Orlando-based GPK Real Estate Investment and Development is planning a mixed-use community with apartments and commercial space in each building on the busy U.S. 27 corridor near Davenport.
The nearly 10-acre site was approved for a land-use change to Residential High Density by the Polk County Planning Commission in September. It goes before the Board of County Commissioners for a second reading in March.
Site owner GPK unit Lynnway LLC is seeking approval for a Planned Development with 220 market-rate apartments and 10,000 square feet of retail and commercial space. The gated community will have a single four-story building with retail on the ground floor and residential above, along with a separate 10,600 square-foot retail space are included in a conceptual site plan created by Kimley-Horn.
Part of the original 234-acre Legacy Park Planned Development, this site is at the southwest corner of Legacy Park Boulevard and U.S. 27. A new drive is proposed off US 27, Legacy Park Boulevard, and Ashbourne Way. The project abuts the existing Towns of Legacy Park, a 267-unit townhouse community.
“They have had a number of different developers on the line,” Erik Peterson told GrowthSpotter. “This is the most intense I’ve seen.”
In May 2019, Lynnway’s plans were to start with an 11,629-square-foot multi-tenant strip retail center and was seeking entitlements in the Planned Development for other commercial uses, including potential restaurants and a bank, medical/dental offices and a potential senior care or assisted living facility. The owner shifted its focus to multifamily mixed-use this year.
Build out is estimated to be complete in the next 3 years, according to the conceptual documents. “The construction of the project may be phased, however as required in the Land Development Code, in no instance shall the nonresidential uses of the project be constructed prior to the completion of at least 50 percent of the residential dwelling units.”
A fitness center, yoga studio, dog park, a clubhouse, outdoor dining, parking for food trucks and a pond are planned. There are 446 proposed on-site parking spaces planned that can be shared between the residential and commercial mixes.
The 4-story buildings conceptually will include 30 studios apartments, 86 one-bedroom, 86 2-bedroom and 18 3-bedroom apartments.
A new right in/out turn lane and driveway is proposed on US Hwy 27 which will be permitted through the Florida Department of Transportation. A new right in/right out entrance is proposed off Legacy Park Boulevard, and a new full-access drive is proposed off Ashbourne Way.
Commercial Worldwide has the property and 2 more acres listed by Christine Hwang of Orlando-based Global Properties at $250,000 an acre for medical professional offices in the office medical area, $550,000 per acre fronting U.S. 27. GPK also owns three 1-acre commercial parcels northwest of Legacy Park.
Winter Park-based ACI Architects are named on the Legacy Park project.
About 9 miles south of Legacy Park, GCI developed Legacy Union Square apartments just east of the Interstate 4 ChampionsGate interchange at C.R. 532. Nearby on the east side of Heritage Pass Road, GCI is planning a new phase of the Union Square community with 84 townhomes on 8.92 acres south of the existing apartment complex, according to site plans submitted to Polk County. Maitland-based Civil Engineer Madden, Moorehead & Stokes was hired for both projects, permitting coordinator Nicole Martin told GrowthSpotter.
“We are definitely booming in Polk County all of a sudden,” Martin said “We have worked for Meritage Homes for 20-plus years.”
Meritage Homes is set to build the 3-story townhomes. The company has applied to change the future land use from Residential Mixed Use (RMX) to Community Activity Center (CACX), allowing for more uses.
The community is next to the recently completed Thrive by Watermark apartment community and across from Reunion Village.
GCI Filed for an extension of processing time on Nov. 11. The application was heard by Polk County Development Review Committee Dec. 3 and will go before county commissioners for an adoption hearing next year, Peterson told GrowthSpotter.
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