ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Paragon Outlet Partners, LLC opens its 1.1 million-square-foot shopping attraction and artisan marketplace today in the heart of Orlando’s tourism district. Artegon Marketplace Orlando represents a major redevelopment for one of the most valuable retail parcels on the north end of Orlando’s world-renown International Drive.
“Artegon Marketplace Orlando is an entirely new, bold and unique shopping concept for the region inspired by the world’s famous marketplaces, from Seattle’s Pike Place and Boston’s Faneuil Hall to the London Flower Market,” described Steven Sless, executive vice president for Paragon Outlet Partners. “It is a significant asset for the community that will create more than 675 new jobs and support local artisans, craftspeople and entrepreneurs.”
Unique to the shopping attraction is Florida’s largest daily indoor artisan marketplace. The Village at Artegon Marketplace houses 165 artisanal shops and stores where local craftspeople sell and demonstrate their products and services. “We have curated a rare collection of the area’s most talented artisans along with food and drink purveyors offering fresh, farm-direct fare of the highest quality,” said Thearon Scurlock, director of marketing for Artegon Marketplace Orlando. Among the offerings are hand-made leather goods, accessories, jewelry, sculpture, mixed media artwork, custom clothing and locally-sourced foods.
Complementing the artisan marketplace, Artegon Marketplace Orlando is anchored by some of the biggest brands in dining and retail. They include:
- Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World
- Ron Jon Surf Shop
- Cinemark Theaters
- Sheplers Western Stores
- Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill (scheduled to open by fall 2014)
- Berghoff’s Oktoberfest (scheduled to open by spring 2015)
Rounding out the guest experience are more than 20 in-line retailers. Highlights include:
- GODS & MONSTERS, the first high-end innovative comics and collectibles store of its kind in the country (scheduled to open during the fourth quarter of 2014).
- The nation’s first International Hot Glass, a glass gallery showcasing artists from around the world and a studio where guests can work with a professional glass blower to create their own piece of art.
Paragon Outlet Partners designed Artegon Marketplace Orlando to be a highly immersive and interactive experience. Other defining features include:
- The Great Hall with an expansive “Sky Trail” ropes course (paid admission).
- Free Wi-Fi both indoors and in the outdoor plaza areas.
- Caricaturists, henna and jawa tattoo painters, canvas airbrush artists and other edgy performers.
- Streetmosphere performers, from jugglers to singers to stilt walkers, strolling throughout the shopping attraction.
- An industrial-chic environment punctuated by heavy wooden support beams, exposed brick and weathered steel.
“Artegon Marketplace Orlando is a must-see attraction for residents and visitors alike, providing them with a new place to experience the sights, sounds, and flavors unique to Central Florida,” Sless continued. “Guests can discover authentic local culture and take home a hand-made treasure and lasting memento of their trip to Orlando.”
For group outings such as community events, off-site convention excursions, corporate parties and bus tours, Artegon Marketplace Orlando is a distinctive addition to the region’s diverse offerings. Mears Transportation Group is the official transportation partner for taxi service. Trolley service is available along I-RIDE Trolleys’ Red Line at stop #3. The center also provides free surface parking with 5,800 spaces.
Operating hours are 11am-9pm Monday-Saturday and 11am-7pm on Sunday. Artisan studios will be open Monday-Saturday 11am-8pm and noon-6pm on Sunday. Artegon Marketplace Orlando is located at 5250 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819.
Paragon Outlet Partners, LLC is considered one of the most influential and forward-thinking development firms in the nation’s retail real estate industry. It is also credited with re-energizing the former Belz Factory Outlet into the highly-successful Prime Outlets Orlando that eventually sold to Simon Properties.
To learn more about Artegon Marketplace Orlando, visit ArtegonOrlando.com. Like on Facebook and Follow on Twitter and Instagram #ArtegonMarketplace.
