It's been a divisive topic, drawing passion on both sides: A mega-coaster, among other complex attractions, that would tower above Orlando's International Drive.
Orange County commissioners are set to vote Tuesday on whether the 700-foot-tall Skyplex will move forward or hit a dead end.
More than 50 people, some in favor of the project and some opposed, signed up to speak to commissioners Tuesday.
Both the developer behind Skyplex and opponents of the project met with county commissioners Monday, appealing one final time before Tuesday's meeting.
Skyplex's developers presented this slideshow to commissioners Tuesday:
But to understand the back-and-forth between the two sides, let's look at the heart of the debate:
Not far from the Orlando Eye, which opened this spring, the 700-foot-tall Skyplex would stand on the corner of International Drive and Sand Lake Road, where a Perkins restaurant now sits.
(Julie Gargotta, Staff)
Critics said the tower would make the already busy, congested area even worse.
For others, the project means jobs, growth and yet another attraction to draw visitors to Orlando.
After 20 years of working for Walt Disney World in various capacities, Dr. Duncan Dickson, now an associate professor at the University of Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality, has seen theme park rumbles like this one, which he explained centers on zoning.
"When Walt came to town, he wanted to have his own incorporated cities, so he didn't have to worry about this type of thing," explained Dickson, who teaches theme park management at UCF.
(Orlando Attractions Magazine / Wallack Holdings, LLC)
This latest battle is all about whether the Skyscraper, a 500-foot-tall "Polercoaster" that would be the crowning glory of the $460 million Skyplex, can be built.
Nearby Universal Orlando Resort, which is opposed to the project, cannot build above a 200-foot height requirement.
(Universal Orlando Resort)
Dickson added there's another facet of the debate: The potential notion of the new attraction riding on the coattails of what Universal and others have already built and siphoning guests away from the existing theme parks.
"The other side, they're saying, 'Wait a minute. We spend an inordinate amount of money bringing people to Orlando, and you're not going to contribute to that,'" Dickson said.
Critics have other issues, too, besides traffic.
"They're concerned about the lighting and the noise pollution," said Orange County Commissioner Victoria Siplin.
Speaking outside the County Commission chambers in downtown Orlando, where Tuesday's vote will take place, Siplin said she has gotten a lot of feedback from constituents.
"I'm still sorting through — I'm still getting emails, phone calls — those that are for it, those that are against it," Siplin said. "We've gotten almost 1,700 yeses and 100 noes."
The Skyplex project is within Siplin's District 6, so she is especially invested in the project.
"It's something new, it's something different, and whenever you have a change that's dramatic like this, that's what you're going to get: Mixed reactions, mixed feelings," Siplin explained.
Residents who live near the area where the Skyplex would be built had mixed feelings about having what would be the world's tallest roller coaster in their backyard.
"I hope they do decide to do it. I give it two thumbs up," said Iderle Monplaisir, a former New York City resident who welcomes the taller buildings and attractions. "I come from a city. I think it's beautiful. We look in our backyard, and it doesn't bother us."
Monplaisir and more than a dozen other residents can see the lights of I-Drive from the shore of Spring Lake, including the Orlando Eye.
But not everyone is excited for the project. Some neighbors said it will make the area noisier and brighter.
Cody Jarrett, who has lived along the lake with a view of I-Drive for the last year and a half, said he strongly opposes the Skyplex.
"We have been following it. We signed a petition to not have it built in our area, because people don't understand that Orlando is not just an attraction town," Jarrett said. "People actually do live here."
Siplin and other commissioners have met with both Joshua Wallack, the developer behind the Skyplex, and Universal Orlando several times leading up to Tuesday's vote.
Wallack said something of this size can only help the area bring in business and more tourism dollars.
"So the retailers do better, the hoteliers do better, the restaurateurs do better, the county does better," Wallack said. "Everybody does better when there are more tourists visiting the tourist corridor."
Universal Orlando Resort declined to comment about Tuesday's vote.
While Siplin could not say which way the vote will go, she said it boils down to this: "Tomorrow is: 'Are we ready for change and growth?'"
If county commissioners vote "yes" to give Skyplex the green light, it would move forward with a development plan that would take 3–4 months.
If they vote "no," developers could still appeal to a circuit court, but that would take much longer.
(Wallack Holdings, LLC)
What is Skyplex?
If approved on Wednesday, the Skyplex would bring several new attractions to Orlando in just one complex on the corner of International Drive and Sand Lake Road. Two of the attractions and rides would claim the title of "world's tallest."
Each of the attractions' names begins with the word "Sky," playing off the complex's Skyplex marquee.
If approved Tuesday, the headline attraction of Skyplex would be the Skyscraper. At 500 feet tall, the roller coaster would be the tallest on Earth. A recent redesign of the ride now shows the coaster utilizing a vertical lift, similar to Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit at Universal Studios Florida, which climbs to "only" 167 feet.
(Wallack Holdings, LLC)
On Rip Ride Rockit, guests ascent the first hill while sitting face-up with their backs to the ground, much like a space shuttle astronaut at liftoff.
The Skyscraper concept is based on the "El Loco" roller coaster model, which we have previously previewed at the Adventure Dome in Las Vegas. At the start of 2015, Utah-based S&S-Sansei Technologies had the contract to design Skyscraper.
El Loco at the Las Vegas Adventure Dome. (Scott Fais, Staff)
Today, Swiss ride manufacturer Intamin is leading the engineering of Skyscraper.
The single-car trains, similar to an old-fashioned wild mouse roller coaster, would feature smaller vehicles able to roll, dive and quickly take riders upside down.
Also attached to the tower would be the world's tallest drop ride. Skyfall is based on an Intamin product already in operation at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey and Six Flags Magic Mountain north of Los Angeles.
(Wallack Holdings, LLC)
Riders on Skyfall would plummet straight down from about 500 feet. By comparison, Great Adventure's Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom takes riders up 415 feet.
Earth magnets would bring the ride vehicles to a stop at the base of the tower, allowing for a smooth stop. The breaking system is similar to that found on Falcon's Fury at Busch Gardens in Tampa.
Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J. (Six Flags)
In addition, the Skyplex would offer a "Soaring Eagle" zipline attraction, where riders would find themselves suspended on a cable as they glide from the tower, back down to I-Drive.
The latest animation of the Skyplex shows a "Uni-Coaster" ride from Orlando-based U.S. Trill Rides. While not a roller coaster, the Uni-Coaster follows a round track, along which riders can spin their own car upside down.
The Skyplex complex in the past year also announced a surf simulator, where users can try and catch a wave like at the beach. The Florida Mall used to be home to a similar wave machine, formerly found inside the Adrenalina surf store. The surf simulator from Canada's WhiteWater West is popular at regional water parks and aboard cruise lines.
(WhiteWater West)
For the faint of heart, a rotating dining room above the 500-foot level would be like the one found atop the Stratosphere hotel and casino in Las Vegas.
Giant windows would offer a view of Dr. Phillips, the Orlando Eye, International Drive, theme park fireworks at night in the distance and the downtown Orlando skyline.
A similar restaurant is popular in Toronto at the CN Tower, where diners get a view of the city and Great Lakes.
Like the 1,149-foot-tall Stratosphere, the Skyplex would also feature an open-air observation deck below the spire, which would top out at 700 feet tall.