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“Big-time attractions, small-town hospitality”
Although much has changed during the past several decades,
that one-time slogan for Kissimmee still largely rings true.
This is a friendly, down-to-earth community
still best known for its biannual Silver Spurs Rodeo and its
genuine cowboy panache. It just happens to exist alongside
Walt Disney World, the world’s No. 1 tourist attraction.
Kissimmee, formerly called Allendale, had
its beginnings as a tiny trading post on the northern bank
of Lake Tohopekaliga. The community was incorporated in 1887
and renamed Kissimmee. It later became the Osceola County
seat and, by the 1930s, cattle rivaled citrus as its main
industry.
But housing is going to power the Osceola
County economy in the foreseeable future. With developable
land becoming scarce in Orange and Seminole counties, about
40 percent of the region’s residential growth for the
next 25 years is expected to take place in and around Kissimmee,
according to a study by the Urban Land Institute.
Over the next 15 years, about 35,000 homes
are expected to be built in five previously okayed mega-developments
spread across the northern third of the county: Westlake Cove,
Mariner’s Cove, Edgewater, Bella Terra, and Green Island.
At least six other big mixed—use projects, ranging in
size from about 1,200 homes to about 4,000 homes, are on the
drawing board.
Then there’s Destiny, a proposed new
city on 27,400 acres near Yeehaw Junction, which could ultimately
have as many as 100,000 residents. The huge tract was bought
last year by a South Florida developer, and specific plans
hadn’t been revealed at this writing.
In all, by 2025 the county’s population
is expected to swell from 235,000 to 550,000.
The Hispanic relocation market is particularly
vibrant in Osceola County. Two large communities, in particular,
have been magnets: Buenaventura Lakes and Poinciana, both
of which are marketed heavily in Latin America and in Northeastern
cities with large Hispanic populations.
To make certain that at least some of Kissimmee’s
heritage is preserved, the city’s Community Redevelopment
Agency has actively sought to improve the historic downtown
district through such projects as a cowboy-themed arched gateway
at Main Street and U.S. 192 and several major streetscape
efforts. In addition, the Italianate Osceola County Courthouse,
built in 1890, was renovated when a new government complex
was built in 2000 and still houses county offices.
But downtown Kissimmee also has some new
projects coming as well. The biggest is City Centre, a mixed-use
development that will encompass 31 luxury condominium units
as well as office and retail space. There are also plans for
a multipurpose transportation center that would accommodate
busses, commuter rail and Amtrak passenger service.
Despite its growth, Kissimmee remains a sporting
paradise, with numerous boat ramps on the shores of Lake Toho,
which is known for excellent bass fishing. Southport Park,
for example, offers covered pavilions, grills, and campgrounds,
while picnic areas abound at Partin Triangle Park and Whaley’s
Landing. Hunters can enjoy the wide- open Osceola Plain, home
to turkey, white-tailed deer, and fox squirrels.
St. Cloud:
St. Cloud has been called “A Soldier’s
Colony,” “The Friendly Soldier City,” “The
Wonder City,” and “The City of Schools.”
It’s also been known as an inexpensive
place for tourists to stay while visiting Walt Disney World,
although city officials are now actively downplaying the once-ballyhooed
tourism connection and promoting the charms of St. Cloud as
a great place to live.
The military references hearken back to 1909,
when the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization for Union
soldiers who had served in the Civil War, bought 35,000 acres
for development as a community for veterans.
In the 1970s, St. Cloud teamed with much-larger
Kissimmee to market itself internationally as an affordable
alternative for vacationers wishing to explore the theme parks
without paying resort hotel prices for accommodations.
Although the affiliation still exists, the
city has recently begun an effort to reposition itself. A
logo redesign has dropped Disney’s ubiquitous Cinderella’s
castle and replaced it with a sailboat and the words “Soldier
City” and “Celebrating Small Town Life.”
Indeed, St. Cloud already boasts one of Central Florida’s
most charming downtown districts, replete with antique shops
occupying vintage storefronts. Several excellent restaurants,
a historical museum and Veteran’s Memorial Park are
located downtown.
Although the ambience may be rustic, St.
Cloud is leading-edge in many ways. For example, wireless
Internet access is available throughout the city. And elected
officials have embarked on an aggressive effort to annex rural
land to the south and east of the city, mostly in an effort
to control and direct growth.
And there’s plenty of growth to direct.
The city of roughly 22,000 is expected to add 24,000 residents
as 10 new-home communities, including Stevens Plantation and
Mallard Pond, are completed. And on the eastern shore of Lake
Tohopekahga, just outside the city limits, a 6,000-home project
called Pineloch has been proposed. If annexed, Pineloch could
potentially add another 20,000 people to St. Cloud’s
population.
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