"Big-time attractions, small-town hospitality." Although much has changed during the past several
decades, that onetime slogan for Kissimmee still largely rings true.

This is a friendly, down-to-earth community still best known for its biannual Silver Spurs rodeo and its genuine cowboy panache. It just happens to exist alongside Walt Disney World, the world's No. 1 tourist attraction.

Kissimmee, formerly called Allendale, had its beginnings as a tiny trading post on the northern bank of Lake Tohopekaliga. The community was incorporated in 1887 and renamed Kissimmee. It later became the Osceola County seat, and by the 1930s, cattle rivaled citrus as its main industry.

Looking to diversify in the 1950s, Kissimmee launched a major campaign to attract relocating retirees. But when Disney opened in 1971, people of all ages came in droves.

The population multiplied while the employment base shifted from agriculture and cattle ranching to tourism-related service industries. Today, more than 100 hotels and motels are located on or near Irlo Bronson Highway, along with countless restaurants and strip shopping centers.

But housing is going to power the Osceola County economy in the foreseeable future. With developable land becoming scarce in Orange and Seminole counties, about 40 percent of the region's residential growth for the next 25 years is expected to take place in and around Kissimmee, according to a study by the Urban Land Institute.

Over the next 15 years, about 35,000 homes are expected to be built in five previously okayed mega-developments spread across the northern third of the county: Westlake Cove, Mariner's Cove, Edgewater, Bella Terra and Green Island. At least six other big mixed-use projects, ranging in size from about 1,200 homes to about 4,000 homes, are on the drawing board.

Then there's Destiny, a proposed new city on 27,400 acres near Yeehaw Junction, which could ultimately have as many as 100,000 residents. The huge tract was bought last year by a South Florida developer, and specific plans hadn't been revealed at this writing.

In all, by 2025 the county's population is expected to swell from 235,000 to 550,000.

The Hispanic relocation market is particularly vibrant in Osceola County. Two large communities, in particular, have been magnets: Buenaventura Lakes and Poinciana, both of which are marketed heavily in Latin America and in Northeastern cities with large Hispanic populations.

To make certain that at least some of Kissimmee's heritage is preserved, the city's Community Redevelopment Agency has actively sought to improve the historic downtown district through such projects as a cowboy-themed arched gateway at Main Street and U.S. 192 and several major streetscape efforts. In addition, the Italianate Osceola County Courthouse, built in 1890, was renovated when a new government complex was built in 2000 and still houses county offices.

But downtown Kissimmee also has some new projects coming as well. The biggest is City Center, a mixed-use development that will encompass 35 luxury condominiums as well as office and retail space.

Despite its growth, Kissimmee remains a sporting paradise, with numerous boat ramps on the shores of Lake Toho, which is known for excellent bass fishing. Southport Park, for example, offers covered pavilions, grills and campgrounds, while picnic areas abound at Partin Triangle Park and Whaley's Landing. Hunters can enjoy the wide-open Osceola Plain, home to turkey, white-tailed deer and fox squirrels.