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Lowndes Advises GCB Associates LLC on $96 Million Sale of 460-plus Acres Near Disney

January 18, 2023

Lowndes represented Orlando-based GCB Associates LLC in its $96 million sale of nearly 464 acres near the Walt Disney World Resort to Intram Investments, Inc. Located between World Center Drive and S.R. 417, the land deal, which included 14 different parcels, was noted as “the most robust land deal in the Orlando market since December of 2021” by GrowthSpotter.

Intram, an Orlando-based real estate development and restaurant investment company, is planning the development of mixed-use projects that may include retail, residential, entertainment and hotel uses.

“GCB Associates believes that (Intram) is the right developer for World Gateway who will add significant value to the property and to Central Florida going forward,” Chris Liew, president of GCB Associates, LLC, said in a statement.

The Lowndes team advising GCB Associates LLC on the transaction was led by Shareholder William Beckett. Shareholder Rebecca Wilson is handling land use matters related to the property.

Media coverage:

William

Bill Beckett is a shareholder concentrating on Developments of Regional Impact, land use and zoning, as well as real estate transactions, development and finance.

He has represented numerous developers of large residential, commercial and mixed-use projects throughout Central Florida in complex matters involving land use entitlements, due diligence, utilities, governmental approvals, impact fees, financing, private land use covenants and restrictions, development and construction, and sales and leasing.

In addition, Bill served as vice chairman of the Orlando Orange County Expressway Authority. He has often assisted clients with transportation issues, particularly with public and private partnerships involving infrastructure improvements.

Rebecca

Becky  Wilson is chair of the firm's Land Use, Zoning and Environmental Group. She represents property owners, developers, lenders and other development participants with issues related to zoning, comprehensive plans, concurrency, administrative law, Developments of Regional Impact (DRI’s), procurement issues, due diligence and property rights.


As early as sixth grade, Becky advocated for the causes she believed in. Her concern about nuclear waste and water contamination in her hometown of Dothan, Alabama – and her thorough research – promoted her to press a state legislator with questions in the school auditorium. Having grown up in the South, Becky got in trouble for questioning authority – yet that life experience served her well.

After clerking for a federal judge in Washington, D.C., Becky landed in Orlando, quickly building a reputation at Lowndes for being thorough, outspoken, and a tireless advocate for clients. She ultimately found her niche in land use, collaborating with architects, transportation engineers and local governments to move her clients’ projects – and Central Florida – forward. Becky became one of the youngest female shareholders at the firm. Today, she is Chair of the Land Use, Zoning and Environmental Group.

Her clients include property owners, developers, lenders and other participants in the development of high-rise, hotels, planned communities, large “power-centers,” mixed-use projects, office buildings and big box commercial projects, projects within historic districts, multi-family developments, senior living, and affordable housing. Becky works closely with the local government entities to address the needs of her clients related to zoning, comprehensive plans, concurrency, administrative lawDevelopments of Regional Impact (DRI’s), procurement issues, due diligence, and property rights.

Undoubtedly, Becky’s diligence, activism and Southern charm were responsible in part for her appointment as chair of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) of Central Florida District Council, a global multidisciplinary real estate organization with more than 40,000 members dedicated to the responsible use of land, and creating and sustaining thriving communities.

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