Mercado I-Drive

[tiggermad]

When we stayed on I-Drive last Oct we went to The Mercado and all that was open were 4 resaurants all the shops had shut up and gone. It looked very run down. 2 questions: 1 does anyone know what happened to Molto's Ice Cream Parlor, did he relocate if so where too. 2: When do they start the redevelopment of The Mercado.

tiggermad:grin:

[nursie]

Just found this on a website "The Mercado, an I-Drive collection of shops and restaurants that's slowly emptying in prep for demolition and conversion to a $1.5 billion condo resort around 2008."
Sorry cant help with Molto's.
Nursie

[W3LUM]

When we stayed on I-Drive last Oct we went to The Mercado and all that was open were 4 resaurants all the shops had shut up and gone. It looked very run down. 2 questions: 1 does anyone know what happened to Molto's Ice Cream Parlor, did he relocate if so where too. 2: When do they start the redevelopment of The Mercado.

tiggermad:grin:

Hi tiggermad :wave: Most of the shops and restaurants are moving to Festival Bay http://www.shopfestivalbaymall.com/html/ beside the Belz outlets.

[jaydecay]

The demise of the Mercado was such a shame.

When I first went in 1989 as an 11yr old with my parents and brother we lived at the Mercado! We were in the Best Western over the road and spent loads of time at the Mercado in the evenings. They had live music, a vast choice of food, shops, an arcade (kept me and brother quiet!) and was over the road from our hotel.

I stopped of to visit in 2006 and found it really depressing that all the shops/restaurants had closed and it was like a ghost town.

[vinamtaylor]

It was run down the last time we were there and thought it a shame. I liked the candle shop and always brought a couple home, but couldn't the last time

[Tink-a-bee]

The demise of the Mercado was such a shame.

When I first went in 1989 as an 11yr old with my parents and brother we lived at the Mercado! We were in the Best Western over the road and spent loads of time at the Mercado in the evenings. They had live music, a vast choice of food, shops, an arcade (kept me and brother quiet!) and was over the road from our hotel.

We spent quite a bit of time there in the evenings on our first trip, listening to the live bands and having a few beers - really nice and relaxing with a great atmosphere - it is a shame.

[mrs rcch]

We were there in December 2007, and its already gone, just a pile of bricks, and dust, probably by now they will have started rebuilding

[Villainlover]

When we stayed on I-Drive last Oct we went to The Mercado and all that was open were 4 resaurants all the shops had shut up and gone. It looked very run down. 2 questions: 1 does anyone know what happened to Molto's Ice Cream Parlor, did he relocate if so where too. 2: When do they start the redevelopment of The Mercado.

tiggermad:grin:

alas he has not relocated :( we loved his selection of Sorbets as DD is allergic to dairy and colourings and his were amazing ..
he ws working behind the bar in the Cricketers Arms Festival bay in September last year :cry:

[Jo&Stew]

Oh I liked the Mercado, and was looking forward to having another walk around :cry:

[ERICSMUM]

It was run down the last time we were there and thought it a shame. I liked the candle shop and always brought a couple home, but couldn't the last time

OMG I had forgotten that candle shop! I was fascinated by how they made them on the spot. There was also a lovely needlecraft shop where I spent a fortune. :nonono:

The courtyard in the middle used to be packed out in the evening, there was always live music.

Just shows how long we have been going to Orlando!

Linda

[motty1969]

We were there in December 2007, and its already gone, just a pile of bricks, and dust, probably by now they will have started rebuilding

Yes us too, it's been bulldozed.

[joblot]

another thread that is 2 years old :grin:

[Fiona]

another thread that is 2 years old :grin:
Oh my goodness so it is!! I looked at it the other day, but didn`t comment on here. Never realised it was so old.

[easygoingeezer]

Can't wait to see what they build, I know there are some apartments planned, once thats finished and the pointe being so nice now and Mr Rosen connecting the whole south end it will be lovely there.

[AliPD]

Can't wait to see what they build, I know there are some apartments planned, once thats finished and the pointe being so nice now and Mr Rosen connecting the whole south end it will be lovely there.

Here's what's replacing the Mercado.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Unicorp Lands Illinois hotel concept for I-Drive
Orlando Business Journal

ORLANDO -- Now when folks shop 'til they drop at the old Mercado retail complex, they'll have a place to sleep.

Unicorp National Developments Inc. has joined with Schaumburg, Ill.-based Hostmark Hospitality Group to build a 424-room, 16-story hotel, dubbed Amalfi. It will be part of Unicorp's new mixed-use center under construction at the 20-acre International Drive site.

The Amalfi is the first hotel planned for the former Mercado site, now being turned into a 340,000-square-foot, $400 million restaurant, retail and entertainment complex called The Square.

Construction will begin on the 180,000-square-foot hotel in 2008, and it's slated for completion in 2010. The hotel architect and general contractor have yet to be named.

In addition, Hostmark may build a second hotel with extended-stay suites in The Square, says Mark Heisler, Hostmark's vice president of development. Details on that project have yet to be determined, but the two projects are estimated to cost more than $100 million total.

Along with the two hotels -- the second of which is still in negotiations -- Unicorp also may include a 400-unit time share project on the site, says Unicorp Principal Chuck Whittall.

'Heartbeat of the south side'

Prior to the demolition of Mercado, which began on Sept. 5 and is expected to continue for six months, Unicorp had signed a number of restaurants and bars new to the market, as previously reported by Orlando Business Journal. Those include Brazilian churrascaria steakhouse Fogo De Chao, Trulucks seafood restaurant, nightclub Martini Park and Ra Sushi.

Whittall says Unicorp also recently inked a deal with Latin restaurant Carnivale, and is trying to lure some of the top retailers in the nation. The first phase of The Square, including about 200,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, is slated to open sometime next year, Whittall says.

The firm also plans to create a $10 million water feature with a nightly laser and music show with fire.

The Square, says Whittall, is "going to be the heartbeat of the south side of Central Florida."

Perfect fit

Having a trendy destination like The Square in an area surrounded by budget attractions, shopping and family restaurants may seem odd, but Maria Triscari says it fits I-Drive well.

Unicorp's plans can only enhance the corridor, says Triscari, executive director of the International Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce. "We have a cross-section of different travelers and visitors who come to this area," she says. "This will fill a niche."

The Square

Location: International Drive and Via Mercado
Acres: 20
Value: $400 million
Description: 340,000 square feet of retail, restaurants and nightlife; 424 hotel rooms; 400 time share units; 3,000 parking spaces; nightly water and laser show
Construction dates: Demolition began Sept. 5; first phase completion slated for 2008
Architect: Chicago-based Antunovich Associates
Engineer: Bakersfield, Calif.-based McIntosh & Associates
General contractors: Apopka-based Finfrock Construction Inc. and Scherer Construction & Engineering LLC in Orlando