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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 Kissirnmee’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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