Trees and have been removed and survey markers are being placed now in the expansion plot behind the Dark Universe land in Universal Epic Universe.

Permits were recently approved for work related to land preparation for a new ride at the theme park. Public documents refer to the future attraction as being three stories tall.

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See our recent vlog video above for the first glimpses of survey markers, or the photos and permit details for this ongoing project below.

Located in the Dark Universe part of the theme park, between Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment and The Burning Blade Tavern, the expansion plot behind the land is starting to see new activity.

Workers can be seen surveying the area in these photos. Looking at what is written on their vests, they appear to be from Whiting-Turner. That company is listed as the General Contractor for the project according to public documents.

Survey markers have appeared in a portion of the expansion area located closest to the theme park land.

These photos were taken from the snack stand located just to the left of Monsters Unchained.

First permitted earlier this year, documents were approved by Orange County for what Universal called “early work purposes of a future attraction known as Project 680.”

Newer permits filed with the county list the project as being a three story structure featuring a “Ride Maintenance Bay on the first floor.” These permits show the new building labeled as Building 1570.

The structure is described as being 93,308 square feet in size, with 71,500 of that for tenant usable space.

Earlier site plans for the theme park had the back area of the Dark Universe land listed as “Expansion Phase 2.” It is listed as being 3.34 acres in size. (Expansion area highlighted in green in site plan image below.)

The latest aerial views from Bioreconstruct show the expansion plot as it is now.

These recent aerial views, taken August 16th, show that a row of trees have been removed from the site. The trees were previously sitting atop a berm which separates the Monsters Unchained extended queue from the expansion plot behind the area.

This expansion area currently houses a large temporary mobile office structure, which may need to be moved before development on the new attraction can start.

Also found in this area, are the three former Monsters Cafe statues of Frankenstein’s Monster, The Wolfman, and Creature from the Black Lagoon. They have been staged in this site for quite some time, after being evicted from Universal Studios Florida when Minion Cafe took over their home.

These figures are expected to find a new home inside of a nearby Team Member grill location, but so far have remained in the grass.

Rumors for what type of ride could be built here have ranged from boat ride to roller coaster, but the one thing everyone agrees on, is that it will be an indoor attraction. And the permit listings seem to back up that theory.

Most theme park fans believe the ride will feature a Creature from the Black Lagoon theme, starring the Gill-Man character.

A mention of this particular monster can be found within the queue for Monsters Unchained. An in-theme newspaper story talks of unusual footprints leading into the marshlands on the outskirts of the village of Darkmoor. Could this be a hint for what is to come?

While prep work on this new project is just starting, construction is in full swing for a new multi-purpose events building near the front of Epic Universe.

Permits say this new structure, located in the Celestial Park section of the park, will house a large ballroom, catering kitchen, and multiple offices that will serve the park.

Currently construction is focusing on the areas near the back of the project, which will house the catering kitchen on the lower level, office space on the second floor, and roof access at the third level seen on left of building.

Official documents call for the roof of this large events space to be covered in solar panels, as seen in the permit image above.

The events space is expected to mainly be used for private events or special events for the park, and will likely not house a regular guest experience, despite its prominent location within the park.

That’s all for now, but be sure to check out this week’s vlog for more details and footage from the expansion area of the exciting new project for Dark Universe. Stay tuned for continuing coverage for this project, as well as another permitted project for Epic Universe located in the Wizarding World.

Subscribe to the RSS feed or enter your email address below to never miss an update. Permit Images: Orange County Government Permitting Office | Aerial Photos: Bioreconstruct | All Other Photos: Alicia Stella | Other Images as Captioned

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