County Signs Off on Holland Ranch Deal Near Disney

ORLANDO-Orange County elected officials have signed off on a year-long deal to buy a 1,334-acre portion (about two square miles) of rancher Steve Holland’s 5,254-acre Holland Ranch, five miles south of Lake Hart and about 12 miles west of Walt Disney World’s 30,000-acre compound at Lake Buena Vista, FL.

The $3.75 million price equates to $2,811 per acre or six cents per sf. Holland had asked for $4 million or $3,048 per acre (seven cents per sf).

The dirt is important to the county because it houses rare plants, endangered wildlife species and is the last remaining buffer between the headwaters of the 36-mile Econlockhatchee River and a slew of new commercial, residential, hotel and retail projects surfacing or coming off the drawing boards near Orlando International Airport.