Orlando, Fla. – Dec. 15, 2014 – Today, Westgate Resorts hosted a ground breaking ceremony  to celebrate the construction of a new $11 million mixed-use retail development that will feature award-winning restaurants, event and meeting space and a parking garage at Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa on Turkey Lake Road in Orlando.

Westgate Resorts Founder and CEO David Siegel, was joined by Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, Orange County Commissioner Scott Boyd, and President and CEO of Visit Orlando George Aguel for a groundbreaking ceremony at the future site of Westgate Lakes Retail Village.

The ceremony celebrated the continuing growth of Central Florida’s tourism industry and the impact the locally based company has in that development.

image001“We’re excited about bringing high-quality entertainment, dining and meeting options to our Westgate guests and Central Florida visitors,” said Siegel. “The Westgate Lakes Retail Village also will create many new jobs and contribute to the economic development of Central Florida.”

Westgate Lakes Retail Village will introduce the company’s premium dining concept – already successfully launched at Westgate Park City Resort & Spa (Utah) – Edge Steakhouse to Central Florida. The village also will include Drafts Sports Bar & Grill, retail shops, 32,000 square feet of flexible banquet and meeting space, a full-service marketplace grocery store, game room, two-lane bowling alley and a more than 450-space parking garage.

A unique fine dining concept, Edge Steakhouse takes traditional American steakhouse cuisine to a new level of sophistication with creative twists on classic steakhouse favorites, such as American Kobe beef sashimi and lobster and black truffle risotto. Its innovative dishes are complemented by an extensive wine selection, boasting more than 1,000 bottles from six continents.

In Utah, Edge Steakhouse has consistently been recognized as one of the state’s best restaurants earning awards from OpenTable, TripAdvisor, Best of State Utah, Wine Spectator and the Park City Record newspaper.

For more casual fare, Drafts Sports Bar & Grill offers hand-crafted burgers, stone hearth pizzas and gourmet pub food, alongside an extensive beer and wine list. Drafts will feature high-definition flat-screen televisions for viewing sporting events, and will complement the existing award-winning Westgate Smokehouse Grill on property.

The new 32,000 square feet of flexible banquet and meeting space will triple the amount of space available for groups at Westgate Lakes, further expanding the resort’s meetings and special events business. The new space will accommodate larger groups including corporations, associations and weddings, offering a convenient location, beautiful lakefront environment and accommodations featuring all the comforts of home, ranging from studios to spacious four-bedroom villas.

Conveniently situated in the heart of Orlando’s tourism hub, between Downtown Orlando and nearby theme parks and attractions, Westgate Lakes Retail Village will be the ideal location for award-winning dining experiences, meetings and events. The parking garage will be open by May 2015 and the retail, restaurants and meeting space will be completed by the end of 2015.

Also taking part in the groundbreaking were Westgate Resort executives: Chief Operating Officer Mark Waltrip, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Jim Gissy, Regional Vice President of Sales Steve Siegel, Vice President of In-house Sales Bobby Fusik, Vice President of Retail, Dining & Spa Mark Mrozinski and General Manager of Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa Tom Sparks.

About Westgate Resorts

Founded in 1980 by David A. Siegel, Westgate Resorts is one of the largest resort developers in the United States. Westgate features 27 themed destination resorts with over 10,500 luxury villas in premier locations throughout the United States such as Orlando, Florida; Park City, Utah; Las Vegas, Nevada; Gatlinburg, Tennessee; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Williamsburg, Virginia; Miami, Florida; Branson, Missouri; Mesa, Arizona; and Tunica, Mississippi. Most Westgate Resorts locations feature a variety of unique restaurant, retail and spa concepts, including Drafts Sports Bar & Grill, Westgate Smokehouse Grill, Edge Steakhouse, Westgate Marketplace & Deli, and Serenity Spa by Westgate. For more information about Westgate Resorts, visit www.westgateresorts.com.