A huge new neighborhood could be headed to the edge of Poinciana, where a developer is floating plans for a 505-acre master-planned community called South Lake Toho Ranch that might bring more than 1,000 homes to the Kissimmee-Poinciana corridor. Early coverage pegs the maximum buildout at nearly 1,400 housing units, but for now the idea is still firmly in the concept phase. The proposal lands as Central Florida keeps soaking up suburban growth and neighborhood-scale retail at a brisk pace.
As reported by Orlando Business Journal, the plan dubbed South Lake Toho Ranch would span roughly 505 acres and is described as having capacity for nearly 1,400 housing units, while an image caption in that report notes it would include “more than 1,000 residential units.” The coverage highlights the site’s footprint along the Lake Tohopekaliga corridor, south of Kissimmee.
What’s proposed
Details on the mix of housing types, amenities and commercial space are still sparse while the concept is in its early days. Still, nearby activity hints at what might follow if this project moves ahead. GrowthSpotter reported in January on a grocery-anchored shopping center and significant homebuilding inside the Westview master plan in Poinciana that will serve incoming residents. Projects like those show the kind of neighborhood retail and everyday services developers tend to fold into large new communities.
Why Poinciana
Poinciana has been one of Central Florida’s faster-growing suburban pockets, which helps explain why large tracts near Lake Toho and Kissimmee keep catching developers’ eyes. Its population climbed from roughly 53,193 in 2010 to about 69,309 in 2020, an increase of roughly 30 percent, according to U.S. Census figures compiled on Wikipedia. For builders, that kind of steady growth reads like a long-term demand signal.
Roads and services
Any project of this size is likely to run into big questions about roads and utilities. Residents and planners have long complained about congestion on Cypress Parkway, Poinciana Parkway and other local corridors, and another thousand-plus homes will not exactly lighten traffic. The Central Florida Expressway Authority’s Southport Connector PD&E study, along with the Move Poinciana initiative, is aimed at improving regional access to the Poinciana area and will factor into how quickly a development on this scale could realistically be built out; see the project FAQs for details.
Where this fits in the pipeline
Per Orlando Business Journal, the South Lake Toho Ranch concept is still in the early stages and would need entitlements and county approvals before any dirt can turn. If the developer formally files a subdivision application, it would kick off the usual rounds of staff review, public hearings and technical studies on school capacity, water and sewer availability and traffic impacts…