Polk County’s U.S. 27 corridor continues to attract new big-box retail, including the first Sam’s Club and a gigantic new Walmart Supercenter.
“This will make residents’ lives more convenient, having these commercial resources nearby,” Planning Administrator Erik Peterson said. “We’ve been trying to attract the commercial for a long time, so it is great to see now. It is needed in the community. It helps the local revenue in the county. Also, it creates more jobs and opportunities for residents.”
The Bentonville, Arkansas, retail giant plans to start construction next year on the 56-acre shopping center with side-by-side big box stores. The stores will measure 197,798 square feet and 170,818 square feet, respectively, and will have parking for over 1,500 cars. Additionally, the site will feature nine out parcels, including two gas stations. The center will be at the intersection of US Hwy 27 and Holly Hill Grove Road 2, just north of Ridgewood Lakes.
“The commercial won’t create as much traffic as people think, and this will reduce travel for nearby residents,” Peterson said. “It will look more congested, but I don’t think it will result in greater traffic. The commercial will absorb some traffic that would be going elsewhere.”
The county has approved a variance for both stores to allow for alcohol sales within 2,500 feet of a church.
The site plan for the large-scale shopping center received conditional approval through a level three review. The retailer announced plans in 2023 to open 30 new Sam’s Club membership stores across the nation and introduced a new larger 160,000-square-foot prototype store. The Davenport store is even bigger.
Walmart CEO Kathryn McLay said the new stores will feature a seafood and sushi island, a full-service floral department, and walk-in coolers for dairy and fresh items. The area for curbside pick-up will be expanded and enhanced. Members will also benefit from an expanded healthcare area with a waiting room, health services suites, private consultation rooms, and dedicated hearing and optical centers.
There will be nine outparcels on U.S. 27 that will house a Sam’s Club members-only gas station with and one open to the general public, a bank, two QSRs, two sit-down restaurants and two multi-tenant buildings.
The property is owned by Circus Inn Inc., a corporation led by members of the McKnight family, longtime citrus growers. It’s about 4½ miles north of the Walmart Supercenter in Haines City. The closest Sam’s Club store is in Lakeland.
The engineering and surveying work for the project is being conducted by CPH Inc., a Sanford-based company. The architects for this site will be Tampa-based, Core State Group and BRR Architecture from Dallas.
The project is anticipated to start construction in 2026.
“They have a lot of work that needs to be done to the site and they may not do both stores immediately,” Peterson said. “There is a lot that goes into development this large.”
Across US Hwy 27 another retail shopping center is in the works. Tampa-based Ocean Bleu Group plans a grocery-anchored shopping center that includes a fitness center, a gas station with a convenience store, and seven outparcels. Ocean Bleu Group’s conceptual site plan for the 21 acres at the intersection of Florida Development Road across from Ridgewood Lakes Boulevard.
Another retail shopping center, “Cottonwood Commons”, is being built directly across from the proposed Walmart and Sam’s Club. Orlando-based Intram Investments, which developed Posner Village, is leading the project. Intram plans to do the master infrastructure and lease or sell out parcels, said Randy Hodge, Executive Vice President of Intram Investments. The site is 12.8 acres with 1,085 feet of frontage on US Hwy 27.
“We have watched as more and more has developed between the hospital and the I-4 interchange,” Hodge told GrowthSpotter. “With Polk County growing so rapidly, and knowing Walmart and Sam’s were likely coming to the west, based on our initial success with our project to the north, we contracted to acquire two adjoining parcels in mid-2021. We closed on both early 2022 for a total price of $2.650 million.”
Cottonwood currently has a convenience store under contract working through permitting with the county, Hodge said. They are working on a leasing and sale agreement with two food-related users. The plans call for three fast-food restaurants, two multi-tenant units and an office building.
The Home Depot has proposed building a new 135,632-square-foot retail store on the U.S. 27 corridor in Davenport about 15 miles north of its Winter Haven location. The proposed store will be located at the intersection of Davenport Boulevard and U.S. Highway 27, on a lot measuring 27 acres.
In 2026, an EōS Fitness will open north of the planned Walmart and Sam’s Club. Intram Investments secured a lease for a 40,500-square-foot gym at Posner Village. In Posner Commons, The Sembler Company has filed plans for a new Ashley Furniture store that will double the size of its current space next to the movie theater.
“Our retailers in Posner are doing well across the board with many telling us their units are among their best performers in Central Florida,” Hodge said.
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