An Orlando banking staple on one of the city’s hottest dining corners is on the chopping block as a developer tees up a splashy new project for Restaurant Row.
The long-time Valley Bank at West Sand Lake Road and Dr. Phillips Boulevard is at the center of a redevelopment pitch that would knock down the branch and replace it with a new mixed-use dining and retail complex, complete with its own structured parking. The project is being framed as an upscale upgrade, meant to lure in out-of-market restaurant concepts to a corridor already famous for its wall-to-wall eateries.
As reported by the Orlando Business Journal, the developer estimates the project would cost between $30 million and $40 million and would replace the Valley Bank building at 7625 W. Sand Lake Road.
What the developer wants to build
Unicorp’s own materials describe a roughly 29,750-square-foot, three-story mixed-use center with an attached parking garage on the 1.6-acre corner, a plan that calls for demolition of the current bank building, according to Unicorp. The company also notes that a Unicorp affiliate acquired the parcel in the early 2000s and that the new center is designed to pull higher-end dining options into the Dr. Phillips market.
Why the corner matters
The property sits at the northwest intersection of Dr. Phillips Boulevard and West Sand Lake Road, in the heart of what locals proudly call Restaurant Row, across from the Marketplace at Dr. Phillips and a string of long-running eateries. It is prime turf, which is part of why neighbors have been vocal in the past. Unicorp previously revised an earlier version of its plans after residents objected to the building height and parking setup, removing one level of structured parking, as WFTV reported.
Next steps and community watch
Any new construction on the corner still has to clear the county’s hoops. The developer’s submission materials indicate Unicorp is pursuing the required planning and permitting reviews with Orange County, according to Unicorp. Neighbors can expect public meetings, staff feedback, and likely some design tweaks as the formal review process plays out before any permits are issued.
For now, the Valley Bank branch is still listed at Valley Bank, and the bank’s location page continues to show lobby and drive-thru hours. If the project wins approvals, Restaurant Row could pick up new names and a larger parking footprint, but public notices and permitting timelines will ultimately decide when, or if, construction crews show up on the corner.
