Proposal infuses ‘1980’s vibe’ into derelict Orlando shopping plaza Colonial Promenade

Orlando’s Colonial Promenade shopping plaza may be going retro with a new plan to redevelop the derelict plaza on East Colonial Drive.

The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, owner of the property is considering a proposal to redevelop and rebrand the shopping plaza. The Wideman Company presented design renderings at a committee meeting Wednesday.

The company is leaning into the plaza’s construction year — 1985 — for the design of “The Landings.” The plaza would keep much of its design and characteristic arches, but infuse them with a color scheme reminiscent of vintage designs for things like Kodak and Atari advertising. New plants and street art would also be added, along with “practical weather and shade” features.

The new design would primarily be for the west building, while the east building would be leveled and potentially replaced with a larger format store.

The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority has been looking at redeveloping Colonial Promenade since 2018, but finding a developer has been a challenge. The initial solicitation for proposals was withdrawn due to lack of interest, GOAA said in its presentation.

The agency tried again in 2024, and the Wideman Company’s letter of intent was one of only two the aviation authority received.

If approved, the Wideman Company would agree to a 30-year lease, with two 10-year renewal options, along with a minimum $20 million investment in property improvements.

This means GOAA would hold the property and would not have to invest in the revitalization.

Wideman Company has not said what types of businesses it would seek to bring into plaza.

The Colonial Promenade has sat largely empty along East Colonial Drive near Orlando Executive Airport for years.

The last two tenants in the shopping plaza are expected to be gone before the end of the year.

Situated in a highly-trafficked stopping district, the 180,000-square-foot plaza once housed a Sam Ash music store, a cinema, a Sweet Tomatoes, a Michaels craft store, and an Orange County Public Library branch at one time or another.

But over the last 10 years, the businesses closed up for one reason or another. The Sweet Tomatoes and the library closed in 2020. The Sam Ash closed in 2024 when the company went out of business.

In an April GOAA board meeting, staff showed a “visioning video” that teased a revitalized Colonial Promenade as part of its future plans.

“The Colonial Promenade becomes a vibrant activity center, with new buildings illuminated from within signalling businesses, restaurants, offices and aviation services in operation,” the video narrator said.

The full GOAA board will discuss the proposal on Nov. 18.