Destiny, Florida facts for kids

Destiny, Florida was a plan for a huge new city in Osceola County, Florida. It was meant to be built near a place called Yeehaw Junction. This big project was a partnership between two companies. One was Pugliese Development Co., and the other was FD Destiny LLC, owned by Fred DeLuca.

Destiny, Florida was special because it was designed to be a "climate positive" community. This means it would have produced more clean energy than it used. It was one of the first projects supported by the Clinton Climate Initiative, which helps create environmentally friendly developments. However, the project ran into many problems. It faced lawsuits and opposition from Florida state agencies. Because of these issues, the city of Destiny was never built. Most of the land that was planned for the city has since been set aside to protect nature.

A City Designed for the Future

The plan for Destiny, Florida was very ambitious. It aimed to develop a massive area of about 41,300 acres (167 square kilometers). This huge space was intended to hold between 88,000 and 100,000 homes. The city would have been home to a population of 200,000 to 250,000 people.

Environmentally Friendly Plans

The first steps for building Destiny were supposed to start in 2011. These initial plans included up to 10,000 homes. There would also be 7 million square feet (about 650,000 square meters) of space for businesses. The most exciting part of the plan was its focus on being "climate positive." This meant the entire city would run on sustainable energy.

The energy for Destiny would have come from several clean sources:

• A large solar farm with 30 megawatts of power.
• A special waste system that would turn trash into methane gas for energy.
• An "energy farm" that would grow plants to make biofuel.

These plans aimed to make Destiny a truly green city. It would have been a model for how large communities could live in harmony with the environment.

DeLuca Preserve: A Natural Legacy

Even though the city of Destiny was never built, the land found a new purpose. In late 2020, a large part of the original project area became a protected natural space.

Protecting the Land

About 27,000 acres (109 square kilometers) of land were donated. This generous gift came from Elisabeth DeLuca, the widow of Fred DeLuca. The land was given to the University of Florida. The main rule for this donation was that the land must stay wild and undeveloped.

This protected area is now called the DeLuca Preserve. An organization called Ducks Unlimited is responsible for making sure the land stays protected. They enforce a special agreement called a conservation easement. This agreement legally ensures the land's natural state is preserved forever.

Research and Education

The University of Florida can use the DeLuca Preserve for important work. It is a place for teaching students about nature and for conducting scientific research. The university can even do some experimental citrus farming on a small part of the land. This allows scientists to study new ways of growing citrus while still protecting the environment.