Some old, commercial spaces are getting a facelift, as developers repurpose run-down offices and hotels into renewed, residential units.
Adaptive reuse is the process of reusing existing buildings, often renovating or redeveloping them, to be used for something other than they were originally intended for. In this case, commercial spaces are being turned into homes.
This adaptive reuse trend has been picking up steam across the U.S. in the last year, and new data from RentCafé shows Osceola County is leading the way. The apartment listing service reported that the county is projected to add nearly 1,900 units to a scant affordable housing market over the next few years.
According to RentCafé, Kissimmee and Orlando are key figures in Florida's adaptive reuse landscape, representing 41% of the state's total projected future projects of 6,847 apartments.
Kissimmee city officials and nonprofit leaders said this data includes projects happening in the city but also in places postally addressed as Kissimmee but that are actually in unincorporated Osceola County land.
Hope Partnership builds Thrive Studios
What’s more, they are not all from private developers. Many projects are developed, run, and operated by the local government and others are headed by nonprofits like Hope Partnership.
The organization has been building up unused commercial spaces across Central Florida, turning them into service centers and affordable homes. Currently, they are developing a multi-family complex called Thrive Studios in what was formerly the Crown Motel on Highway 192 in Kissimmee.
“We do have an issue in Osceola County and in Central Florida where our wages do not match rents. Anytime we can have creative solutions, where we provide housing that people can actually afford to live in that is safe and dignified, then we're going in the right direction,” said the founder and CEO, Rev. Mary Downey.
Funding is coming mainly from federal dollars, grants, congressional and state appropriations, as well as Osceola County, in-kind donations, and individual contributions.
The name Thrive Studios describes two key aspects of the complex. Once completed, it will provide more than 30 studio-style units for people making 60% of the average median income or less. It will also provide resident access to an on-site case management services center, which the reverend said is an integral part of getting residents to thrive.
“I've been doing this work for the last 13 to 14 years, and it's never been harder. We don't have enough housing, we don't have enough resources, we don't have any kind of drop-in center,” Downey said. “When you have extensive population growth, You have to recognize that you will also have a higher social services need with population growth, and we have not provided more resources to our local nonprofits to address this huge influx of people.”
Kissimmee builds Haven on Vine
Then, there’s Haven on Vine. Nearing completion, this separate, city-ran project is also in the works and expected to be fully up and operational by the end of this year.
Funded entirely by federal dollars, Haven on Vine is one of the ways the city of Kissimmee is stepping up with their own project efforts. In fact, Deputy City Manager Desiree Matthews said they’ve already started moving in families.
“As we redevelop units, and we complete conversions,” Matthews said, “we did not want to wait for ribbon cutting to have people in need of housing while we had vacant units.”
The project will have 123 total units, 83 as affordable housing and 40 as emergency housing. To qualify, an applicant must be at least a one-year resident of Osceola County, meet income criteria, and pass a background check.
“We work very closely with nonprofit providers to receive referrals for priority placement — families that are experiencing homelessness, veterans, victims of domestic violence, as well as disabled or seniors,” Matthews said.
According to Development Services Director Craig Holland, Kissimmee is one of the leaders in adaptive reuse because, well, they adapt to the growth. He said switching Vine Street into mixed-use zoning over a decade ago was key.
“We are not scared of density,” Holland said.
Economic Development Director Tom Tomerlin credits Holland. He said adapting and reusing Kissimmee’s Vine Street corridor is a smart way to grow, as the infrastructure is already there and can help provide suitable housing for the city’s workforce. This is what he called “the heart and soul” of the conversation.
“Housing is where jobs spend the night,” he said. “The ability to have affordable housing speaks directly towards good job creation.”
RentCafé data showed nearly 1,000 conversion projects are underway across Osceola County.
Lillian Hernández Caraballo is a Report for America corps member.
