Four Square Miles of Opportunity

A Strategic Growth Story

In the heart of Okeechobee, a small Florida city with big ambitions, Administrator Gary Ritter is spearheading efforts to transform the downtown area into a vibrant community hub. The revitalization centers around six historic parks along Park Street, with Cattleman Square already completed and Veterans Park next in line.

“We are in the long-term process to revitalize each one of those park squares,” says Ritter, detailing plans for Veterans Park. “We’re moving around some of the old military equipment. A leadership group sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce found funding to build a pedestal to lift the helicopter off the ground. The helicopter has been painted, it looks brand new now, and the next step will be to bring it back and put it on a pedestal, so it looks more like it’s in the air.”

The improvements will create dedicated spaces for community events such as Memorial Day and Veterans Day gatherings. According to Ritter, these upgrades aren’t just aesthetic, they’re strategic. “Our feeling is in the long run, by improving the parks, we’re going to improve business for all of those little shops, boutiques, and restaurants situated along Park Street.”

This downtown enhancement goes together with residential developments, including a new 40-unit apartment complex within walking distance of the commercial district. “That’s something unique for the city of Okeechobee,” Ritter notes. “We’ve never had apartment complexes like that so close to the commercial district.”

Housing Development: Meeting Growing Demand

Okeechobee’s housing strategy aims to address critical shortages while supporting economic growth. Multiple developments are underway across the city’s four quadrants, with projects ranging from urban apartments to family homes.

“We’ve recognized that we have some shortcomings with housing and apartments,” Ritter explains. The 40-unit apartment complex near the commercial district represents a new direction for Okeechobee. “If you go across the country and across Florida in some of the larger cities, you will find more and more of that kind of complex coming into the commercial district, which then in turn will help support the commercial businesses in that particular area.”

Beyond downtown living, larger residential projects are taking shape. “In our northwest area of the city, we’ve got 103 units that will get started within the next couple of months,” says Ritter. “It’s called Mallard Landing, and we’ve been working on it for at least a couple of years. The houses there will likely range from $295 to $325,000. I think in our day and time and in this area, that’s affordable.”

These developments align with larger-scale projects in the region. Lakefront Estates and Davina Springs enhance Okeechobee’s housing inventory while supporting the city’s vision for sustainable growth. As Kaylee King, President at Okeechobee County Economic Development Corporation, points out, “These developments provide quality housing and recreational opportunities, improving the quality of life for residents.”

The strategic placement of new housing near employment centers is intentional. With new businesses coming to the industrial park expected to bring dozens of jobs, Ritter states confidently, “With those folks coming in, we feel we’re going to have housing for them.”

Business Growth: New Commercial and Industrial Ventures

The commercial landscape in Okeechobee is evolving rapidly, with developments spanning retail, hospitality, and manufacturing sectors. The city’s industrial park, known as the Okeechobee Commerce Centre, has become a focal point for job creation.

“We have one new business that’s getting ready to do site planning and build a facility,” Ritter shares. “They manufacture concrete storm drains and will employ likely 30 people. And then we have Westlake Royal Roofing, a large nationwide roofing company, that has expanded their operation and will employ another 40 people.”
With only “three or four lots left in the commerce center,” the industrial area has proven attractive to businesses looking to establish or expand operations in central Florida. This growth extends beyond industry to the retail and restaurant sectors across all city quadrants.

“They’ve already started site clearing for Culver’s and the car wash,” Ritter says enthusiastically. “Everybody’s kind of excited about that. We’ve worked on those projects for a couple of years now.” The food scene is also expanding: “We have not had a barbecue place in a long time. The owner of Lightsey’s restaurant, one of the most popular restaurants in our community, has bought the old movie theatre and is converting that into a barbecue restaurant.”

The Bass Pro Shops resort represents another significant commercial development. According to King, the resort “attracts tourists, creates jobs, and boosts local businesses, supporting Okeechobee’s goal of becoming a regional destination.” These ventures collectively strengthen the local economy while offering residents new services and employment opportunities.

Infrastructure Improvements: Roads and Transportation

Okeechobee’s infrastructure strategy balances major highway upgrades with much-needed improvements to neighborhood streets, addressing long-standing transportation challenges while preparing for future growth.

“We have two main highways that come through the city of Okeechobee. Highway 70 runs east and west from the east coast of Florida to the west coast. 441 runs north and south all the way up to Orlando and as far down as Boca Raton,” Ritter explains. “The Florida Department of Transportation has been making stormwater improvements and resurfacing roads in Okeechobee, and as much of a hassle it has been for our locals to move around, when these projects are done, we’re going to have some new fresh roads.”

The focus isn’t solely on major thoroughfares. Ritter acknowledges a historical gap in maintaining local streets: “One of the problems we have had for a long time is the city has not done a lot of work on resurfacing interior or secondary roads.”

This year marks a turning point with significant investment in neighborhood infrastructure. “The city has budgeted $1.4 million for resurfacing secondary roads. Our first resurfacing project will start in the beginning of March. We will work our way through this year to spend what has been allocated this fiscal year on making improvements to interior roads that need it the most,” says Ritter. “This effort, I see as long-term, at least for the next five years.”

Beyond physical roads, digital infrastructure is receiving attention. The nearly $50 million grant funding through the Florida Broadband Opportunity Program for Comcast will expand high-speed internet access, which King notes “helps residents find information and resources, improving education and quality of life” while supporting local businesses.

Recreational Assets: Parks, Green Spaces, and Water Access

Okeechobee’s modest size hasn’t limited its ambitions for creating recreational spaces that serve residents and visitors. The city’s approach focuses on maximizing the potential of existing spaces while developing new access points to natural resources.

“The parks along Park Street are some of the biggest green spaces that we have,” Ritter notes. “We have long-term plans for at least the next five, 10 years to work with Okeechobee Main Street to continually make improvements to those parks.”

Beyond the downtown parks, Centennial Park offers unique water-based recreation opportunities. “We received a grant for $50,000 and were able to install a kayak ramp in Taylor Creek because Taylor Creek runs through the city of Okeechobee and then empties out into Lake Okeechobee,” says Ritter. “We found that there were a lot of people going to Centennial Park and putting their kayaks in there.”

The waterfront enhancements won’t stop with the kayak ramp. “We’ve applied for another grant, in the neighborhood of $200,000, and we will know by July if we will receive that grant or not. What we want to do is put a boardwalk along the edge of Centennial Park along Taylor Creek,” Ritter explains. “That could serve as a place for people to congregate or for people to fish.”

While the city focuses on its limited green spaces, Ritter acknowledges complementary county efforts: “The county has much more green space than we do, and they’ve constructed a pump track which is almost like a BMX track. They’ve also made some trails within their sports complex. They’re continually working on green space and things for people to do within the community.”

City Leadership: Gary Ritter’s Journey to City Administration

Behind Okeechobee’s development strategy is Administrator Ritter, whose unexpected career path led him to city leadership after decades in water management and agriculture advocacy.

“I spent 36 years with the South Florida Water Management District. My background in responsibilities with the water management district was in water and natural resources, and that’s my area of expertise,” Ritter recalls. His transition to local government began after his retirement in 2014. “At that time, I was asked if I would run for city council and I said, I will.”

Ritter served as a council member for four years while simultaneously beginning a new chapter with the Florida Farm Bureau Federation. “They came to me and said, ‘Hey, would you be interested in working for us?’ For six and a half years I worked with agriculture, with all the various local farm bureau organizations, and I represented them at state government meetings and local government municipality meetings.”

The path to his current role came unexpectedly in 2021. “When the administrator for Okeechobee left, the council asked me if I would consider coming in and being their administrator. We agreed to try that out for about three months. And I guess four years later, here I am.”

Despite lacking formal training in city administration, Ritter embraced the challenge. “I didn’t go to school to be a city administrator, but I have learned through baptism by fire. I took this job because I have lived and raised my family in the city of Okeechobee. I’ve been here for almost 48 years now, and I love the city. I felt like I could make a positive contribution to our community.”

Looking Ahead: Priorities for Okeechobee’s Future

With a clear vision for Okeechobee’s development, Ritter has identified several key priorities for the coming years, focusing on infrastructure, economic development, and strategic planning.

“One of the very top priorities that are going to hopefully come about real soon is the revitalization and hardening of city hall,” Ritter says with enthusiasm. “We are getting ready to harden and put new windows and give a new facelift to the outside of City Hall along with a new roof. This building has not had that kind of attention, I would say in decades. Part of the building in 2026 will be a hundred years old.”

Road improvements remain high on his agenda. “Roads have been neglected here in our community. We’ve got 65 miles of them, and I would like to make a big chunk or a big dent in that and get a lot of those roads resurfaced.”
Economic development continues to be a focus. “I would like to see our commerce center completely full, and all the roads resurfaced in our commerce center because that has become a real hub for our industrial area. It brings in a lot of revenue to our city.”

Housing too remains a priority. “I would like to see a few more apartment complexes being put in,” says Ritter. He also emphasizes the importance of updating the city’s planning documents: “We need to review our future land use and zoning maps for consistency. They have not been revisited in quite some time and times are changing. We need to make sure as we finish developing the city and we’re doing it in a way that makes sense.”

For Okeechobee, these priorities signify a balanced approach to growth—preserving the city’s small-town character while building the infrastructure and amenities needed for a thriving future.

At a Glance

Who: City of Okeechobee
What: A small Florida city implementing strategic growth initiatives across housing, business development, infrastructure, and recreation.
Where: Central Florida.
Website: www.cityofokeechobee.com