OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – An abandoned Kissimmee-area hotel and resort could soon be the subject of a massive makeover.
Right now, drivers passing along I-4 and US Highway 192 in Kissimmee can see lots of restaurants, shops and attractions.
But the 77-acre abandoned Orlando Sun Hotel and Resort site has been described as an eyesore, and there have been numerous police reports about vandalism over the years.
WHAT IS THE ORLANDO SUN HOTEL?
The hotel — located about a mile from Walt Disney World — first opened in the 1970s as “Hyatt Orlando Resort,” though after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, tourism in Central Florida died down as many people began to fear flying by air, according to historian David Bulit.
As a result, the resort shut down a couple of years afterward.
The property was eventually bought and reopened as the Orlando Sun Resort in 2007, but poor maintenance and mismanagement caused it to shut down yet again, Bulit explains.
“Many of the reviews pointed out mildew and mold throughout the property, the pools — which were filled with stagnant green water — and how outdated it looked...” Bulit wrote. “While much of the staff lived on the property, they would go months without being paid, with one employee suing the resort for unpaid wages.”
Again, the resort shut down in 2012, though property records show it’s still owned by Orlando Sun Resort & Spa, LLC.
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW?
Now, Osceola County commissioners are being asked to sign off on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that contains details of how an “Ovation” project would move forward without any legal obligation.
The county’s MOU calls for the addition of hotels, restaurants, a museum and parking garages. According to renderings, developers want to turn the area into the Ovation entertainment district.
The Miami-based Meyers Group recently submitted a master plan concept, and it’s expensive.
According to the developers, plans include over 800,000 square feet of retail, a 500-room hotel, and the potential for music venues and other attractions at the site.
The Meyers Group would contribute $30 million, with Osceola County financing much of the balance. The MOU states public improvements total $192 million, though that figure is subject to change.
“This a $192 million project, that will enhance our tourism core I-four corridors even more. But it also naturally increases the tax rolls at that property. But the county is potentially offering with this MOU, special assessments, allowing a special assessment, also a mark, a joint marketing agreement for tourist development, taxes, demolition assistance to demolition to demolish the buildings, and reduction of code enforcement,” Osceola Economic Development Director Christina Morris told News 6.
The county and the Meyers Group will have 120 days from signing this MOA to negotiate an agreement.
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