Historic Green Island Ranch in Osceola County Goes on Market for $140 Million

5,977-Acre Property Near Disney World Is Unique, Entitled Mixed-Use Development Tract for Up to 17,000 Residential Units

LAKELAND, FL, March 24, 2021 – Dusty Calderon, a senior advisor at SVN|Saunders Ralston Dantzler Real Estate, recently announced the listing of Green Island Ranch in Osceola County for sale at $140,000,000.

Calderon is a member of the family that owns the 5,977-acre development property which is co-listed with Dean Saunders, ALC, CCIM, founder, managing director and senior advisor of the brokerage.

Green Island Ranch is a rare opportunity in the Florida land market due to its size, history, and location and because it is an entitled mixed-use development for up to 17,000 residential units.

For over 100 years, this working ranch has been in the Partin family’s ownership and, at one time, was the largest ranch east of the Mississippi River at 60,000 acres. This family holds an esteemed position in Florida’s history since the first patriarch arrived in 1847. The Partins introduced Brahman cattle and quarterhorses to Florida. Later, their quadrille horsemanship performances morphed into the famous Silver Spurs Rodeo.

Florida is the third most populated state in America and residential development land is in high demand. With over 21 million people, Florida grows by almost 900 people per day and Central Florida grows by about 1,500 people per week. Orlando’s growth rate is the second fastest of the 30 largest U.S. cities, so housing growth continues to be extremely strong across the I-4 corridor. Currently, demand exceeds supply, so residential development of houses, townhomes, and apartments continues to increase.

Green Island Ranch is 25 minutes from Disney World and the Orlando International Airport in Florida’s I-4 corridor. Its desirable location is near a new expressway, which is part of a sizable regional connectivity project, and the Florida Turnpike also runs through the property with an exit just six miles away. The property also has more than two and a half miles of lake frontage on Lake Tohopekaliga, the seventh-largest lake in Florida, and is over 70% uplands with no previous mitigation.

The development potential of Green Island Ranch is expansive and open to the unique interpretation of the buyer. In 2008, a Development Regional Impact (DRI) plan for 13,000 residential units with additional commercial and mixed-use projects was approved. In place until 2030, this DRI offers a clear path to rapid development. However, since the sellers received the DRI approval, the Osceola County Commission also added the South Lake Toho Element to the Osceola County Comprehensive Plan. This more recent plan supports the development of up to 17,000 residential units in a higher density residential market than the approved DRI. The county’s comprehensive plan includes supportive recreational amenities in conjunction with non-residential uses to create a flexible live, work and play environment.

Business development opportunities include a marina, urban center, regional mall, industrial, office, hotel and civic space. Recreational development possibilities include a theme park, ecotourism, or outdoor concert venues in one of the world’s most popular recreation destinations.

“Dusty and the Partin family are living testaments to Florida history and the cowboy heritage that many people today may not even know about,” said Saunders. “It’s an honor to have Dusty on our team and to work with him to broker this historic ranch.”