A tax incentive tied to Publix Super Markets’ IT headquarters expansion in Polk County could shift to a new timeline, with commissioners scheduled to vote May 5 on an amendment that would extend the exemption period to tax years 2027 through 2036 and increase wage requirements.
The proposed change updates the economic development ad valorem tax exemption approved in 2022 for the project, known as Project Horizon, which applies to property taxes on the expanded IT headquarters. If approved, the exemption would run for 10 years, from 2027 through 2036, though the county has not disclosed the total value of the tax benefit.
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The expansion centers on a planned Publix technology campus in downtown Lakeland, where the company is renovating two buildings totaling more than 260,000 square feet to support an estimated 1,400 employees.
To qualify under the revised terms, Publix must create at least 100 new full-time jobs in Polk County by the end of the third year of the exemption period and pay an average annual wage equal to at least 115% of the county’s average. Those requirements tie the incentive to current labor conditions while maintaining the project’s job creation target.
The timeline has shifted since the county approved the incentive in 2022, with officials moving the start of the exemption period to align with the company’s development and hiring plans. The updated ordinance reflects those adjustments and sets the incentive to expire at the end of 2036.
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