Amanda Clavijo, Assistant County Manager, Osceola County

April 2026 — Invest: spoke with Amanda Clavijo, assistant county manager of Osceola County, about the region’s rapid population growth and the strategies guiding its long-term economic development. Through initiatives focused on education, infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing, the county is positioning itself as a hub for innovation in Central Florida. “Osceola County’s strategy for economic development is investing in infrastructure and in education,” Clavijo said.

How would you describe the past year for Osceola County, and what major milestones reflect the broader economic momentum of the region?

We have had a lot of positive momentum in economic development for Osceola County in the last year where we continue to see rapid growth. Our population has actually surpassed 500,000, which is a huge milestone, and we are in one of the fastest-growing regions in the nation.

A lot of what the County focuses on is building a strong environment to support that growth. Osceola County’s strategy for economic development is investing in both infrastructure and education, and many of our successes align closely with those two priorities.

On the education side, one of the biggest successes has been our Osceola Prosper program. It is a Board of County Commissioners-funded program that provides no-cost tuition for any Osceola County high school graduate, whether they attended a public, private, or charter school. Graduates can attend Valencia College or Osceola Technical College with no tuition, and they have five years to complete their degree or obtain a technical certificate.

Because of that investment, Osceola County is now ranked third in the state for high-school graduates obtaining postsecondary education. Historically, about 10 or 11 years ago, Osceola was ranked 61st out of 67 counties. The county and Valencia College worked closely together to help improve those outcomes alongside our partners at the School District of Osceola, and after COVID, the county used CARES Act funding to launch Osceola Prosper as a transformational investment for the community.

This matters not only because it improves quality of life and opportunities for residents, but also because it builds the workforce of the future. Ten years from now, the workforce development pipeline will look very different because of programs like Osceola Prosper and the intentional partnerships we have built around education.

As part of our infrastructure prong, another important milestone relates to NeoCity, which is one of our major economic development projects focused on creating a high-tech, high-wage ecosystem within Osceola County. NeoCity is a 500-acre campus currently centered around semiconductor technology and advanced packaging.

We have a county-owned fabrication facility on site that is operated by SkyWater Technology, and they recently reached their fifth year operating at the site and have doubled their employee count this past year. Looking ahead, they are planning to add an additional 100 employees in the next year.

In partnership with these efforts, Valencia College created the first associate degree program in semiconductor technology in the State of Florida. This program was developed in collaboration with industry partners and the State. Students can earn their associate degree at Valencia and then transfer directly to the University of Central Florida through the existing DirectConnect program to complete a bachelor’s degree in semiconductor engineering.

The first class started this past fall, and by the time those students graduate with their associate’s degrees, UCF will have the bachelor’s program ready. This collaboration between Valencia, UCF, the state, and industry partners shows how our region is working together to build a strong advanced manufacturing ecosystem.

Osceola County has experienced significant population growth. How are you balancing this rapid growth with the infrastructure needs that come with it?

The county manager, along with our community development and transportation departments, has taken a very strategic approach to balancing the needs of today with plans for the future. We work closely with our developers as they plan projects across the county so that infrastructure needs are addressed early in the process.

We have also created innovative mechanisms that allow us to partner with developers to fund needed infrastructure improvements. This ensures that when developments are designed, they are planned with the capacity needed in our transportation network.

We currently have the largest transportation program in the county’s history. I have worked for Osceola County for 17 years, and we have never had this many projects underway at once. There has been a strong focus on prioritizing transportation infrastructure within the resources we have available.

As a result, you will see a lot of construction throughout Osceola County right now. These projects take time because they require design, planning, and construction phases, but once they are complete they will provide the connectivity needed to support the region’s population growth.

In addition, the county focuses on housing affordability to ensure there is a balanced housing supply for the community. Our community development department works with developers to ensure projects meet affordability standards and needs, expanding options for all of our residents regardless income level.

Another key part of our strategy is preserving land for employment centers in areas where residential growth is occurring. You want residents to work near where they live. NeoCity is a great example of a strategic land purchase that allows the County to create employment opportunities close to residential areas, and we have made additional land acquisitions across the county with the same goal in mind.

Osceola County is exploring development opportunities at Osceola Heritage Park with Orlando City Soccer Club. What impact could this project have?

The project you are referring to is currently called Project Next. It is located  on the eastern portion of Osceola Heritage Park, which is a county-owned recreational campus. The site already includes facilities like the Silver Spurs Rodeo and the OHP Arena. Historically, the Houston Astros held spring training there before Orlando City Soccer established its training facilities on the site.

The location offers significant opportunities for expansion. When we developed NeoCity, which is just across U.S. 192 from Osceola Heritage Park, we designed the stormwater system to support both sites. That allowed us to relocate stormwater infrastructure and create additional developable land at OHP.

We recognized that this area of the county didn’t have many of the amenities that residents and visitors were looking for, , such as hotels, restaurants, and cultural experiences. We saw an opportunity to expand the footprint of Osceola Heritage Park and build on the activities already taking place there.

The county issued a request for letters of interest, and Orlando City Soccer Club responded. They were selected, and we are currently negotiating a development agreement to expand and enhance the site.

The project will expand Orlando City’s sports presence while also bringing additional amenities such as restaurants, retail, a hotel, and potentially a medical complex. These additions will enhance the visitor experience and support economic development while complementing the work being done at NeoCity.

The proximity between the two sites will allow them to support each other. As we attract more high-tech industry partners to NeoCity, having additional amenities nearby will only enhance the overall experience for those companies and visitors.

How has the broader NeoCity strategy evolved, particularly with projects like NeoCity South and other surrounding developments?

NeoCity has seen tremendous momentum in the past few years. One project about to begin construction is the multitenant laboratory facility funded through a grant from the State of Florida through its Department of Commerce.

We also executed a development agreement with Siamé Construction and Edward J. Minskoff Equities to build NeoCity’s city center. As part of that effort, the county is moving forward with designing and constructing a performing arts center on campus.

We are also seeing strong interest from companies looking to locate or relocate to NeoCity. We are currently working through several memorandums of understanding and development agreements. Because of that demand, we anticipate that much of the campus will be fully committed within the next few years.

That is why we are planning for expansion areas like NeoCity South. NeoCity has very strong design guidelines and development standards, which not every company in the semiconductor ecosystem can meet. Some companies in the supply chain simply need warehouse or manufacturing space.

NeoCity South, located a few miles away, provides more flexibility. The county originally acquired the 300-acre site to support the Cross Prairie Parkway extension, which is an important transportation project benefitting new and existing residential construction. By purchasing the land, we were also able to create an additional economic development site.

Last year we completed our first property sale at NeoCity South to AdventHealth, where the hospital system purchased 20 acres and will begin building a freestanding emergency room before eventually developing a full hospital for the community. That project is important because it creates jobs and provides essential healthcare services in a growing region of the County.

Beyond that deal, the remaining land will serve as an expansion area for companies connected to the semiconductor ecosystem.

We are also planning another project called Ethos Park, located off Partin Settlement Road. It will be an industrial subdivision designed to support the semiconductor supply chain by providing flexible industrial lots for companies that want to locate near NeoCity but require a different type of facility.

All of these projects work together to support the continued growth of the advanced manufacturing ecosystem we are building in Osceola County.

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