Land near SunTrax and the new Braddock Road interchange is being positioned for office, industrial and research development under a proposed land-use change that would reshape a fast-developing section of the Polk Parkway near Auburndale.
The proposed amendment would convert about 36 acres west of the Polk Parkway from mixed-use and preservation to Business Park Center, returning much of the site to its earlier business-park designation as growth accelerates around the Braddock Road interchange and the SunTrax transportation testing facility northeast of the property.
“The completion of the new interchange for Braddock Road and the Polk Parkway is transforming the development potential of this area,” the applicant wrote in its justification statement.
The proposed designation would allow office, industrial, retail and research development near the Braddock Road interchange. Applicant materials state the project would help expand employment opportunities in central Polk County and “reduce the labor shed that Polk County currently experiences as residents move east/west along the I-4 corridor.”
Polk County approved a mixed-use designation for the site in 2022, but county records show Auburndale officials raised concerns about residential development near the corridor. County staff said the proposed Business Park Center designation is compatible with surrounding uses and supported by new transportation infrastructure around the interchange.
Applicant materials state discussions have begun with Citrus Connection regarding future bus service near the interchange, where the filing anticipates a transit center.
“In conjunction with other developments, it is anticipated that a Transit Center will be established at this intersection,” the filing states.
The site remains undeveloped and borders the Tenoroc Fish Management Area to the west and south, while a mobile home community sits east of the Polk Parkway.
Wetlands, flood-zone areas and utility easements could complicate future development, and portions of the site still require environmental review before construction can move forward.
Applicant materials also state unavoidable wetland impacts may occur because of Braddock Road frontage, gas-line easements and overhead power infrastructure.
Water and sewer service would come from Auburndale, though utility extensions would still be required and future capacity availability has not been confirmed.
Braddock Road is being widened from two lanes to four lanes with sidewalks and new Polk Parkway ramps near the site, and county staff estimated future development could generate about 3,700 daily vehicle trips.
County staff recommended approval ahead of a May 19 public hearing before the Polk County Board of County Commissioners.
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