The Chamber's Downtown Kissimmee Council held their annual Downtown Update at the Kissimmee Civic Center on the morning of August 23 and our 100+ attendees left full of knowledge about the latest updates that are currently transforming Downtown Kissimmee.

We can't re-create the delicious breakfast catered by Big John's Rockin' BBQ, but please check out some informational highlights from the event below.

Stephen Liberty with Skyview Companies updated the crowd on the development known as "The Beaumont Project." SkyView is based in New York and recently began an expansion to Central Florida. Their response to the Beaumont Project RFP was their first venture here. Stephen noted that Kissimmee is a "true live, work, play neighborhood," and one of the "few true walkable neighborhoods in Central Florida." With that in mind, Skyview put together their vision for the Beaumont site. Here are some highlights:

• The Beaumont Project consists of three phases in five years, with a 2027 completion date.
• The project will add a public park space and six new city blocks to Downtown that will be designed to look like they have always been there.
• The Allen, a luxury apartment complex, is Phase I of the project.  The complex will include one- and two-bedroom apartments as well as some studios, with 16 set aside for workforce housing.
• Groundbreaking for The Allen was held this past April and it will be ready for residents in January or February in 2025.
• Phase II will bring on more residents.
• The Allen is named for "Allendale," the original name of Kissimmee.

Deputy City Manager Desiree Matthews spoke next at the program with an exciting update on affordable housing in Downtown.  Some highlights:

• The City has spent $20 million to address affordable housing in the last two decades.
• In January of 2023, 182 individuals were identified as unhoused within the City.
• The City will continue to work with partners on this issue.
• In June of 2023 the City procured a property conveniently located near services that they will convert to affordable housing apartments by December 2023.
• Funding for the project came from a partnership between the City and many funding sources and contributions from Osceola County.
• The hotel had 80 two-bed, one-bath rooms that will become 40 apartments.
• Housing will cost 30% of income, including utilities, and will have on-site services with a focus on moving people through the continuum of care.
• These apartments are not meant to be a forever home.
• They are currently working with tenants who were living in the hotel and have state funding for the renovation.
• They are looking for partnerships for funding Phase II.

Finally, Rick Lewellyan with Downtown Gather and Grow shared his plans for a Downtown full-service grocery store that would feature as the center of a mixed-used development with the grocery at its heart.

• The grocery store is considered a "Third Place" - "a gathering place where people spend time not at home or at work - a place you want to go."  This makes it a natural place to create opportunity.
• A co-op would be owned by the community.
• This project encourages residents to "buy local."
• There will also be a demo or start-up kitchen where new chefs can get experience without owning their own professional kitchen.

Check out some images from the event in the gallery below.

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