Tucker Construction has installed a camera to take photos every ten minutes of the construction progress, including the demolition of the Dome, which could begin as early as Friday and continue for several weeks. Click the link! 

Two minor flaws in the report … they tag the turnaround here “Lakeland” (our fair sister city to the west). Oh, and LEGOLAND Florida is in Winter Haven with 1100 + jobs and a waterpark on the way!

It’s no secret that LEGOLAND is great for all of Polk and that is outstanding because the MSA for Lakeland/Winter Haven is actually the combined sum of all that happens in ALL of Polk!

So thank you to Realtor.com. That’s great news all around.

You can read the entire CNN Money report here.

Look for a very popular and successful convenience/fuel store named “Wawa” to build a 5,500 square foot store with an eight-island fuel station at 1490 3rd Street SW — former home of Cypress Lincoln Mercury. The site will be cleared and all new construction will occur. Todd Dantzler with Choice-Dantzler Properties has handled the sale of the property.

“Wawa” is a Native American word for the Canada Goose that was found in the Delaware Valley, that’s why the company uses the goose on Wawa’s corporate logo. The company specializes in freshly made sandwiches, salads and its signature coffee. Here’s a few details about the organization …

Core Purpose…

To Simplify Our Customers’ Daily Lives

Core Values…

Value People

Delight Customers

Embrace Change

Do the Right Thing

Do Things Right

Passion for Winning

Wawa offers a large fresh food selection, including Wawa brands like Built-to-Order®
Hoagies which come in four sizes: the Junior, Shorti, Classic, and Two-Footer. We are also proud to offer our award-winning Freshly Brewed Coffee (over 195 million cups sold each year), the Sizzli® hot breakfast sandwich, quality dairy products and Wawa brand juices and teas. All Wawa stores feature a wide selection of ready-to-go salads, and fresh fruits.

Store Example

Most stores are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Winter Haven location will employ 30-40 associates. The engineering firm handling the project is Stillwater Technologies from Orlando, FL. Construction should begin this spring.

Wawa employs 16,000 associates throughout portions of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia — and now Florida.

Posner Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

Join the Mahalak family of dealerships as they christen their beautiful new Posner Park Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram with special festivities. Here’s what’s in store …

Band Haven Performing Live

Great food and refreshments

Meet the Staff and Tour the Brand New State-of-the-Art Facility

See new Products (including):

1. Jeep Off Road Camper Trailer set up as it would look at a camp site.

2. The Truck Other Trucks Look up To! (a RAM 1500 with the Altitude Package which includes a 6” ProComp Suspension Lift Kit, 20” Custom Wheels, 25” ATX Tires, Side Oval Step Bars, Custom Designer Chrome Grill, Color Keyed Fender Flares, Chrome Package, and a Highline Appearance Package.

4. 97 Country Remote Broadcast

5. Small gifts to everyone who attends.

Grand Opening Week Special (good at any of our 3 dealerships which include Posner Park Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Winter Haven Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram and FIAT of Winter Haven):

Own or Lease any new or used vehicle during grand opening  (now – Jan 24th) and receive:

1. Four FREE Oil Changes*

2. $100 in Mopar/Jeep/FIAT wearable’s and/or apparel*

3. $100 in Mopar Accessories*

*Oil changes and Mopar apparel and accessories valid on vehicle purchased during grand opening week only.

Join your friends for this great Grand Opening Celebration! US 27 Southbound just south of I-4.

The company sells more than 8,000 pet care products, including food, toys, medicine, and clothing, through its website and more than 110 stores in a dozen states, primarily Florida. Stores also offer vaccinations for dogs, cats and ferrets. They also and a variety of small animals (such as hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, and tropical fish).  Pet Supermarket works with area organizations to host adoptions and related events for cats and dogs. Customers can take their pets shopping with them. The company was founded in 1973 by Chuck West as Pet Circus, the family-owned company became Pet Supermarket in 1986.

This will be the company’s third location in Polk County.

According to the submitted site plan, Winter Haven Venture-2, a Texas limited partnership out of Dallas is the developer. Once the submitted site plan is approved development may begin.

Phase I of the project involves the intermodal rail terminal. Phase II will encompass another nearly 1000 acres that will develop as a state-of-the-art warehousing, industrial and office park. Plans for the project were announced in 2006. The state’s recent purchase of 61 miles of CSX tracks from Deland to Poinciana for use as the SunRail Commuter Rail system necessitates the move of the Taft Rail Yard in Orlando. As rail has emerged as the most cost and energy efficient way to move freight on land, the modern intermodal center will become a major hub in Florida’s transportation infrastructure.

Initial estimates peg construction employment at more than 600 jobs. Upon buildout the ILC is projected to employ 2,000 people directly and some 6,000 jobs will be created indirectly.

The EPC100 would like to thank all of its members for their support over the years and has been proud to serve the businesses and residents of the east side of Polk County.

The East Polk Committee of 100 was founded in 1996 to represent East Polk communities in the pursuit of economic development opportunities and to serve as a united voice for those communities. More recently individual communities have moved to form their own economic development entities. Winter Haven is currently in the process of recruiting an economic development director for the newly formed Winter Haven Economic Development Council.

The University of South Florida Polytechnic’s SFP Blue Sky Incubation Program will host a seminar on the Florida High Tech Corridor Council’s Matching Grants Research Program Nov. 15 at 9 a.m. at Blue Sky East, 199 Avenue B NW, Suite 240, Winter Haven (Six Ten Plaza/formerly Verizon Building). University faculty, entrepreneurs, and executives of established firms interested in discovering and commercializing new technologies should plan to attend.

Randy Berridge, president of the FHTCC, and Tracey Swartz of USF Connect will explain how area companies can take advantage of grant funds available to commercialize university research technologies. Companies can partner with university faculty to take advantage of new market opportunities. Partnerships may be available with faculty from across the University of South Florida, University of Central Florida, and University of Florida campus systems.

RSVPs are requested. For RSVPs or information, contact Eddie Hill at eddiehill@poly.usf.edu.

The Florida High Tech Corridor Council is a regional economic development initiative of the University of South Florida, the University of Central Florida and the University of Florida whose mission is to grow high tech industry and innovation in the region through research, workforce, and marketing partnerships.

USFP’s Blue Sky facilities are the first public business technology incubators in Polk County. They focus on attracting and nurturing entrepreneurial businesses in an innovative environment where USF Poly faculty, staff, and students can work with businesses to develop innovative technology. Incubated companies benefit from the proximity to and resources of a national research university as well as the assets of economic development networks.

“A centralized focus on economic development for Winter Haven is our primary reason for forming the Winter Haven EDC.” said Ingram Leedy, President/CEO of Elephant Outlook and Chairman of the Transition Team heading up the EDC effort.

“We’ve identified target industries best suited for recruitment to and expansion in the Winter Haven area, such as medical services; software and information technology; and logistics and distribution facilities. General business and professional services would be on that list, as well as agribusiness. Those are niches we will be directing our development efforts towards.” Leedy said.

Charter Board Members of the new EDC include representatives from the 6-10 Corporation, Collany Properties, Elephant Outlook, Envisors Engineering, The Landings, Polk State College, Tampa Electric, Tucker Construction, USF Polytechnic, and Winter Haven Hospital. Legal and accounting services to establish the EDC have been donated by Sharit, Bunn & Chilton, P.A. and LarsonAllen, LLP, respectively. The EDC Board intends to develop a membership program, solicit additional board members, raise funds and hire a new Executive Director/CEO by the end of 2011.

“We have built tremendous momentum for the EDC with great interest and commitment from Winter Haven business leaders and city officials. The formation of the EDC would not have been possible without the support of the City of Winter Haven. ” Leedy said, adding that efforts by the organization will complement new economic development in the area by CSX, LEGOLAND Florida and more.

Leedy noted,  “The creation of the Winter Haven Economic Development Council is a culmination of hard work and real visioning for our community and we expect great things from this important public/private partnership.”