Kissimmee | St. Cloud | Celebration

[spenser1058]

26 minutes ago, JFW657 said:

Any time I come to grips with such realizations, I comfort myself with the notion that the human race probably doesn't have all that much longer to go before we drive ourselves to extinction.

Whereupon mother nature will take over again and in her own sweet time, over tens of thousands of years, heal herself, undo all the harm we've done to her and reclaim everything we've destroyed. 

   

Oh my…

[HankStrong]

That Osceola Parkway extension is going to ramp this up in a huge way.

One of the least attractive (to some folks at least) things about St. Cloud is how long it takes to get to Orlando or I-4 or the attractions.  That gets finished and you're at the airport in 5 minutes and to I-4 in less than 20.

[HankStrong]

If it ever gets built fully, the connection of the 429 to the 528 will bring this as well.

1. Westward - This would be the Poinciana Parkway to the Southern end of 429 @ I-4.
2. Eastward - This would be the Poinciana Parkway extension (currently called the Southport Connector) to the Florida Turnpike and then its further extension (currently called the Northwest Connector) to the extended Osceola Parkway and its even further extension (currently called the Sunbridge Connector) to the 528.

Edited June 22, 2022 by HankStrong

[codypet]

The beltway will look like a big cinnamon roll.

[spenser1058]

Of course, given what happened with Split Oak, I hope the developers and road-builders in town who showed their word was worth nothing found it all worthwhile.

[jgardnerucf]

20 hours ago, Uncommon said:

God I hope not. I just closed on a house in downtown St. Cloud. I’m hoping for a Winter Garden-like total revitalization (which seems to be well underway).

Wrong Demographics...

[AmIReal]

Is there a NeoCity topic...?

Per GS, "New developers offer a glimpse of their plan for NeoCity town center" https://www.growthspotter.com/news/osceola-county-developments/gs-news-neocity-sciame-osceola-minskoff-20220718-y27lz66n3vg6rm6w7gwhq52shu-story.html

"The first phase would include three mixed-use residential buildings with a maximum height of 85 feet, while the hotel and office towers could be taller. The developer will create a main-street corridor along NeoCity Way that leads to the cultural center, where the performing arts center will be an architectural beacon for the waterfront.

“The first 25 acres in Phase One is really heavily focused on work-live-play community, focused on the public experience,” Colletta said. “It’ll have a variety of food and beverage options, retail, shaded plazas, with public art for people to enjoy performing arts and then access to lake amenities."

[Poe Tempkin]

21 hours ago, AmIReal said:

Is there a NeoCity topic...?

There should be. I've driven through there several times hoping to see progress. The infrastructure is nice (car / bike ped), and I like to imagine it as a bustling center one day.

[jrs2]

https://images1.loopnet.com/d2/eDDVO6LFc-wviVKqaTjRdKOfH_sKqEjE_HsF60A9pJM/Square at Osceola Pkwy Flyer.pdf

The Square at Osceola Pkwy.  Osceola Pkwy & Dyer, that entire tract of land that you see on google map. 500k sq ft retail + apts.  Advent I believe is building something near there as well.

[spenser1058]

Osceola County, which appears to be bursting at the seams with traffic these days, has a property owner wishing to upzone from rural to medium density residential on their property. The neighbors are not amused. This would affect 15 acres at Reaves Road and Appaloosa Court near Kissimmee:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/osceola-county/os-ne-osceola-county-zoning-change-community-concern-20220901-5twjhcbtwbhbbhwzpzqcjye3ca-story.html

From The Sentinel 

Any thoughts, @prahaboheme?
 

Edited September 1, 2022 by spenser1058

[prahaboheme]

On 9/1/2022 at 11:06 AM, spenser1058 said:

Osceola County, which appears to be bursting at the seams with traffic these days, has a property owner wishing to upzone from rural to medium density residential on their property. The neighbors are not amused. This would affect 15 acres at Reaves Road and Appaloosa Court near Kissimmee:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/osceola-county/os-ne-osceola-county-zoning-change-community-concern-20220901-5twjhcbtwbhbbhwzpzqcjye3ca-story.html

From The Sentinel 

Any thoughts, @prahaboheme?
 

How the county has gotten away without providing adequate access to I-4 for Poinciana residents is shocking. I haven’t been in those parts in years, but even 5 years ago, the Pleasant Hill Rd / OBT interchange was a total nightmare. 

[spenser1058]

Is Poinciana all in the county? Maybe it’s time for them to do the Deltona to get some attention.

[prahaboheme]

6 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

Is Poinciana all in the county? Maybe it’s time for them to do the Deltona to get some attention.

Yes — Poinciana is unincorporated and seems woefully underrepresented. 

[jrs2]

53 minutes ago, prahaboheme said:

How the county has gotten away without providing adequate access to I-4 for Poinciana residents is shocking. I haven’t been in those parts in years, but even 5 years ago, the Pleasant Hill Rd / OBT interchange was a total nightmare. 

got a pal that lives near Reunion and told me they have been widening US 1792 to Ronald Reagan and the interchange that Championsgate also uses is being redone as well.  Also, they built that Marigold extension renamed Poinciana Pkwy that direct connects to Ronald Reagan much like Lake Mary Blvd does to SR 415 in Sanford.  That cuts across or is adjacent to Reedy Creek- the actual creek as it travels SE from I-4.

[codypet]

On 9/2/2022 at 12:45 PM, jrs2 said:

got a pal that lives near Reunion and told me they have been widening US 1792 to Ronald Reagan and the interchange that Championsgate also uses is being redone as well.  Also, they built that Marigold extension renamed Poinciana Pkwy that direct connects to Ronald Reagan much like Lake Mary Blvd does to SR 415 in Sanford.  That cuts across or is adjacent to Reedy Creek- the actual creek as it travels SE from I-4.

Poincianna Parkway as in the future 429 extension that's being widened from 2-4 lane right now?

[prahaboheme]

On 2/6/2022 at 4:45 AM, prahaboheme said:

Makinson Hardware, Florida’s oldest hardware store, closed shop late 2021. It was in operation in downtown Kissimmee for 130+ years, opening in 1884.

While a loss to Kissimmee and Florida’s heritage as a whole, a positive note is that the building has been bought by another local resident who is restoring the entire block and bringing it back to its former glory. It will become a restaurant / bar.

This facade was covered up in metal for nearly 50 years:

This is how it looked before:

An update on the Makinson Hardware redevelopment project, 2 street views —

Here is how it looked in January 2021:

 

September 2022:

Notice the restored hardware building facade (studio apartments to come on the 2nd floor). The unsightly parking lot has been replaced by an outdoor space for a new restaurant on the ground floor of the hardware building and adjacent bar (single owner).

Talk about an improvement!

 

Edited November 13, 2022 by prahaboheme

[codypet]

I was so impressed with the progress this made.

[prahaboheme]

The Allen - 300+ unit apartment in downtown Kissimmee broke groundFriday:

https://www.positivelyosceola.com/expanding-housing-access-in-kissimmee-the-allen-apartments-groundbreaking-ceremony-begins-beaumont-redevelopment-project/

Edited May 8, 2023 by prahaboheme

[prahaboheme]

Kissimmee is seeking a hotel partner to either renovation the Civic Center or demolish it and add convention space in DTK:

https://www.growthspotter.com/2023/06/14/kissimmee-to-seek-hotel-partner-for-civic-center-redevelopment/

I personally preferred their previous plan to renovation / update it into a performing arts center.  The current PAC is in a very outdated space off 192.

[prahaboheme]

Multifamily projects in Osceola moving forward

- breaking ground in 2 weeks

355 unit apartment building

- 16 live/work spaces

- 900 feet of retail

- about a quarter mile walk to downtown Kissimmee; adjacent to Osceola Regional Medical Center

 

[Uncommon]

6 hours ago, prahaboheme said:

Multifamily projects in Osceola moving forward

- breaking ground in 2 weeks

355 unit apartment building

- 16 live/work spaces

- 900 feet of retail

- about a quarter mile walk to downtown Kissimmee; adjacent to Osceola Regional Medical Center

 

Kissimmee used to have a horrible reputation (still might but definitely not as bad) but in the past few years it has been exploding with upscale apartments and amenities. Downtown Kissimmee is pretty nice. With the water, Sunrail there and all the apartments being built in the vicinity, downtown Kissimmee is beginning to rival historic downtown Sanford and Winter Garden for best downtowns in the Orlando area.

Now if we could only get downtown St. Cloud on board 

Edited June 27, 2023 by Uncommon

[codypet]

They smartly invested in the area round the Lakefront and the Sunrail station and not just on infinite sprawl.  Now they have a resurgence for their downtown brewing.  Right around a mass transit station (bus and train)

[Alleri459]

Kissimmee has done a lot to improve the downtown area. The Lakefront alone was many years in the making and is sparking great developments around the vicinity. Many unique spaces have been created as well, I am excited to see where things go.

[prahaboheme]

I echo a lot of these sentiments about the vision and long game Kissimmee has taken to improve the downtown redevelopment area.

- Centralizing transportation at the intermodal center cannot be understated — Sunrail, Amtrak, Lynx, Greyhound, all in a single station within proximity to all downtown businesses totally changed the dynamic (as some may remember, the Lynx central station in Osceola was once at the Osceola Square Mall).

- Lakefront — this was not just a renovation, it was a total reimagining of how downtown interacts with Lake Toho - it came at a hefty price tag but I don’t think anyone can say it wasn’t worth it.

- residential — I remember a time when there was zero residential directly downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods were falling apart. A lot of that changed when Kissimmee City Centre was built, proving that “if you build it they will come”. Since then, hundreds of new apartments have come and about a thousand are u/c or breaking ground.

- Beautification and reconstructing the streeet grid which is ongoing. The Beaumont project is going to greatly improve the flow of traffic, taking pressure off the main arteries to get around.

Now if they can just get a developer to join on to redevelop the Civic Center that would be huge in bringing non-residents to the area.

Kissimmee City Hall is also under expansion on Church St to keep up with demand:  

https://www.aroundosceola.com/news/kissimmee-city-hall-building-its-services

 

[jrs2]

On 7/1/2023 at 8:55 AM, prahaboheme said:

I echo a lot of these sentiments about the vision and long game Kissimmee has taken to improve the downtown redevelopment area.

- Centralizing transportation at the intermodal center cannot be understated — Sunrail, Amtrak, Lynx, Greyhound, all in a single station within proximity to all downtown businesses totally changed the dynamic (as some may remember, the Lynx central station in Osceola was once at the Osceola Square Mall).

- Lakefront — this was not just a renovation, it was a total reimagining of how downtown interacts with Lake Toho - it came at a hefty price tag but I don’t think anyone can say it wasn’t worth it.

- residential — I remember a time when there was zero residential directly downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods were falling apart. A lot of that changed when Kissimmee City Centre was built, proving that “if you build it they will come”. Since then, hundreds of new apartments have come and about a thousand are u/c or breaking ground.

- Beautification and reconstructing the streeet grid which is ongoing. The Beaumont project is going to greatly improve the flow of traffic, taking pressure off the main arteries to get around.

Now if they can just get a developer to join on to redevelop the Civic Center that would be huge in bringing non-residents to the area.

Kissimmee City Hall is also under expansion on Church St to keep up with demand:  

https://www.aroundosceola.com/news/kissimmee-city-hall-building-its-services

 

any plan to connect downtown to NeoCity ala Neptune and a southern entrance point into NeoCity (akin to connecting Boggy Creek Road to Medical City)?

NEO-CITY News from last month:

https://www.aroundosceola.com/index.php/news/commissioner-agreement-opens-door-korean-neocity-investment

interesting.  A Chinese colleague of mine was working on bringing a Chinese-affiliated company or presence to NEO-CITY ten years ago but the deal was nixed by the Feds.  He was p!ssed.  Nevertheless, this is a good momentum builder...