In past years, Osceola County has used its annual State of the County Address to make a bold announcement of things to come — a new logo and branding in 2021, the expansion of Osceola Prosper in 2022, new transportation technology in 2023 and new sustainability efforts after Hurricane Milton blew through last year.
This year, the message was about the vision for the future of a county that now has 450,000 residents but expects to call 700,000 people home in 2050.
If it sounds scary, county leaders are encouraged.
“Osceola County’s best days are yet to come. I am proud to declare that the state of Osceola County is stronger, more resilient, and brighter than ever before,” County Commission Chair Viviana Janer proclaimed to some 570 attendees, the largest such gathering in its 12 years.
The future she speaks of — with a tagline of “Building for Tomorrow, Today” — is bolstered by billions of dollars of investments in projects. Leaders said Wednesday that $2.7 billion in construction is currently underway, on road widening projects on arterial roads and Florida’s Turnpike from Clay Whaley Road to Osceola Parkway.
The county noted it will add 40 new firefighters and paramedics and opening two new fire stations, and is putting a new flood warning system into place designed to protect residents during generational storms like Hurricane Ian, which dumped 17 inches of rain on the area in under 36 hours, straining flood mitigation systems and swamping businesses and neighborhoods.
NeoCity is expanding — even beyond NeoCity. A $17.5 million multi-use lab will break ground in 2026 on campus, and the county acquired 323 acres for “NeoCity South” and expect to have development plans submitted before the end of the year.
And while Osceola Prosper, the initiative that pays for Associate’s degrees at Valencia College or industry certifications at Osceola Technical College, continues after awarding 1,100 AAs and 800 certifications over three years, the commitment to education continues. Plans continue for an Environmental Library in District 3 in Brandon Arrington’s District 3 and a Tech Library in Janer’s District 2, the latter which broke ground last month.
“Tomorrow is not something that just happens to us. It’s something that happens because of us,” Janer said.
Osceola County began its State of the County addresses in 2013, as Osceola emerged from the Great Recession. It has served as a status report on the community and the county’s victory lap.
