Lennar Homes is moving forward with the first of two residential projects taking shape on the former Grenelefe resort in Haines City.
Polk County has approved a pair of housing projects that will bring nearly 2,400 homes to the former Westgate Resorts property, starting with more than 500 in the first phase.
Grenelefe was a former golf and tennis club resort located in Haines City, covering an expansive 1,273 acres. It featured three golf courses, 22 tennis courts, a convention center, three restaurants, four swimming pools, and a planned marina on Lake Marion. Additionally, the resort included 417 rental condominiums, which were sold in 2022.
Lennar paid $8.5 million last year for 281 acres of undeveloped land in Grenelefe known as Smokey Groves after securing approval for a 481-home subidivision. The Smokey Groves project will be developed in three phases. The first phase will consist of 141 homes, all on 60-foot lots. The second phase will also feature 94 homes on 60-foot lots. The final phase will include 190 homes, primarily on 50-foot lots. Construction is expected to begin in 2026, according to site plans.
“This a growing area, especially in the eastern part of the county, I look at year-old aerial photos and see areas that are filling out, but when I drive out to the location, there is not an empty lot in site,” said Erik Peterson, Polk County Planning Administrator. “This area has three main drivers of housing demand: the suburban growth from the Orlando metro area, it’s a retirement area and investors for vacation rentals.”
Smokey Groves is located west of the intersection of Lake Marion Road and Jim Edwards Road, southwest of Lake Marion and just south of the Grenelefe project. Access to the property will be provided via driveways on Lake Marion Road and Tyner Road. In November, Lennar transferred the property ownership to DW Partners, an investment firm based in New York.
Grenelefe Resort Development LLC, led by Ronin Assets founder Scott House, paid $3.1 million for the Grenelefe golf and tennis facilities, 15 lake loft condos and the private utility that services the entire community. The developer received approval in January of this year for its redevelopment plan, which calls for nearly 1,900 homes, townhomes, duplexes and apartments by 2032.
The resort will be split into two primary sections with Kokomo Road as the dividing line. The Grenelefe East master plan creates four pods of single-family homes with a mix of 50-foot and 60-foot lots and total of 651 homesites. It also has two townhouse parcels with 88 and 114 units, respectively, and a small multifamily community with 80 units. The land that included a proposed marina on Lake Marion is shown as a self-contained 84-unit duplex community east of Lake Marion Road.
In the first phase, Ronin plans to construct 383 homes, with 309 on 50-foot lots and the rest on 60-foot lots. This phase will also feature a new clubhouse and swimming pool located near the northeast entrance of the community, accessible from C.R. 544 E. The clubhouse will overlook the existing driving range, which will be maintained. Additionally, there will be a small area designated for tennis or pickleball courts in the northwest corner of the plan.
The Grenelefe West concept involves the redevelopment of approximately 186 acres of former golf course land located west of Kokomo Road, which will include an additional 866 residential units. The proposed master plan outlines the construction of 488 single-family homes situated on 50- and 60-foot lots, as well as a townhouse community featuring 100 units at the corner of Kokomo and C.R. 544 E.
Additionally, the plan includes a 240-unit apartment complex, which will be positioned near existing Grenelefe condominiums, and a strip of 38 duplexes along Burrway Road. The plan also designates 7.4 acres of vacant land along the northern boundary to be zoned for commercial use, intended for the development of retail and grocery establishments.
Future of transportation in the county
Peterson believes that continued improvements in transportation within the county will lead to increased population growth. The completion of the Poinciana Parkway has facilitated more development in the area by providing direct access to I-4, and future plans include further connections to toll roads. Additionally, the county is working on extending Powerline Road, which will become a four-lane north-south road connecting Hatchineha Road to US 17/92. Studies are also being conducted to explore the possibility of extending SunRail to Haines City.
“We have had all this residential growth and we are focusing on getting more commercial growth that leads to more jobs in the county,” Peterson added. “We don’t want people to have to travel far out the county for basic needs.”
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