Kissimmee land owner planning mixed-use development in tourism corridor

Taking a cue from Osceola County’s Development Review Committee, the owner of the 7.2-acre site in Kissimmee’s tourism corridor plans to rezone the property and add density for a mixed-use project with nearly 450 residential units and retail shops along Old Vineland Road.

The development team working with land owner, Carlton Land, held their first pre-application meeting with county staff back in March to discuss plans for a 224-unit apartment complex on the site. At the time, the staff encouraged them to rezone the property from AC to Tourist Commercial, which would allow for up to 80 residential units per acre.

Carlton Land President Jitendrakumar Patel was the longtime owner of the Knights Inn at 4651 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy, and heads the non-profit 192 Hotel Motel Association. He sold the motel, which abuts the site of the proposed mixed-use project, in January for $2.3 million.

On Wednesday, Kevin Hebert from MEI Civil and Derek Trumpp with Farmer Architecture had a follow-up meeting to discuss the redesigned project. The new concept calls for two 5-story residential wrapping internal parking garages. The larger, mixed-use building would front on Old Vineland and would feature about 20,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and 243 residential units.

The market-rate community would feature a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Trumpp said the commercial section would include a mix of cafes and other retailers to activate the street level. The amenity space also would be located on the first floor and would open out to the pool deck, according to the site plan.

He said special attention was given to the massing and architecture to “make it a little bit more pleasing” to the eye. Portions of the building were recessed to add more green space and dimension. The exterior finishes would mix stucco and brick, and the north and south elevations would feature different rooflines.

The senior living community would have 200 residential units and its own amenities. The apartments would be a mix of efficiencies and one-bedroom units. The developer hasn’t decided whether that community would be market rate, or if some or all of the units would be available for low-income seniors.

The initial response from the DRC was positive. Chairman Jose Gomez said it’s exactly the type of development the county wants in the W192 corridor. “That just looks like a fantastic development,” he said.

However, Gomez said the developer could be required to rebuild Old Vineland Road extending to W192 as an urban, two-lane avenue with curb and gutter, a median, sidewalks and bike lanes. That section of the road now is a non-conforming rural road that would not be able to accommodate the proposed density of the project.

Old Vineland Road has seen a spate of development activity recently, with the completion of the 377-unit Vineland Landings community and final phase of Park Square Homes’ Veranda Palms resort community. The site is just west of Hope Village, a proposed 225-unit multifamily community by Community Hope Center. The nonprofit rezoned its site to CT in 2019.

Nearby, Pulte Homes is under contract for 40-acres on Princess Way, just off Old Vineland, and has filed plans with the county to build a 292-unit townhomes townhouse community called “Cypress Cay.” And Dominium, one of the nation’s largest for-profit builders of affordable housing, is under contract for another 20-acre site on Old Vineland. The developer has submitted a Site Development Plan for 330 units of affordable senior housing.

Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at lkinsler@GrowthSpotter.com or (407) 420-6261, or tweet me at @byLauraKinsler. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.