Giant Perkins added to Skyplex lineup

Additions to Skyplex, an entertainment complex under development on International Drive, will include a 10,000-square-foot Perkins restaurant and alter the path of Skyscraper, bringing the world's tallest roller coaster looping near the corner of I-Drive and Sand Lake Road.

The plan probably will demolish the current Perkins on that corner by the end of the year, said Joshua Wallack, managing principal of Skyplex. The new restaurant, which would be the largest Perkins in the world, would open with Skyplex in 2017, he said.

The new restaurant will anchor a new open-air promenade called SkyPlaza, developers will announce Wednesday. A pedestrian bridge will connect Skyplex and SkyPlaza, which will house additional retailers.

"We are delighted to be part of this exhilarating and premier development project," said Jeff Warne, CEO of Perkins. "We look forward to sharing details with the community and our guests as plans unfold."

The current location is the top-grossing Perkins in the country, Wallack said. The company is enthused about the project, he said.

"They are believers," Wallack said. "They love it."

The addition reorients parts of the project. From the pedestrian standpoint, Wallack said, the front will move to the southwest corner of the 14-acre site, Wallack said.

Wallack Holdings, developer of the $300 million project, also released a video simulation of Skyscraper and its new path. The coaster will top out above the 500-foot mark.

The simulation shows the ride beginning inside the complex. Eight-passenger vehicles curl steadily upward around the observation tower. The descent starts just below the observation deck.

Plans for Skyplex, which was announced last year, now include a 2,400-car parking garage. The observation deck 535 feet above the ground will be accessed through glass elevators. The path includes sharp curves, corkscrew movements, deep drops, hills and loops before returning to ground level inside the complex. The changes do not affect the previous track design around the tower, just the lower route about three stories above street level.

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Giant Perkins added to Skyplex lineup