A Kissimmee developer is eyeing 45 acres along Poinciana Parkway in Polk County for a mixed-use development that would blend luxury condos with a retail development anchored by a multiplex movie theater.
H.F.C. Theater Inc. has submitted pre-application plans for the project, dubbed Kandor City Park Place, south of Laurel Elementary at the corner of Laurel Avenue and Marigold Avenue.
It would feature the independent movie theater, approximately 70,000 square feet, and a commercial leasing space of 200,000 square feet. They are planning luxury condos and townhomes, restaurants, a central plaza with an outdoor event stage surrounded by a large fountain, a parking garage, a playground, a grocery store and more, according to a conceptual site plan.
The parcel has a portion of wetlands that the developers plan to use for a walking nature trail. The site plans show more than 20 multifamily apartment/townhouse buildings, as well as 20 retail and anchor sites throughout.
It’s the second multiplex project pitched for the densely populated Poinciana submarket. Last year, Touchstar Cinemas purchased 10 acres in Poinciana Town Center — on the Osceola County side of the community — for an entertainment complex anchored by a movie theater. The two projects are roughly 8.5 miles apart.
Luis Carrasquillo, President and CEO of H.F.C. Theater Inc., spoke at the pre-application meeting on April 24. He has been living in the area for 20 years and believes he knows what the community needs.
“This area needs more family entertainment; there is a lot of housing development in the area,” he said. “Families now have to travel 20-30 miles to do fun things together. We want a centralized place for families to go in the county. This project will help with traffic and jobs in the area. This will be a unique project for the area and will have the opportunity to bring in tourists.”
Erik Peterson, Polk County Planning Administrator, said it is early in the process, but all the county knows now it is a good location for commercial development.
“Staff and the applicant will learn a lot more throughout the analysis that takes place during the six-month-long land use change process,” he added.”Any amount of commercial in this portion of Poinciana helps. We will work with them as much as we can to achieve something.”
H.F.C. Theater aims to be the first family entertainment center in the area and is currently in the start-up phase. The company is actively seeking serious business partners and investors who are interested in joining the project. They are looking for individuals with expertise in hospitality, restaurants, retail and entertainment, as outlined on their website.
Chanda Bennett, Polk County Planning Administrator, has been telling the board of county commissioners that Poinciana needs more commercial areas. Bennett reviewed the pre-application plans and noticed that the developers have buildings over a large retention pond, which they will have to relocate and work with an engineer to figure out.
“We are one of the busiest counties in the country right now, and we are doing our best to review site plans and building permits,” Bennett said. “The plans they have submitted aren’t binding, and they have the potential to add a major grocery store or big box developments.”
The next steps for this project involve submitting a Level 4 review to the county. This can either be a small-scale review for areas under 50 acres, which takes approximately six months, or a large-scale review for areas over 50 acres, which typically takes eight to 10 months, according to Bennett.
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