The Crossroads of Growth
Tucked into a sleepy hamlet of Polk County in the Florida heartland are the beginnings of an industrial project that could forever change the landscape of distribution in the Sunshine State.
The 1,250- acre (506- hectare) CSX Integrated Logistics Center in Winter Haven – the first such facility in the southeastern United States – is being planned by the Jacksonville- based rail giant to accommodate Florida's exploding population and demand for consumer products.
Upon build- out, the facility would create 8,500 full- time jobs in Polk, generate more than US$10 billion in economic development activity and add $900 million in local, state and federal tax revenue over 10 years.
The ILC eventually will include 3 million sq. ft. (278,700 sq. m.) of warehouse space, another 1.5 million sq. ft. (139,350 sq. m.) of industrial sites and 500,000 sq. ft. (46,450 sq. m.) of office space. The total annual payroll of the new jobs would be $282.2 million.
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CSX Corp. first proposed the land acquisition on Jan. 18. While the transaction with Winter Haven is 18 months away, the necessary rezoning and change in land- use restrictions on the first 300 acres (122 hectares) are under way.