ST. CLOUD, Fla. – The City of St. Cloud is spending nearly $6 million on passive park land. 

What You Need To Know

  • St. Cloud purchases 219-acre Hastings ranch for $5.75 million

  • The land will remain a park as part of the contract

  • The city will use the space for weddings and events

The Hastings sold 219 acres worth of undeveloped land to the City of St. Cloud for $5.75 million. The funds will come from the city’s parks and recreation impact fees, with the possibility of grant money being used if the grants are awarded next year.  

As part of the contract, the area needs to remain a park in perpetuity, said Debbie Hastings, owner of the property.

“When we hear other people step on the property and they're like wow it's so peaceful, it’s so quiet, and then they get to see the wildlife as we show them around the ranch. They love it,” Hastings said. “And that’s exactly what we wanted to do, share that with the community.” 

The city will continue using the space for weddings and events. For example, the Fall Festival which happens annually at the Hastings Ranch, will still happen this year.

The opening day for the festival is October 17.