A rendering of the front of the main timeshare building at Gateway Vista. (rendering from WATG)
Marriott Vacations Worldwide recently submitted plans to build a timeshare community within the vast World Gateway PD, located near Disney World.
The property, located south of International Drive, is proposed for an approximately 11-acre parcel east of the existing Cortland World Gateway apartment complex. A site plan from civil engineer Kimley-Horn indicates that the Marriott-branded timeshare community, called Gateway Vista, will have a total of 225 units, including 5 studios, 124 two-bedrooms, and 80 two-bedrooms with lock-off.
The remaining 16 units are proposed to be located in three separate “lake house” buildings situated by a proposed water feature. The latest plans represent a smaller version of what was originally proposed for the site, as a previous application from July of last year requested the allocation of 300 timeshare units on the same parcel.
A site plan indicates that the Gateway Vista timeshare community could include three pools in a central amenity area. (site plan from WATG)
In the recently submitted plans, the main timeshare building that will hold a majority of the units will be ten stories with a three-story parking garage. Meanwhile, the lake house buildings, which are proposed to be built in an additional phase after the main building, will rise two stories. The plans also indicate that a large amenity could include three separate pools connected by walking trails.
Irvine, California-based WATG is the architect and landscape architecture firm Foster Conant & Associates is also working on the project. The Marriott-backed timeshare development is scheduled to appear before the Orange County Technical Review Group (TRG) next Wednesday.
Proposed location of the Gateway Vista timeshares on an 11-acre parcel in the World Gateway PD. (Orange County Property Appraiser)
The timeshare project is located within World Gateway PD, which contains 829 acres, 404 of which are located on development parcels. While the majority of the PD consists of vacant land, there are several existing developments, including Cortland World Gateway apartments, WorldQuest Orlando Resort, Camden World Gateway apartments, Mirabella Condominiums, and Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites, which features a waterpark available to guests.
Plans submitted to Orange County last August indicate that the mixed-use PD was approved for 4,680 hotel rooms, 864 timeshare units, 2,385 multifamily units, 240,000 square feet of retail, 171,530 square feet of office space, a 20,000 square foot sit-down restaurant, and a 5,000 square foot fast food restaurant. An 18-hole golf course is also included in the approved development plans.
The plans note that the “proposed uses and the mix of uses on parcels may be altered using the equivalency matrix” as the planning process moves forward.
Rendering of the three “lake houses”, proposed to be built around a small body of water. (rendering from WATG)
GrowthSpotter previously reported last January that Orlando-based Intram Investments bought 460 acres within the PD for $96 million, representing one of the largest land purchases in the Orlando area in recent years.
Representatives from Marriott Vacations Worldwide and Intram Investments did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Last July, Randy Hodge, Executive Vice President at Intram Investments, told GrowthSpotter that he couldn’t provide which specific Marriott brand the timeshare would appear under at the time due to a confidentiality agreement with the developer. Marriott Vacations Worldwide holds assets across seven brands, including Marriott Vacation Club, Westin, Hyatt, Sheraton, Grand Residences, St. Regis, and Ritz Carlton.
