2020 DOWNTOWN KISSIMMEE CRA OF TABLE CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION Establishment of the Community Redevelopment Agency: 4 Historical Perspective: 4 Current State of the CRA: 8 2. FOUR POINT ACTION PLAN A Vision for the Downtown Kissimmee Redevelopment Area: 11 1-Reinvigorate the Downtown Neighborhoods: 16 2-Unify Themes & Treatments: 24 3-Establish and Reinforce Connections: 30 4-Activate Opportunity Sites: 44 3. CONCEPTUAL MASTER PLAN: 72 4. GOALS & ACTIONS STRATEGIES: 76 Administration: 78 Housing: 82 Economic Development: 84 Community & Culture: 86 Infrastructure: 88 Public Space/Amenities: 91 Public Health & Safety: 94 Regulatory Environment: 95 5. BUDGET & REVENUE: 96 6. APPENDIX Existing Conditions: 112 Signage: 134 Demographic Tapestry Segments: 114 Transportation Conditions: 138 Existing Land Use: 116 Public Input: 156 Employment Districts: 118 Community Briefing & Listening Sessions: 156 Future Land Use: 120 Community Open House: 160 Zoning: 122 Online Presence & Community Survey: 162 Housing: 126 Legal Description: 168 Historic Preservation: 130 2 Kissimmee Courthouse 3 Figure A. Regional Context INTRODUCTION ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY The Downtown Kissimmee Community Redevelopment Area (CRA), which is generally defned by Vine Street to the north, John Young Parkway on the west, and Lakeshore Boulevard/Drive on the southeast (see Figure A), was KISSIMMEE established in 1992. The 1992 Redevelopment Plan laid the foundation to eliminate conditions of blight that were identifed through the Finding of Necessity report. The 2003 Plan Update identifed projects and initiatives to facilitate the continued redevelopment of the CRA. It laid the grounds for the signifcant accomplishments that occurred that decade, such as initiating improvements to Lakefront Park; completing streetscape improvements along Monument Avenue, Dakin Avenue and Sproule Avenue; the construction of City Centre (Public-Private Partnership); the establishment of the CRA Overlay District and standards; and more. The 2012 Plan Update continued building on that same vision while also refning the community districts established in the 2003 update (renaming them Strategic Investment Areas) in order to shape the Downtown’s future growth by incorporating contemporary planning principles, including compact transit-oriented development, mixed-use buildings, energy effciency strategies and economic policies to support local job growth. HISTORICAL CONTEXT The City of Kissimmee, like most cities in Florida, has gone though periods of growth and prosperity interspersed with periods of economic instability. The opening of Disney World in the 1970s brought exponential growth to the City. In one decade alone, the City grew by 118%. That growth, however, was followed by a decline that hit the downtown and the Vine Street corridor particularly hard. The following pages contain a timeline showing the various successes and challenges faced by Downtown Kissimmee over the past several decades and how the creation of the Downtown Kissimmee CRA has helped revitalize the Downtown area. City of Kissimmee Downtown Community Redevelopment Area Vine Street Community Redevelopment Area Sunrail 4 2020 DOWNTOWN KISSIMMEE CRA | INTRO 5 HISTORICAL CONTEXT 1970s 1980s Walt Disney World Resort (Magic Kingdom Park, Disney World keeps building 1600s 1700s 1800s Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Polynesian more affordable hotels and Resort and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & restaurants on their grounds ULAT Jororo (Native Creeks of the Southeast join forces with the Kissimmee, known then as Allendale, becomes a Campground) opens just west of Kissimmee triggering causing an economic and P IO O N American Tribe) inhabit Africans feeing from slavery. European transportation hub thanks to Hamilton Disston of a period of growth and development in the town. The physical decline of the US 192 P the Kissimmee valley dominance erase the last villages of the Philadelphia who had reached an agreement with city population increased by 118% in the decade. corridor and the downtown. regions. The name ancient native Floridians. New tribes (including the state of Florida to drain four million acres of During the frst 8 years of operation, Disney World 30,050 Kissimmee is believed Seminoles) move to the interior of the state. the state’s southern lands with the condition that he welcomes more than 100 million guests triggering to be of Jororo origin would own half of the successfully drained land. a demand for hotels and restaurants. The US 192 meaning “long water." Disston, who became the largest property owner in corridor through Kissimmee soon became flled with the United States, based his drainage operation in new hotels, motels and restaurants. Kissimmee. 1990s 1960s Walt Disney begins 1992 The Downtown Kissimmee FDOT, Osceola County and the City of purchasing land in 1882 1873 Community Redevelopment Kissimmee invest in upgrading the public Osceola and Orange Agency is created and a realm along Vine Street (US 192). The counties and assembles CRA Plan is created. downtown, however, continued to decline. 1883 The City of Kissimmee Railroad is extended from Kissimmee's frst post offce is more than 27,000 acres. is incorporated and the Sanford to Kissimmee. The established near Shingle Creek. The frst residents elect T.A. Bass, a First newspaper in Kissimmee postmaster was Clement R. Tyner. steamboat captain, as their A is published. A one-room PUL TIO frst mayor. schoolhouse opened on Main O N P Street and the First United Methodist Church opened 2000s its doors. 4,310 The Osceola Regional Medical Center goes through a major expansion, Lakefront Park starts a major redevelopment, large scale projects such as City Centre and the Osceola County Government Center and Courthouse are built, all providing an infux of revenue to the CRA. 1884 1885 1950s Economy focused on some citrus packing as well as the ranching but shifting to tourism. The rise of the The Downtown Community Redevelopment 2003 Master Plan is updated. W.B. Makinson, Sr. opens Railroad is extended to Tampa. Osceola courthouse 1890 automobile brought a number of residents and tourists Makinson Hardware in downtown Tropical Hotel is built on the shores of built and electricity to Kissimmee. In 1956, there is a record rainfall that Kissimmee, which remains Florida's East Lake Tohopekaliga. brought to the town. brings fooding and $2 million in damages to the City. oldest operating hardware store. 2012 2010s 1944 City holds frst Silver Spurs A Rodeo to raise funds for the PUL TIO O N War effort. P Downtown CRA Master OCRMC undergoes Plan updated. another expansion, SunRail reaches Kissimmee 2,700 and extends south to 1943 Monument of the States 1900s 1895 1893 LAT Poinciana, reinvigorating completed and installed on PU IO O N the downtown. Monument Avenue. P Freeze destroys citrus and leads many families to relocate Recession further south. Disston's land company closes. Kissimmee (Panic of 1893) becomes more dependent on open range cattle ranching. 74,800 Florida land boom. The 1920s Kissimmee Chamber of Commerce is chartered 2019 in 1924. 1940s US Air Force moves into Central Florida building air 1930s bases and training felds for pilots (Kissimmee airport SOURCES: https://www.kissimmee.org/our-city/history-of-kissim- among others). mee/a-time-remembered Cattleman's Association is established in https://kua.com/blog/kissimmee-gateway-to-Walt-Disney-world/ Kissimmee. Cattle industry fourishing, but https://osceolahistory.org/history-of-kissimmee/ citrus and other crops are predominant. TODAY https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_Disston 6 2020 DOWNTOWN KISSIMMEE CRA | INTRO 7 IMPLEMENTATION STATUS OF THE DOWNTOWN KISSIMMEE REALIZED PARTIALLY REALIZED NOT REALIZED COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT PLAN (2012) PLANNING, ADMINISTRATIVE AND REGULATORY INITIATIVES The Kissimmee Community Redevelopment Agency has implemented or initiated many of the redevelopment projects and programming identifed in the 2012 Community Redevelopment Plan update. Signifcant development in downtown Kissimmee Update Downtown CRA Urban Design Manual and Land Development Code included: the second expansion of the Osceola Regional Medical Facility (ORMC), the activation of the Kissimmee SunRail Prepare a Land Use Assessment and Development Opportunities Master Plan Study station and LYNX Intermodal center, the establishment and operation of the Kissimmee Connector a transit circulator connecting Station Area Plan the downtown to ORMC and Advent Health, establishment and operation of the UCF Small Business Incubator, continued implementation of a wayfnding system in the Central Business District, the creation of a Form Based Code (Land Development Prepare Grant Stackings Strategy Regulations) for the Downtown Community Redevelopment Area, executing and initial implementation of a Development Conduct a Road Diet Feasibility Study Agreement with the Mosaic development team for the development of a multi-family mixed-use waterfront development Create a Maintenance Standards Manual adjacent to the Lake Tohopekaliga Waterfront Park, and the development of a burgeoning restaurant and hospitality sector in the Central Business District. The following is the list of the initiatives included in the 2012 Community Redevelopment Plan Prepare a Downtown Real Estate Market and Economic Study update and their current status: Branding and Marketing Study (Individual Project Marketing Pieces) Neighborhood Planning Program (Develop an ongoing community involvement program