OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla.,None — Osceola County and the city of Kissimmee are working together to keep up with a mini building boom.
WFTV's Nancy Alvarez found out how the new construction will help hundreds of people looking for work.
It's hard not to notice what's happening near the intersection of U.S. 192 and State Road 535 in Osceola County. The future Embassy Suites hotel isn't just big. Some say it's symbolic.
"I think it's a good indicator that there's a lot of work and people are hiring more," project manager David Bacon said.
And it's a trend that's starting to show on the books in Osceola County.
In the last six months, the county has seen a 30-percent increase in permits for residential construction. Commercial construction permits went up 40 percent, the biggest increase the county has seen in three years. And every new project means jobs.
By the time this Embassy Suites project is done in July, the company will have taken 15 months to complete the job and they will have hired 500 people to do the work. When it's done, hundreds more will be hired to keep the place running.
"Over the next six months to a year, we'll know if it's sustained growth, but so far it looks pretty good," Community Development Director Dave Tomek said.
Tomek said the building department is so busy with inspections and other work that it's working on a plan to join forces with Kissimmee, where permitting has also gone up about 30 percent. The two offices will work together.
And while it's way to early to call this a building boom, Tomek said it's something to watch as the local economy begins to recover.
The county said once the growth is more sustained, they'll look at hiring more people for the building department.
WFTV
