Florida Acquires Crossroads Shopping Center For $198 Million, Will Bulldoze to Build New Road to Walt Disney World

Shannen Ace

Updated on:

Crossroads Shopping Center Closing for Disney Road Enhancements

Florida Acquires Crossroads Shopping Center For $198 Million, Will Bulldoze to Build New Road to Walt Disney World

In an eminent domain settlement, Florida has agreed to pay $198 million to acquire the Crossroads shopping center near Walt Disney World. Florida will be knocking down Crossroads in order to build a new road leading to Walt Disney World as part of the ongoing I-4 Ultimate project.

We first told you about this project way back in December 2016, and then in April 2018 it was expected that the shopping center would close within 18 months. It seems those negotiations took longer than expected, but have finally wrapped up.

According to The Orlando Sentinel, attorneys for the Florida Department of Transportation and Crossroad’s owner U.S. Cities Fund signed an agreement late last year outlining payments for each of the twenty-five tenants of Crossroads. The largest payment of $15.7 million is going to Gooding’s Supermarkets. U.S. Cities Fund received about $149.4 million and an additional $10 million to cover attorney fees and other expenses.

i4 interchange crossroads big

The twenty-five tenants have until August to vacate Crossroads.

The $198 million settlement is now the highest known eminent domain settlement, the previous record being around $70 million.

How do you feel about the destruction of Crossroads shopping center? Let us know in the comments.

73 thoughts on “Florida Acquires Crossroads Shopping Center For $198 Million, Will Bulldoze to Build New Road to Walt Disney World”

  1. Such fine memories going to Goodings for groceries and dining in Red Lobster (my mother’s favorite).
    Hope that it is for the better and more efficient transit to WDW.
    CROSSROADS was part of the experience going to WDW as member of the DVC.

  2. Thank GOD, that intersection is one of the most poorly-managed areas in all of Orlando. It will get worse before it gets better, but soon it will be *so much better*.

    • Yeah that intersection sucked but Crossroads itself was fine. Besides, people here drive very impatiently and cause more problems than there’s reason to.

      • That’s one thing I noticed driving there quite a bit, was the constant honking over any little thing. It’s very annoying. I live and drive in Tampa and lived in other cities, it’s not like that. Maybe NYC but orlando ain’t NYC.

    • As someone who lived in the apartments now called Buena Vista @ Cypress Point, about 1 mile north of that intersection, that was the primary reason that I moved after just one year. It was especially bad on Friday nights from what I recall. I hated that it could take as much as 20 minutes to get to I-4 from there (ONE MILE!).

  3. That intersection that takes you onto Hotel Plaza Blvd is absolutely horrendous! With that said, I’ll miss a few of those places…the mini golf at Pirates Cove, Chevy’s Mexican restaurant…they were places we made memories with our kids. Now, we hope for new and better, just sad to see some of those places go!

    • With the amount of time it takes for road construction, by the time it’s completed we should be back to “normal”.

    • Such a mature sentiment. The Disney themepark experience does seem to suck ever since “COVID started”. They should totally ask COVID to stop, because it’s totally lame. 406,000 Americans would’ve agreed with you.

      If someone feels compelled to make a public show of being flippant and ‘not caring’, its just them begging for attention. Hope you’re happy with a fleeting acknowledgement of your posted opinion.

    • Couldn’t agree more. Hey Florida let’s spend all this money for a place that fired a HUGE chunk of it work force and for what? How about trying too utilize the newly over priced waste of money space for something that has a positive impact for the community. SMDH

      • From the Orlando Airport to the Walt Disney World parks, it would be nice if they had some kind of train service connecting the parks to the airport and to the Disney hotel area because that place is way too big and even by car you jump on one Highway and it can take even with no traffic and speeding something like 20 or 30 minutes to get
        to the next Park, ( that is if you do not get lost or take the wrong on ramp or off ramp or exit or whatever.)
        also has the rental car companies are horrible very dangerous and lazy they do not do a proper safety inspection check on the cars that they are renting out, I had some fools give me a car with no safety inspection and I have terrible problems with the tires and then they were trying to make me pay an extra $200 it only had my signature and I showed them that they never gave me your proper safety inspection before leaving the airport.
        it was the worst service I have ever seen in America and actually around the world at the Orlando International Airport also some of the TSA workers are very rude and unprofessional they should not be working with the
        public! and don’t even get me started on the crappy service at some of the restaurants like Black Angus worst service worst Food I’ve seen in my entire life

  4. Sorry to see it going lots of memories bringing my family to Perkins. TGi & more for the past 35 years

  5. Of course. It was an easy and convenient drive to get cheap food and meals from the resorts on the east side of WDW. Now the options will be more limited and further away.

  6. Why is Florida paying for this. Why not Disney itself. especially now that they have canceled their shuttle service they’ll only be adding more traffic to the roads.

    • An interstate is managed by federal dollars. As this is an offramp from I-4, it would fall under that category. If it were just a normal byway or highway, I’d agree with you.

  7. Great time to take away even more jobs in the area. Most low paying so it’s obvious the rich attorneys and landowners could care less.

  8. I think this is Awful!! That’s the only place close to Disney Springs to have food if you can’t afford or don’t want to eat at Disney Springs! McDonalds and Chevys are staples for almost everyone.. There isn’t another Chevys in ALL of Orlando. Closest UNO is in Winter Garden!! Why can’t they tear down the back half of the plaza and skirt along the hwy?! I am going to be sad when there is a giant piece of hwy instead of places to de stress after a long day at Disney! 🥺

  9. It’s a shame. One exit west is a very easy way to get right into the park. Truly don’t understand the waste of money, the loss of all the restaurant jobs and the loss of business.. So many hotels nearby and you’re forcing over a dozen restaurants to close.

  10. So sad Chevy’s Mexican is being stomped on. All of the chain’s restaurants have been closed in my hometown so I so looked forward to that one when visiting Orlando/Disney.

    • I’ve only eaten at a Chevy’s once – in San Francisco back in like 2001 at MacWorld. It was pretty decent. But I’m also a spoiled brat when it comes to good Tex-Mex as I live in SE Texas :D I’ll have to check this place out when they move on my next trip.

  11. Geez, why does Disney World have to have more stuff?! Evil corporation. Screw Disney. I already canceled my Disney+ subscription. There are business owners, Florida! Filthy rats.

  12. I will miss all those restaurants. I go to many of them when I’m in town..yes the traffic is terrible mainly because half the drivers don’t know where they going

  13. Terrible idea. Its going to make my drive to work even more horrible. I get off I4 at that exit and nothing wrong with it. If it ani’t broke dont fix it!!!

  14. I’m disgusted. That place has so many great restaurants that are affordable unlike Disney. Now they will be gone.

  15. It’s sad…that plaza has been a great place to stop in for supplies on a Disney vacation…and for quick dinners when you need a park break. It will be missed. :(

  16. No sweet tomatoes, no Flippers, buffalo wild wings, Fuddruckers. Hope it’s worth taking it down. Those were some pretty good restaurants for folks living nearby. It’d be sad to see them go but hope they reopen nearby.

  17. Wow. Lots will be lost and wasted. So pirates mini golf also will be gone. So much just turns to green and nothing with many more losing jobs.

  18. I think this is dumb. That shopping center is the only place you can easily get affordable food near the parks and resorts.

  19. For those staying at the Disney Springs area hotels that’s a bummer! It was good to count on that complex for a snack at night or shop for your breakfast/ park snacks. Plus some GREAT memories since BWWings was a hot spot por college program cast members! It will be missed

  20. Me and my family have great memories from the Crossroads stores and restaurantes from more than 25 years
    Is so sad that is gone

  21. Whatever Disney wants, Disney gets ! ( eventually) but that area is horrific with traffic and confusing to tourists

  22. Great Memories of going to restaurants here with my family and coworkers. But the nightmare of traffic that this will hopefully alleviate in this area will make things better… not just for WDW.. but I-4.

  23. I think it’s ridiculous that Disney can just keep buying up properties and turning it into roads to lead directly into their garbage overly priced ridiculous rules theme park. you’re going to tear down businesses that have been here just as long as you and for what? So you can have another road that leads directly to your Park? all of those people are are going to lose their jobs and their businesses because Disney’s greedy as hell. personally if Disney shut down tomorrow I would be happy as hell. Place is overpriced and expensive as hell even water is overpriced go ahead and figure that out to either be able to afford your whole family to go you have to save up for a year or more. And then have to come back and completely bust your hump to replace the money you spent on the overpriced expensive trash at that garbage Park.

  24. So sad to hear this ! There’s no need for a road there ! Restaurants on crossroads should stay and disney should get another way to build a road ! So disappointing

  25. There’s a small, family-owned Indian restaurant in Crossroads, Dakshins, that I used to frequent when my company was working with Disney. It was so nice to have a non-chain place with good food and friendly people. I hope they can survive the move and continue.

  26. While I think fixing this exit is important, for safety. EG hey jimmy which way to Disney World, the. Proceeds to cut across three lanes of traffic without looking and signaling. When will they work on Champions Gate, that might be the single worst exit on all of I-4.

  27. Many a time I went there for lunch on a day trip to WDW. So many options for both type of food and cost. Sad that it couldn’t have been saved, but that intersection has been a nightmare for the entire 10 years that I’ve lived in the area.

  28. That is the second worse intersection in that stretch of I-4, only behind the turn after the 528 interchange. I don’t see how that configuration will help traffic getting onto Hotel Plaza Blvd or Vineland Ave, however. Those two streets are not resolved from this new I-4 turnoff. There were some great food options in that complex, so close to Disney’s most trafficked doorstep. It will be missed.

  29. I have a HUGE problem with the tax payers forking out $198 million dollars to tare down one thing then spend more tax payers dollars to build something else just so ppl can drive to Disney World. How about Disney fork out that money? With all of the craziness and ppl being out of work this is the LAST thing Florida should be paying for..

  30. Well, I don’t know much about that particular area, but being 72 years of age, I’ve seen big money talk and memories, good or not so good walk.

  31. We’ve been going for years when we arrive to Disney. Fudruckers, Flippers, Quiznos and Gooding are always places we visit. Anyone know if any of the places are relocating?

  32. My ex Partner owned it for decades. It was good to him (Jack Friedland and family) for decades.

    As he would say; “All’s well that ends well”!!

  33. One of our family’s favorite restaurants is in there, Sweet Tomatoes. I know there another one not far from WDW, but of the 2 we prefer the Crossroads location. We will miss it and the other businesses in there.

  34. I’m sad to hear it’s leaving. My husband and I always go shopping/dining there when we go to Orlando.

  35. How about $150,000 to every displaced worker, to be paid by WDW, since they’re the Prime benefactors of our tax largesse?

  36. Horrible decision, lots of memories at this shopping plaza, all to be demolished to better serve Disney’s money making plan. Even if they were to pay for all of it, (and they’re not, the taxpayers are). It still a bad idea, now any giant company conglomerate in Florida can ask and receive special treatment as to traffic flow right into their business from the interstate.
    Not the happiest place on earth anymore, but one of the richest.

  37. I liked to stroll around crossroads shops, dream about the Christmas town in the Halmark store (I am also a Christmas freak), buy sneakers found nowhere else on footlocker, get scared by the prices of goodings (and print my pictures), go to Perkins, Tgifriday’s, and so, but I believe it will be better for the city development!

  38. This is so great! We all get to save 20 seconds off of our drive and all we have to lose in exchange is Goodings, TGI Friday’s, Pirates Cove, Johnnie’s Hideaway, Red Lobster, Moes, Noodles and Co, Buffalo Wild Wings, the Knife, Mcdonald’s, Taco Bell, Uno’s, Chevy’s, Perkins, and possibly more!

    The extra 20 seconds will be well worth $192 million dollars PLUS the cost of constructing this. Totally worth it.

Comments are closed.