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Silver Spurs Rodeo

Lake Tohopekaliga

Old Town Kissimmee

Walt Disney World

Celebration, Florida

“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.