KISSIMMEE, Fla. – As WKMG Hits the Road to Osceola County and the 34744 ZIP code, we learned a new workforce housing development is taking shape near downtown Kissimmee.
Located less than a block away from the Kissimmee SunRail station along Lawrence Silas Boulevard near Neptune Road, the 205-unit Weston 4 Hundred complex is expected to fill a growing need in a community that’s booming with growth and development.
“I think the occupancy rate in Central Florida is higher than the average across the country,” said Ryan von Weller, COO of Wendover Housing Partners. “The reason is we have a lot of people moving here. People want to be in Central Florida, which is a great problem to have, but it’s also a problem.”
A problem for many is finding an affordable place to live as rent prices have skyrocketed, but at Weston 4 Hundred rents will be capped at 120% of the area median income (AMI).
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
The complex will feature one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom options when it opens next month. Rent is expected to start at approximately $1,400 a month for a one-bedroom and go up to $2,300 a month for a three-bedroom.
“You’ve got a whole subsection of individuals and families that earn more than the affordable rents but can’t pay $3,000 a month to live downtown or in a luxury apartment development,” von Weller said. “What we’re trying to do is get things built in a timely fashion, get them opened, and keep the rent at a reasonable level, so a family of four can afford to live there.”
Rapid growth in the area has also caused gridlock on the roads and a thirst for walkability and public transit, which could make this transit-oriented development even more attractive to future residents. Plans are in the works to build a paved walkway with a crosswalk toward the back of the complex that will make it easier and quicker to walk to the SunRail station and downtown corridor.
“In this kind of atmosphere where you can walk to downtown, be on the SunRail and be in downtown Orlando and all the way up into Volusia County without having to get in your car is a big added benefit,” von Weller added.
Amenities include a fitness center, a resort pool with cabanas, an outdoor grilling area, and a dog park.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: