I would assume that NBA City is leaving with this going in. It made sense having NBA City and NASCAR Cafe back then, but now with this? Probably not. To be honest, that side of CityWalk is awkward as is. I don't see Hard Rock Cafe/Live leaving anytime soon, but that NBA City location has been bad from the start.
I would guess the same thing. Having an all-sports spot defeats the purpose of an NBA (or any single sport) establishment.
There were some rumors of a Cheesecake Factory coming to CityWalk, which died down, but then a while ago I heard it again from what I would consider a solid source. We shall see...
Anyways, regardless of rumors or possibilities, it is my opinion that whatever goes in that location needs to be more than just a restaurant or resto-bar. It is one of the least appealing pieces of real estate on property, especially now with the Hogwarts Express reducing the amount of foot traffic in that path between the parks. The Hard Rock has its name AND a concert venue, so its location doesn't hinder it as much, but I feel NBA City will be
completely redundant and unappealing come NBC Sports.
Many different things could work and be popular there. One would be a Wonka place. It would have innovative and colorful food options, plus some sort of other Wonka-licious gimmick, like an all-ages playground or an interactive dining experience that would make it an entertainment destination more than just a place to eat. And you'd also have the Wonka name... Another option would be a dinner-show combo, and seeing as Cirque du Soleil has been dabbling in this type of attraction--
see JOYÁ in the Riviera Maya--l think this could be another successful venture. Yes, dinner shows are risky, and we've seen more than one close in Orlando, but with Universal's location and quality, plus Cirque's prestige and quality, it's a solid option. I would be happy with either, but I'd definitely be more partial to a Cirque dinner show because I love Cirque and also because I wouldn't have to go to Disney to catch a Cirque show while there aren't any touring acts in town. I'm not sure how feasible this would be, as Disney could have some sort of exclusivity agreement with Cirque for shows in Orlando with La Nouba, but seeing as Cirque has also collaborated with Sea World in the past, maybe the
dinner with show aspect could be a work-around (if there even are such restrictions). Either way, I'm pretty adamant in my position that this location should see more than just a restaurant.