Epic Universe Expansion Update: Dirt Is Moving in Dark Universe

Ground is officially broken. The Epic Universe expansion everyone has been waiting on has moved from permits to heavy equipment, and it is happening behind Monsters Unchained.

Land prep is underway right now for Dark Universe’s third attraction. Trees are gone. A berm is being flattened. Excavators, trailers, containers, and a water truck have all rolled onto the site within the past couple of weeks. This is not survey work anymore.

There is also a smaller permit worth knowing about in the same land, and continued progress on the park’s new events building over in Celestial Park. Here is everything moving at Epic Universe right now.

Quick Summary

• Land prep has started behind Monsters Unchained for Dark Universe’s third ride.
• Permits call the project “Project 680,” described as early work for a future attraction.
• The building is permitted as a three-story structure, 93,308 square feet total, with 71,500 square feet of tenant space.
• The first floor includes a “Ride Maintenance Bay,” and the structure is labeled Building 1570.
• The plot was marked “Expansion Phase 2” on original Dark Universe site plans, at 3.34 acres.
• Whiting-Turner is listed as general contractor on the permits.
• A separate permit covers a test seat installation at Curse of the Werewolf.
• Construction continues on the Celestial Park events building, which will have a solar-panel roof.

Project 680: What the Permits Say

Survey markers went into the ground earlier this month. The permit language described the work as early work for “purposes of a future attraction known as Project 680.”

Newer filings are more specific. They describe a three-story structure with a “Ride Maintenance Bay on the first floor.” The building is labeled Building 1570 and comes in at 93,308 square feet, with 71,500 square feet of that designated as tenant space.

A ride maintenance bay on the ground floor tells you something concrete. This is a ride building with vehicles that need servicing, not a walkthrough or a theater.

This Land Was Always Reserved

The plot is not a surprise. Since the very first Dark Universe site plans were approved during Epic Universe’s original construction, this parcel has been marked “Expansion Phase 2” and listed at 3.34 acres.

Universal planned this space for a future ride before the park opened. They are now using it.

What Is Actually Happening on Site

The area behind Monsters Unchained is being dug out and reshaped.

Trees were recently cleared along a berm that used to visually separate this area from nearby Kirkman Road. That berm is now being removed entirely as crews flatten the land.

Recent aerial views show heavy equipment, trailers, shipping containers, and a water truck all arriving within the last couple of weeks. Workers on site appear to be wearing vests with the Whiting-Turner logo, and that company is listed as the general contractor on permits tied to this work.

The Monsters Statues Are Still Sitting There

Here is a detail that has become its own running joke among Epic Universe watchers.

Storage bins have been placed in the empty lot right next to the staged Universal Monsters statues. Those statues have been sitting in a field since 2022, when they were removed from their perch in front of the former Monsters Cafe.

They have been rumored to be headed for the Team Member grill behind The Burning Blade Tavern. They have not moved. The land around them is being torn up for an entirely new ride and the statues are still just out there in the grass.

The Creature from the Black Lagoon Question

Rumors of a Creature from the Black Lagoon attraction for this exact plot have circulated since before Epic Universe was formally announced.

Universal has not confirmed anything. What we have is a three-story ride building with a maintenance bay going into a land themed to the Universal Monsters. That narrows the possibilities considerably without proving any single one.

Curse of the Werewolf Test Seat Permit

A separate permit filed this week covers the pathway in front of Curse of the Werewolf, the spinning outdoor coaster in the same land.

The filing is titled “Project 375 902C Test Seat.” The code breaks down cleanly: 902 is the identifier for the Dark Universe land, and C stands for C-Ticket, which is how Curse of the Werewolf appears in Universal’s documents.

Project 375 is the ongoing effort to install modified seating that accommodates larger body sizes. That project has already delivered modified seats at Hiccups Wing Gliders, Dragon Racers Rally, and Stardust Racers.

The permit describes the work as “Sidewalk alterations and owner provided accessory canopy and ride test seat installation.” A test seat outside the ride usually arrives alongside modified seating on the ride itself, which would be genuinely good news for guests who have been turned away.

The Celestial Park Events Building

Across the park, work continues on Epic Universe’s multi-purpose events building in Celestial Park.

Permits describe a structure housing a large ballroom, a catering kitchen, and multiple offices serving the park. Current construction is focused near the back of the project: catering kitchen on the lower level, office space on the second floor, and roof access at the third level.

According to official documents, the roof will be covered in solar panels.

Despite its prominent location inside the park, the building is theorized to serve mainly private events rather than day guests. Do not plan a trip around it.

Final Thoughts

The Epic Universe expansion has real dirt moving. Project 680 is a permitted three-story, 93,308 square foot ride building with a maintenance bay, going into a 3.34 acre plot that Universal reserved as “Expansion Phase 2” from the very beginning. Whiting-Turner is on site, the berm is coming down, and the equipment has arrived.

The Creature from the Black Lagoon rumor remains a rumor. The Werewolf test seat permit suggests wider seating is coming to one more Epic Universe attraction. The Celestial Park events building keeps climbing, solar roof and all.

Watch the permit filings on Building 1570. That paperwork will name this ride long before Universal does.

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Meet the Author: Nate Bishop

I’m a die-hard Disney fan with 38 years of visits under my belt, having stepped into Disney World 120+ times. Proud to be a Disney Annual Passholder, a Vacation Club member since ’92, a Castaway Club Member, and a runDisney enthusiast. Oh, and I’ve graduated from the Disney College of Knowledge. Need Disney insights or planning tips? I’m your guy!