The Loop ate my home town.

I keep telling people about the blurring of the line between Orlando and Kissimmee and just how much shit is being built around here, because it's both ridiculous and astounding to see. I mean, it's been less than two years since I originally left Florida.

This week we left our apartment and ran into a Super Wal-Mart about one minute down the road. One that is actually nice, surprisingly. Here, we'd been driving fifteen minutes in the opposite direction to what we were sure was the closest Wal-Mart.

Then we found the new Super Target, that I heard about but didn't realize was RIGHT THERE.

I now know of SEVEN Super Wal-Marts within the Kissimmee/St. Cloud/South Orlando area.

Nothing is as crazy as what they've built on the corner of John Young and Osceola Parkway. They call it, The Loop... I call it The Biggest Fucking Shopping Center, For Sure.

Some storefronts are still available to rent, and yet there is already or will be an ABC Liquor, American Eagle Outfitters, Bed Bath and Beyond, Claire's, Cool Cuts 4 Kids, CVS, Dress Barn, Famous Footwear, Hairmasters, Justice, Kay Jeweler's, Kirkland's, Kohl's, Lee Nails and Spa, Lenscrafters, Michaels, Old Navy, Pacific Sunwear, Petco, Pier 1 Imports, Regal 16 Cinemas, Ross, Sports Authority, Vitamin World, Yankee Candle Company, Barnies Coffee, Ben and Jerry's, Chili's, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Johnny Rockets, Macaroni Grill, Mama Fu's, Panera Bread, Red Brick Pizza, Wendy's and a bank.

And it isn't a mall... it's a shopping center. And I've never even heard of some of those places.

And it should be noted that there isn't a bookstore in that list. Kissimmee just doesn't read.

I tried to take a photo of the place, but only four of the forty planned stores would fit in one picture.

A search online revealed this press release...

The Loop, the area’s brand new 440,000-square foot retail center, has been open for just a few months, but already developers can see that consumer interest outweighs the site’s retail capacity.

Due to unprecedented retail and consumer interest in The Loop, Kissimmee/Orlando’s new open-air shopping complex, developers have begun taking steps for expansion. The Wilder Companies are developing a 40-acre parcel of land adjacent to The Loop’s site on John Young and Osceola Parkways, and intend to add up to 400,000 square feet of retail space to the property. ‘Loop West’ is slated to open in late 2007.

It's going to fucking double in size. Holy crap am I glad I live far enough away from there.