Shopping center near Disney closing to make way for ‘I-4 Beyond the Ultimate’ project!
This story has been circulating for quite some time, but now we have specifics. The Crossroads, the popular shopping and restaurant area right across from the Disney Springs entrance to Walt Disney World, will be closing by August. I was hoping this wasn’t the case, as this area has a lot of vacation memories for us and so many. Here is the full scoop from WESH news in Orlando.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — If you’ve recently paid a visit to the Crossroads Shopping Center, you might’ve noticed many of the shops and restaurants, like the Goodings grocery store and the Sweet Tomatoes, are already closed and soon, all businesses in this plaza will be gone.
The shopping center is situated right near the corner of I-4 and State Road 535 or Apopka-Vineland Road.
Restaurants like TGI Fridays, FireHouse Subs, Buffalo Wild Wings, and others are located on one side. Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Uno Pizzeria and more are on the other.
Some of them have already shut down. Others are getting ready to close their doors, which is something they’ll have to do by the end of August.
“When we come to visit Disney we always stop at this grocery store to do a little bit of shopping if we need to pick-up anything like cough syrup or anything like that, we always come by so it’s a little upsetting that it’s gone,” one visitor said.
“Seeing all these places go that’s been so much of history is really going to be odd,” another visitor said.
According to officials with the Florida Department of Transportation, the state reached a $198-million agreement to acquire the shopping center.
The plans are part of the ‘I-4 Beyond the Ultimate’ project and are still in the design phase, but include making room for express lanes on I-4 and reconfiguring the I-4, Apopka-Vineland Road intersection by building ramps for a new interchange that’ll ease congestion in the area.
FDOT says once the businesses have been vacated, demolition will begin.
So what about you? Will you miss this popular area? I know I will! Thank you to WESH for the information.
Michele also contributes theme park news for Fox 35 Orlando 11pm news and on the radio on WDBO.