Announcements

Street Outdoor has freed West Hwy. 192 from the unmanaged clutter of unsightly, individual news racks yet preserved the First Amendment rights of the publishers and addressed concerns of the County and landowners. The result is safe, compact and innovative structures which contain print media and tourist brochures with business advertising on opposite sides.

The West 192 Redevelopment Committee welcomes Brian Costello, Vice-President of Capone's Dinner and Show to its Board of Directors.

Osceola County is currently reviewing three areas for possible implementation of a Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA). The three areas are U.S. Hwy 441 from Columbia Avenue north to the County line, East U.S. Hwy 192 from Partin Settlement Road to the eastern limits of the City of Kissimmee, and West U.S. Hwy 192 from the western limits of the City of Kissimmee to the western County line.

The Osceola Resort Area Council (a council of the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce) has partnered with Give Kids Safe Shelter in their efforts to transition children and their families currently living in hotels/motels along West Hwy 192 into safer, sustainable housing.

That is the message that tourists and locals driving on U.S. Hwy 192 now see. One hundred and sixty new banners, celebrating sports in Kissimmee, grace the light posts along the tourist corridor of West Hwy 192. Presently, hundreds of thousands of people engage in athletic competitions in Osceola County. As we position ourselves to host even more sporting events, with new ball fields being built at ChampionsGate and Harmony, we want the streets to reflect our goal of becoming the "Amateur Sports Capital of America."

In 1935, George C. seized a tremendous opportunity; he purchased 50,000 acres of land that had recently reverted back to Florida through The Murphy Act (which provided for statutory forfeiture of land for non payment of taxes). This was the beginning of the Bronsons' immense cattle kingdom.

A major transportation study for U.S. 192 will begin in a few months. Osceola County and LYNX, the regional public transit provider, were awarded a grant by the Federal Transit Administration to look at increasing transit options along U.S. 192. Currently, LYNX operates regular fixed-route buses in this area.

Back in the early 1990s, there were few, if any, sidewalks along W. Hwy. 192. Tourists walked along ditches at the side of the road to get from property to property. Long stretches of the road were either barren of vegetation or even worse, overgrown with uncut grass or weeds. In 1994, the property owners agreed to tax themselves by creating the West 192 Redevelopment District.

These shelters are located on the north and south side stops near the Vineland Road-State Road 535 intersection. Linda Goodwin-Nichols, a Kissimmee Realtor, began her involvement in the long-running project on U.S. Highway 192 when she was named chair of the Kissimmee Osceola County Chamber of Commerce's Beautification Committee.