, pre-function and convention space, a six-level garage with roughly 730 spaces, restaurants, bars, a resort pool and a spa. To get your bearings, the site sits at the southeast corner of Sand Lake Road and International Drive, behind the row of restaurants on that corner and back toward Universal Boulevard. Jared notes it is the former site of the Wyndham Orlando Resort. Site work is already underway, vertical construction is targeted for the first quarter of 2027 and completion is expected in the third quarter of 2029. In the video Jared rounds the loan to “nearly $400 million,” and the lender’s announcement puts it at $386 million.

Jared’s read is that the project adds an upscale element the corridor needs, a trend setter on a stretch that mixes older properties with new ones, and it sits just north of the Orange County Convention Center, so it will serve group business as well as tourists. He also ties it to the bigger picture: Orange County collects a 6% tax on hotel stays, which Jared puts at roughly $380 to $400 million a year, and that money funds projects across the county. See our breakdown of where Orange County’s $786 million in tourist tax projects is going and the I-Drive and Sand Lake pedestrian gateway planned for the same intersection.

The most important detail, in Jared’s view, is the financing. Big renderings get everyone excited, but projects without money do not move, and he points to the planned $2 billion Dynasty project in Ocoee, which has shown little visible progress since it was fenced off a few years ago. This hotel has not crossed the finish line, but it has crossed the financing line. His open question for viewers is whether I-Drive at Sand Lake can handle the traffic from a 700-room hotel going vertical.

International Drive keeps drawing big hotel money, and the bed tax those rooms generate funds projects all over Orange County. Illustration, not an exact view of the site.

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Why is Publix expanding its Lakeland warehouse campus?

Publix is adding a produce warehouse of roughly 404,000 square feet and a return center of about 63,000 square feet in West Lakeland, a project valued near $200 million.

The expansion sits along Allen K. Breed Highway, next to the existing Publix campus at 2600 County Line Road. Publix bought the roughly 138-acre property in 2023, and the city’s approval comes with floodplain, stormwater and road requirements. The project also ties into property tax incentives: to keep them, Publix has to add at least 10 new full-time Polk County jobs paying an average just under $64,000 a year.

Jared’s take is that both of the week’s top stories are really employment stories. Publix is the regional supply chain for Central Florida, and Orlando ranks near the top of the country for people moving in, so the grocery chain keeps scaling. In the outer ring where production builders can still build, Publix is usually the first grocer to show up. Buyers in some new communities would rather see a Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods or Sprouts first, but Jared says Publix tends to be the store they get for the first five or ten years, and it keeps gaining market share as the most aggressive investor in the game. For a local example, see the Hamlin Macaway grocery center in Horizon West.

Publix is expanding its West Lakeland distribution campus with a new produce warehouse and return center. Illustration, not the actual site.

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What does the Dream Finders and Beazer Homes deal mean for St. Cloud?

Dream Finders Homes completed an all-cash acquisition of Beazer Homes valued at about $2.2 billion, and on the same day a 38-acre St. Cloud property entitled for 245 homes sold for about $38 million.

That works out to roughly a million dollars an acre. Jared explains the price: the land was not raw. It was already entitled, permitted and subdivided, so the value was baked in. The site is on the south side of St. Cloud in the Cross Prairie area, east of East Lake Tohopekaliga and south of downtown, where thousands of acres are being developed. Jared adds that 25,000 to 35,000 homes are being planned farther down Canoe Creek Road toward Deer Run, which he calls insane.

The bigger story is how Dream Finders grew. Founded in 2008, a rough year for real estate, Dream Finders runs what Jared calls an asset-light model. Instead of buying land and holding it for a decade, it works with a land bank that acquires and holds property until Dream Finders is ready to build, which keeps long-term risk off its books. According to Jared, that land-banking partner put up most of the cash for the Beazer purchase. Beazer is the older, more established name nationally, but Dream Finders is the one Central Florida buyers see more often. Jared expects the Beazer name to stay visible for a while as Dream Finders moves into a much larger national presence. For the local picture, read our St. Cloud growth and housing data for 2026.

Where is Gateway Osceola being built?

Gateway Osceola, a 252-unit Class A apartment project near NeoCity in Kissimmee, has officially moved into construction, with a summer 2028 rollout planned.

The site sits directly south of Gateway High School on the west side of East Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway (US 192), next to Osceola Heritage Park and across 192 from the main entrance to NeoCity. Jared says the project has cleared acquisition, entitlements, financing and permitting, so it is very real. The press releases he reviewed describe it as market-rate housing, with no announcement of income-restricted units. With a Korean semiconductor company investing at NeoCity, Jared expects more housing demand in the area. Read more in our NeoCity and Kissimmee real estate guide.

New apartment plans keep landing across the region, from 252 units near NeoCity to an 845-unit proposal near Winter Garden. Illustration, not either project.

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What else moved in Central Florida this week?

An 845-unit apartment proposal near Winter Garden, new homes in Apopka, Zellwood and Four Corners, more warehouses in Davenport and a hotel purchase next to Ovation Orlando in Kissimmee.

845 apartments proposed near Winter Garden

A developer has asked to build 845 apartments on about 24 acres near the Grove Resort, on the south end of Avalon Road almost down to US 192, at the southern edge of the 34787 ZIP code. This is a proposal, not an approval. Jared expects wetlands to be the first issue, since the area has low spots, and rush-hour traffic on the south end of Avalon Road already backs up about a mile. Even with a future widening of Avalon Road, he does not see this happening soon, and he notes the south side of Winter Garden already has a lot of apartments. For context, read about the Lake Avalon Rural Settlement in Winter Garden and our Winter Garden and Horizon West real estate hub.

Apopka and Zellwood add homes

Apopka commissioners approved Saddlebrook Meadows, a 55-home Lennar community on 20 acres at 3585 Golden Gem Road, on a 3-2 vote. The site is just south of Kelly Park Road and west of State Road 429, with 60-foot-wide lots, and it sits south of the 215-acre Wild Oak project on the same road, which is planned for about 300,000 square feet of retail and dining. Neighbors raised repeated questions about whether the two-lane road network can handle more commuters. In Zellwood, D.R. Horton’s 104-home Terra Bona subdivision advanced through technical review. Jared also passed along word that the long-closed Rock Springs Ridge golf course north of Apopka has an operator lined up, with reopening targeted for 2027. See our Apopka, Florida 2026 guide.

A 165-home subdivision for Four Corners

A 165-home subdivision was announced near US 192 and US 27 in Four Corners, inside a planned unit development that dates back to 1990. The residential site is about 103 acres woven with ponds and wetlands, and there is no information yet on the homes. Commercial space, a possible emergency room, office space and a storage facility are still planned in the wider PUD. Jared expects the whole stretch from 192 and US 27 east toward Avalon Road to see significant change over the next five years, with more construction, road work and services for neighborhoods from the Winter Garden side to Sawgrass and Four Corners. See our Clermont housing market update.

Davenport and Winter Haven add distribution space

In Davenport, 24 acres near I-4 and US 27 changed hands, and plans have been submitted for about 369,000 square feet of logistics space in four buildings near Posner Park. In Winter Haven, a distribution center of roughly 685,000 square feet on about 40 acres, occupied by Sherwin-Williams, sold for $133 million. Jared counts both as employment centers and is for them.

Ovation’s developer buys the hotel next door

Accesso, the developer behind Ovation Orlando off US 192 in Kissimmee (not the Ovation community in Horizon West), bought the neighboring Delta Hotels by Marriott Orlando Celebration. It is one of the largest hotels in Kissimmee, with more than 700 rooms, and it recently got about a $23 million renovation that added more than 13,000 square feet of meeting and event space plus pools, a sports court and a fitness center. The Marriott franchise runs through 2042. The purchase brings the developer’s holdings to nearly 100 acres. Ovation itself is planned around retail, restaurants, immersive art, a 1,000-seat theater, convention space and a luxury hotel priced above the Delta. Jared likes the scale play of running two hotels side by side, and he hopes the project raises the bar on a 192 corridor that still looks like the 1980s and 1990s. See what is changing nearby in our look at Old Town Kissimmee’s new owners.

Travel rankings: Florida makes the list, MCO stresses travelers

Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice awards put Florida’s John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo among the top attractions in the U.S. On the less flattering side, a private study ranked Orlando International Airport the 15th most stressful of 55 major U.S. airports, with roughly one in four flights out of MCO delayed.

A private study ranked Orlando International Airport 15th most stressful out of 55 major U.S. airports. Illustration, not an exact view of MCO.

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A light real estate read

Pull back and the theme of the week is money moving from announcements into dirt. The I-Drive hotel has its loan, Gateway Osceola is under construction, Publix is building and a builder merger came with an entitled land sale at a premium. When financing closes and land trades at a million dollars an acre, it tells you developers expect the people to keep coming.

For buyers and sellers, the practical signal is where the jobs and rooftops are landing. Distribution centers in Lakeland, Winter Haven and Davenport, apartments near NeoCity and proposals on the south end of Winter Garden all point to growth spreading outward along I-4, US 27 and US 192. Knowing what is approved versus only proposed near a neighborhood helps you set expectations on traffic, services and price. If you want help reading a specific area, the Jared Jones Team can walk you through it, and you can browse Central Florida homes for sale to see what is active now.

The Takeaway

This week was about financing and follow-through: a hotel that secured its loan, a grocery chain building warehouse space, apartments breaking ground and a builder merger reshaping who builds in Central Florida. Several of the rapid-fire items, including the 845 apartments near Winter Garden, are still proposals, so treat them as stories to watch. The figures here trace back to Jared’s video and public reporting, not an MLS pull. If you are weighing a move anywhere in the metro, the Jared Jones Team can help you compare areas, builders and timing.

FAQ

What is being built at 8001 International Drive?

Flag Luxury Group and Unicorp National Developments are building the InterContinental Orlando, a planned 700-room luxury hotel at 8001 International Drive near Sand Lake Road. Civitas Capital Group provided a $386 million senior construction loan. Plans include about 105,000 square feet of meeting and pre-function space and a six-level garage with about 730 spaces. Vertical construction is targeted for early 2027, with completion expected in the third quarter of 2029.

Why is Publix expanding its Lakeland warehouse campus?

Publix is adding a produce warehouse of roughly 404,000 square feet and a return center of about 63,000 square feet to its West Lakeland distribution campus, a project valued near $200 million in city permits. To keep its property tax incentives, Publix must add at least 10 new full-time Polk County jobs averaging close to $64,000 a year.

What does the Dream Finders and Beazer Homes deal mean for St. Cloud?

Dream Finders Homes completed an all-cash acquisition of Beazer Homes valued at about $2.2 billion. On the same day the deal was announced, a 38-acre St. Cloud property entitled for 245 homes sold for about $38 million, roughly a million dollars an acre. Jared expects the Beazer name to stay visible for a while as Dream Finders grows its footprint.

Where are the 845 apartments proposed near Winter Garden?

A developer has asked to build 845 apartments on about 24 acres near the Grove Resort, on the south end of Avalon Road close to US 192 at the southern edge of the 34787 ZIP code. It is only a proposal. Jared expects wetlands and rush-hour traffic on Avalon Road to be the first hurdles.

Who bought the Delta Hotels by Marriott next to Ovation in Kissimmee?

Accesso, the developer behind the Ovation Orlando entertainment district off US 192 in Kissimmee, bought the neighboring Delta Hotels by Marriott Orlando Celebration, a hotel of more than 700 rooms. The deal brings its holdings to nearly 100 acres. The hotel recently had about a $23 million renovation and carries the Marriott franchise through 2042.

Links and Sources

The Jared Jones Team guides

• Winter Garden and Horizon West real estate hub
• Last week in review: Orange County’s $13 million hotel
• Week in review: the $786 million tourist tax
• Where Orange County’s $786 million tourist tax is going
• The I-Drive and Sand Lake pedestrian gateway
• Hamlin Macaway grocery center in Horizon West
• St. Cloud growth and housing data for 2026
• NeoCity and Kissimmee real estate
• Lake Avalon Rural Settlement in Winter Garden
• Apopka, Florida in 2026
• Clermont housing market update
• Old Town Kissimmee’s new owners

Video

• Watch the full Orlando week in review on YouTube

Sources

• Civitas Capital Group, $386 million construction loan for InterContinental Orlando
• LkldNow, Publix advances $200M warehouse expansion in West Lakeland
• Dream Finders Homes, completion of the Beazer Homes acquisition
• Orlando Business Journal, St. Cloud land sells for $38.85M
• Florida Construction News, construction begins on Gateway Osceola
• Orlando Business Journal, 845-unit apartment project proposed near Winter Garden
• GrowthSpotter, Apopka approves Saddlebrook Meadows
• GrowthSpotter, D.R. Horton advances Terra Bona in Zellwood
• GrowthSpotter, 165-home subdivision planned in Four Corners
• GrowthSpotter, new warehouse complex planned in Davenport
• SRS Real Estate Partners, Sherwin-Williams-occupied property sells for $133 million
• GrowthSpotter, Ovation developer buys neighboring Marriott Delta hotel
• Tripadvisor, 2026 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Things to Do
• Rightway Parking, America’s most and least stressful airports

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Author

Jared Jones

Written by Jared Jones, The Jared Jones Team. Jared Jones, Broker Associate, brings 24 years in real estate, the last 11 in Central Florida, nearly 4,000 homes sold, and a top 10 eXp team in Florida.

The Jared Jones Team, Brokered by eXp Realty · 504 W Plant Street, 1st and 2nd Floors, Winter Garden, FL 34787 · 407-706-5000 · info@jaredjones.com · jaredjones.com