Deseret Ranch: Green Visions or Grand Illusions? Unpacking the Promise of a Sustainable Mega-Development
Exploring the Ambitious Plans and Complex Challenges Behind One of the Central Florida's Largest Conceptualized Development Projects
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
Nestled directly east/southeast of a rapidly-expanding area of Orlando, and just west of two of the fastest-growing cities in Brevard County—Palm Bay and Melbourne, sits a massive, mostly undeveloped plot of land known as Deseret Ranch, one of the largest cattle ranches in the United States.
The ranch itself spans almost 300,000 acres across parts of Osceola, Orange, and Brevard counties, and has a rich history, blending agricultural innovation with strategic land management. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) purchased the land in 1950 as part of its efforts to diversify its investment portfolio and establish a self-sustaining agricultural operation. At that time, the land was largely undeveloped, consisting of wetlands, pine forests, and open prairies in an era when Disney World was still two decades away from opening its doors and Florida’s population was one-tenth of what it is today.
Under the Church's stewardship, the land was transformed into a fully operational cattle ranch. Deseret Ranch has become one of the largest cow-calf operations in the United States, producing tens of thousands of calves annually. The ranch employs advanced land management techniques to balance agricultural productivity with environmental stewardship. Described by the landowner’s as a “mosaic of pastures, citrus groves, wetlands, and woodlands sustaining a productive agricultural operation,” the Church prides itself on its stewardship of the land, carefully balancing economic activities with preservation.
Nevertheless, the owners will be the first to tell you that their success in operating the ranch harmoniously with the natural ecosystem while simultaneously warding off urban encroachment from virtually every direction, has not been easy. According to the ranch owners, impacts of poor planning thus far have deprived the ranch of groundwater and surface water, which has been diverted to supply cities, and utility lines and major access roads have cut across the ranch in a crisscrossed pattern. A county landfill was also established on 3,000 acres of the land after it was taken from the ranch via condemnation. But all of that, as difficult as it might sound, pales in comparison to the drastic changes on the horizon if proper sustainable development practices are ignored.
PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT
In the early 2000s, as Central Florida began to experience rapid urbanization, Deseret Ranch emerged as a potential site for long-term development. In 2013, a master planning process began for a portion of the ranch, envisioning a sustainable community that could accommodate over 500,000 people over the next 50 years. The plan includes mixed-use development, green spaces, and infrastructure designed to minimize environmental impact.
With development proposals in sight, the ranch owners declared their commitment to continuing to work on planning efforts that will ultimately fulfill the public’s need for “wisely planned growth” using a compromised approach that will accommodate growth and connect regional economic centers while preserving natural and agricultural areas. However, the utopistic concept of blending urban growth with the natural environment draws some criticism and doubt, despite Deseret Ranch’s long-standing reputation of environmental stewardship.
The scale and ambition of Deseret Ranch's proposed development have sparked discussions about sustainable growth, environmental preservation, and urban planning. While proponents highlight its potential to set a standard for responsible development, critics express concerns about its impact on natural resources, wildlife, and the character of Central Florida.
In 2014, the Sierra Club—one of the oldest and most influential environmental organizations in the United States—presented comments on Deseret Ranch’s North Sector Plan, objecting to several elements of the Plan. Key objections included the following:
Fragmentation of conservation lands and wildlife habitat due to urban sprawl and new transportation corridors;
Lack of protections for developing within the St. Johns and Upper Kissimmee River 100-year floodplains; and
Flooding and destroying thousands of acres of freshwater forested wetlands as a consequence of decommissioning the Pennywash/Wolf Creek Reservoir.
The Sierra Club recommended a greater ratio of conservation lands for every acre of developable land and requested that the Osceola County Board of Commissioners and its Planning Commission withhold transmitting the Plan the the Florida State Department of Economic Opportunity.
Despite its objections, the Osceola County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved the North Ranch Sector Plan in September 2015 (depicted below). The State of Florida subsequently reviewed and approved the plan, which became effective on October 30, 2015.
The framework map above illustrates what a portion of the Ranch might look like, once developed, in the coming years. A blend of conservation and agricultural land, segmented by greenways, trails, greenspaces, and road and railway corridors connecting to neighborhoods and business centers scatter the landscape. Below is a map of the entire area occupied by Deseret Ranch.
CURRENT DEVELOPMENT: SUNBRIDGE
In the Northeast District, a subdivision development commonly referred to as Sunbridge has already begun. Constructed in partnership with Tavistock Development, the private investment firm founded by billionaire Joe Lewis, Sunbridge is intended to “serve as an ‘intersection of community and nature,’ where every home could be its own trailhead, connecting to thousands of acres dedicated to green space, lakes and farming,” according to a recent article written by Florida Trend. Large residential communities are currently being built by reputable names such as Del Webb and Ashton Woods Homes. Over the next 25 years all of Sunbridge’s 19,000 acres in Osecola County and 5,000 acres in Orange County will be covered with over 37,000 homes and approximately 20 million sq. ft. of commercial space. Despite that, the entire planned community of Sunbridge accounts for only a small segment of the entire ranch. By 2080, nearly 500,000 people are expected to call all 295,000 acres of Deseret Ranch their home and community.
ONGOING LEGAL DISPUTES
SOver the years, much has been discussed and debated among city, county and state officials over the fate of Deseret Ranch; however, in the fall of 2024 a significant moment in Deseret Ranch’s timeline occurred when the city of Orlando and Orange County struck a deal over stopping annexation plans on 52,000 acres of land in southeast Orange County. Essentially, the terms of the deal meant that Orlando would cancel its attempt to annex a portion of the Sunbridge subdivision so long as it complied with a development plan previously approved for the subdivision by Orange County. The proposed plan would allow Orange County to create rural boundaries over land in the eastern side of the area under consideration, making it harder for developers to build urban areas. In return, the county agreed to allocate over $600 million in Tourist Development Taxes to upgrade the Kia Center and Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
The type of agreement between Orlando and Orange County, while unique to this particular piece of property, is not abnormal when it comes to the trade offs found in real estate development projects. With an area as large and valuable as Deseret Ranch, one can expect to find numerous agreements between private companies and government bodies that trade dollars for property rights or development obligations, which often last decades or longer, sometimes even into perpetuity. The point here is that often the original concepts of a real estate development change drastically over the developmental lifespan, and Deseret Ranch is not immune to that fact of life. What was promised or conceived of at the onset of development will certainly change considerably over time.
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY IMPACT
The Deseret Ranch Development is poised to have significant economic and community impacts, particularly in Central Florida. First and foremost, it is expected to generate tens of thousands of construction jobs in the short term, as a mix of affordable and market-range housing options are built alongside commercial centers and educational and healthcare facilities. Long-term employments opportunities are expected in retail, healthcare, education, and infrastructure management. Inevitably, property and sales taxes from residential, commercial, and industrial development will boost local and state government revenues as well.
With all of the investment funding expected to be poured into the initial development of Deseret Ranch, additional regional development is anticipated to follow. Land values within and surrounding Deseret Ranch are expected to increase over time, drawing even more economic activity. In turn, increased connectivity through enhanced infrastructure will improve transportation and accessibility, connecting rural and urban areas.
While the project promises significant benefits, challenges such as traffic congestion, environmental concerns, and strain on existing resources must be managed to ensure long-term success. The underlying theme of the development is sustainability and preservation, so avoiding the mistakes made in the past relating to urban sprawl is paramount.
With sustainability in mind, bus rapid transit corridors have been highlighted as one of the ways in which people living and working within and outside of the Ranch can commute to and from different areas within it. Architects, engineers, and planners have been tasked with creating concept plans, such as the one depicted in the image above produced by Galvin Architects, to inspire sustainable development techniques.
SUMMARY
Deseret Ranch remains a working agricultural operation while serving as a focal point for discussions about the future of sustainable development in Florida. Given its key location between Orlando and the Space Coast, the Ranch will play an important role in the future of Central Florida, as it has the potential to redefine Central Florida’s economic and social landscape, making it a pivotal project for the region's future.
Perhaps the Ranch owner’s summarized it best by saying: “Failure to plan for growth does not prevent growth.” That is precisely why they have been staunch advocates for thoughtful, comprehensive planning efforts, and have supported a regional values study and regional environmental planning efforts. Additionally, Deseret Ranch owners have contributed to other visioning processes and participated in forums discussing important regional topics, while also supporting transportation studies focused on connecting regional, economic and population centers in the coming decades. However, the result of their hard work and dedication to preserving the land while simultaneously accepting the truth of a changing landscape has yet to be fully realized. Nevertheless, conversations and ideas about how the land should be developed continue to transpire. To some, it is exciting time to see such a large transformation take shape; but to others, this marks the end of an era for a large portion of rural central Florida.
