Like the first giddy riders cued up for the newest, most spectacular theme park attraction, members of the Dart Interests-PCL Construction team couldn’t have fully envisioned the wild ride through the construction supply chain that awaited them as they broke ground on the $273.7-million Conrad Orlando luxury hotel and resort. They were just excited to be there.
It was March 11, 2021, after all, and pandemic uncertainty still permeated the Central Florida hospitality sector, with numerous projects having been paused or even halted. A press announcement of the groundbreaking showed project officials maintaining social distancing and celebrating appropriately with an elbow bump. Christopher Kelsey, president of Dart Interests, the project owner, stated, “We are thrilled to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Conrad Orlando today, coming one step closer to welcoming our first guests in summer 2023.”