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Residents, union speakers push commissioners toward midrange Hyatt, warn against selling civic-center land
Summary
At a Kissimmee City Commission meeting, union representatives and downtown residents urged the commission to favor a Hyatt Place proposal for a downtown hotel and cautioned against selling public land to residential developers or approving a high-end luxury project that may not serve community needs.
At a City Commission meeting in Kissimmee, public commenters urged commissioners to prioritize a midrange hotel proposal over higher-end options and to avoid selling civic-center land that speakers said should remain public and serve long-term community interests.
Speakers said the Hyatt Place proposal presented by KPDG would better serve downtown Kissimmee’s needs and attract visitors who will patronize local businesses, while a luxury proposal could price out local demand. Charya Aguirre, a political researcher for Unite Here Local 737, told the commission the Hyatt Place proposal “is a proposal that we are excited about and we support,” and urged commissioners to select a developer with hotel experience rather than a residential-focused firm.
Why it matters: a hotel at the civic center site could shape downtown visitation and economic activity, affect who benefits from development, and determine whether public land remains under city control.
Speakers’ main points and local context - Charya Aguirre (Unite Here Local 737) said the Hyatt Place brand proposed by KPDG appears realistic for Kissimmee, and she cited performance data presented at the workshop, saying a May 2024 fact sheet showed a 70.8% occupancy rate and an average daily rate of $157.25 for that Hyatt brand. Aguirre also warned a luxury proposal might “aim[] too high” and risk underperforming at local price points. - The union (represented in public comment by Hector Jordan and Aguirre) urged the city not to sell civic-center land, saying a land sale would yield short-term proceeds for the city rather than long-term community benefit. - Mary Olivia Legree, a longtime Kissimmee resident, said she prefers a reliable, midrange hotel brand she can recommend to visiting family and praised Hyatt’s attention to downtown character. - Jose Castro, who lives on Lakeview Drive, said KPDG has shown commitment to the city and proposed coordinating hotels near the airport and downtown to drive visitors to downtown Kissimmee.
Speakers referenced three private proposals discussed at a recent workshop: Azurie Hotel International Inc. (described by commenters as a high-end/luxury option), IHRMC (a proposal commenters said had concerning records in Florida), and SkyView Company (which proposed purchasing the land and is primarily a residential developer). Speakers favored a hotel operator with a hospitality focus and expressed concern about proposals that would transfer city land to private ownership.
No formal vote on a hotel development or land sale occurred at the meeting; the public-comment remarks were part of the commission’s audience-comment period and follow a prior workshop the commission held to review proposals.
Ending: Commissioners heard the comments as the city continues a multi-step process to evaluate hotel proposals for downtown. Staff and commissioners indicated the matter remains under consideration and additional meetings or decisions were expected to follow the workshop process.
