Osceola County to get four new hotels near Heritage Park

OSCEOLA COUNTY, FL - Shops, restaurants, and 750 new hotel rooms are coming to Osceola County and it is all to boost business at Heritage Park.

Robb Larson is the General Manager of the Osceola Heritage Park, home to the Silver Spurs Rodeo, Mecum auto auction and several music festivals. He says the one thing holding the venue back from reaching its potential, is a lack of hotel rooms. 

“It’s the missing link to what we need here on our property,” said Larson.

Larson tells FOX 35 News that accommodations nearby would improve the experience for guests and attract more events to the park. 

“It’s almost 100 percent of our people are saying ‘do you have a hotel nearby or on property?’” said Larson.

So, Osceola County is doing just that, looking to make it an overnight destination. 

“The hotel is so important in supporting the facilities that are out at OHP (Osceola Heritage Park),” said Kerry Godwin, Planning and Design Director, Osceola County.

The County selecting a developer to build not one but four hotels in the immediate area.

“The whole intent of developing it is for economic growth and stimulation,” said Godwin.

Riviera Point Development, the developer being recommended for the job, has plans for restaurants and shops on the property as well. The developer expects the hotels alone to create 300 new jobs and generate more than $2 million in bed tax revenue, every year.

“That’s an amazing positive impact for the county, that’s revenue that the county needs to keep growing, to fund their public projects,” said Eduardo Tesi, Senior Project Manager, Riviera Point Development.

The county is to approve the developer on December 9.  Groundbreaking is expected in 2021 and the four hotels will be built in phases over several years.

CLARIFICATION:

The boutique hotel image shown for the No. 4 hotel site in NeoCity was provided by L2 Studios to Osceola County staff as a “style inspiration image,” and an example of the appropriate hotel type for that site. That example was not designed by L2 Studios, and future design of that hotel site is subject to change. The artist’s renderings and still photos provided by L2 Studios were also designed by Orlando-based Perry Becker Design.