According to The Orlando Sentinel, The creators of AREA15, an immersive art and events center with eye-catching special effects, are going all out in Orlando.
What’s Happening:
- The creators of AREA15 in Las Vegas said they plan to open a second, larger entertainment center in Orlando’s tourism corridor by 2024. The 300,000-square-foot venue will out-size the one they debuted in Las Vegas in 2020 by about 100,000 square feet.
- Earlier this year, GrowthSpotter reported that Area 15 Orlando LLC had bought about 17 acres at Lake Street and Regency Village Drive, north of International Drive.
- A conceptual rendering for the venue in Orlando shows components similar to those in Las Vegas, including an 80-foot wide grand entrance with lighted art sculptures, a tall open-air balloon ride with a built-in bar and an outdoor concert venue west of the building.
- Similar to the one in Las Vegas, too, the inside will feature a smorgasbord of fluorescent colors and lights, giant interactive art installations, and unique dining, entertainment and retail experiences — all of which take place within a large, dark, windowless warehouse.
- But the exact tenants and specific art for the Orlando project, which is estimated to cost between $150 million to $200 million, have not yet been singled out, said Winston Fisher, CEO of AREA15.
- The Las Vegas experience features about a dozen tenants, including its anchor Omega Mart, which was created by the renowned Santa Fe artist collective Meow Wolf, and takes up about 50,000 square feet. Wink World, created by one of the founders of the Blue Man Group, is another notable exhibit at AREA15 Las Vegas.
- Features at AREA15 Las Vegas include a canopy of 5,000 LED lights, a food hall by chef and restaurateur Todd English, a 23-foot Japanese maple tree, and a rentable 8,000-square-foot ballroom with technology to project all-encompassing visuals off the surrounding walls.
- Other offerings include Lost Spirits Distillery, Rocket Fizz candy shop, Wild Muse Boutique, a festival-inspired clothing store, Dueling Axes, Emporium Bar and Arcade and a special edition of Kappa Toys that specializes in glow-in-the-dark toys.
- AREA15 in Las Vegas created more than 1,000 jobs and hosted 44 live events during its first year of operation. The Orlando venue will feature more than 150,000 square feet of leasable retail space.