Kissimmee is moving forward with a plan exceeding $180 million to replace its existing civic center with a new hotel and convention complex, continuing a broader push to reinforce Downtown Kissimmee as a destination. The current Civic Center is slated for demolition in mid-2026, clearing the way for ground-up hospitality and meeting space on the same site.
Azure Hotel International Inc. is leading the project, which is centered around a 10-story hotel program designed to bring additional room capacity to the downtown area. Plans call for a 300-room hotel with a mix of leisure and group-oriented amenities intended to support both visitors and event attendees. The concept includes rooftop and poolside bar areas that will provide food and beverage activations integrated with the hotel’s outdoor spaces.
Guestrooms will feature private balconies, while the outdoor programming is expected to include lagoon-style vanishing-edge pools. Indoor amenities will extend beyond typical hotel offerings, with full-service restaurants, a gym, and spa and salon facilities incorporated into the design. These components are aimed at creating an on-site experience that can serve both overnight guests and local users from the surrounding downtown district.
Alongside the hotel, the development is set to deliver a 45,000-square-foot convention center. This new meeting facility is planned to anchor group business in the area and is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2028, providing a dedicated venue for conferences, events, and conventions in Downtown Kissimmee. The convention center will be complemented by additional restaurants, retail space, and hospitality-focused amenities within the project, with the stated goal of supporting broader economic growth in the city’s core.
The hotel component is targeting an opening in the second quarter of 2029, trailing the convention center delivery to allow the meeting facility to ramp up activity before the full lodging program comes online. The overall development is being financed through a public-private partnership between the city and Azure, aligning municipal and private interests in the project’s execution. As planning advances and demolition approaches, the initiative represents a notable repositioning of a civic asset into a hospitality and events-focused use intended to reinforce Downtown Kissimmee’s role as a regional draw.
