What Are They Building On Cypress Gardens Blvd

The Legoland theme park on Cypress Gardens Boulevard in Winter Haven lies a few miles west of the new development. [HANDOUT]

WINTER HAVEN — A southeastern gateway into Winter Haven will get a new look in the next couple of years with a proposed residential, retail and hotel development to be built at Cypress Gardens Boulevard and U.S. 27.

The Century Companies, a Lakeland developer, has proposed building the mixed-use development on 65 acres at the intersection, said Todd Maxwell, an executive with the company, on Thursday. Plans call for building a 250-unit apartment complex, 183,000 square feet of retail space and a roughly 110-room hotel at an estimated cost of more than $50 million.

"We want to build a nice gateway into the city of Winter Haven and Legoland," Maxwell said. "We're excited about it."

The Winter Haven City Commission is scheduled to give final approval on an ordinance rezoning the property from agriculture to planned unit development, a category for multiple land uses on a single property requiring a detailed layout for each use. Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc., a Lakeland engineering firm, will design the development.

Century hopes to break ground by June or July for the apartment complex on a 22-acre site on the southern end of the property along U.S. 27, Maxwell said.

The tentative name for the complex is Ashton Falls Apartment Homes, he said. The complex will include a pool and recreation center, business center and meeting rooms and a party room.

Construction of the entire Ashton Falls complex will take up to two years, but the first apartment building should be ready for occupancy by the end of the year along with the recreation center and other common facilities, Maxwell said.

The retail area to the north near the Cypress Gardens Boulevard intersection will include a mix of entertainment, dining, shopping and lifestyle businesses, he said. It will be an open design similar to Lakeside Village in Lakeland.

Construction of the retail sector will not likely begin until the middle of 2021, Maxwell said.

Century is talking with about a dozen different retailers but none have made commitments, he said.

The hotel could be built at the same time as the retail space or later, Maxwell said. Century is talking with several national hotel chains about building there.

Mayor Brad Dantzler agreed the Century development will enhance one of Winter Haven's gateways.

"It's a signature property, and this is a signature development," he said. "You couple that with Legoland, and it is one of the main arteries into Winter Haven.

Dantzler said he particularly appreciated that Ashton Falls will have a network of sidewalks.

"I'm all about walkability and connectivity," he added.

Century has developed two other retail properties in Winter Haven: Towne Center at Cypress Gardens, a retail plaza next to Legoland that includes the Tsunami Sushi, Tijuana Flats and Saigon Garden restaurants; and the Shoppes at Miller's Landing at 6890 Cypress Gardens Blvd., a retail plaza including Davita Dialysis, Leslie's Poolmart and an Edward Jones financial services office.

It also has retail developments in Lakeland, Auburndale, Davenport, Lake Wales and Dade City, according to its website.

Kevin Bouffard can be reached at kevin.bouffard@theledger.com or at 863-802-7591.