After landing Monday’s landmark vote, a $50 million vision for Osceola County’s future is slowly coming to reality: a reimagined Osceola Heritage Park. Currently, the price is being split directly down the middle. The county is putting up $25 million, funded entirely by tourist development taxes and other visitor-related income, not residents. The owners of Orlando City and the Orlando Pride are matching that, contributing $25 million of their own.

This agreement paves the way for a total transformation of the Eastern portion of the Osceola Heritage Park. The county will now be able to focus on major structural upgrades, as professional soccer teams will now take over the larger burden of the renovations, focusing on the sport’s side of the arc and the management maintenance of stadiums and training grounds. Soccer teams will be the most affected as Orlando Pride’s and Orlando City’s investments focus on developing the space in the best way possible for their athletes. The biggest of these changes is the commercial expansion of Bill Beck Boulevard. The soccer club is purchasing land for nearly half a million dollars to develop a new hotel and a restaurant.

However, it isn’t just the pros who are making these investments that are affected. Youth player Kai Polarchy noted that training in the same complex as the stars with professional-level equipment is a major improvement for the youth generation of players. His father, Sean Polarchy, has also added that he believes the club’s investment in the fields is going to directly improve the experience for local children who use the facilities.

Osceola County Commission Chairman Brandon Arrington has said the county is thrilled to become the official headquarters for both professional teams. “We’ve already started hosting foreign teams that are coming to the United States for training opportunities, and this is further going to expand those opportunities right here in Osceola County,” Arrington said. “We’re so excited to have all of Orlando City, except the games, right here in our backyard.” Chief Operating Officer of Orlando Sports Enterprises, Ceaser Lopez, has echoed this excitement. He claims this expansion provides the best possible environment for athletes to naturally grow and thrive, while strengthening their ties to the club’s roots right here in Kissimmee.

“Orlando City is already here, and now we’re expanding on that by bringing the Orlando Pride in,” Lopez commented following the team’s new investments. “We’re providing the best assets for our athletes to thrive in, but more importantly, we’re getting the support from the community.”