Business Development

Thousands of businesses, from high technology and light manufacturing to major service providers have chosen to relocate and expand in Central Florida. According to Inc. Magazine’s recent study, most companies selected the area due to affordable and high-quality living. People find living and working in Central Florida incredibly rewarding – affordable housing, a well-developed university system, fantastic recreational offerings from amusement parks and nature preserves to Florida’s world famous beaches.

The County Seat of Imperial Polk County, Bartow is located just south of the I-4 corridor in Central Florida’s business corridor. Located midway between Tampa and Orlando, Bartow has access to rail, road, air, ports, and mass transportation. As the governmental center of a county with more than a half million people, State and County governments are large employers in Bartow bringing thousands of county and state workers to Bartow each work day. In addition, Bartow is home to thousands of acres of former phosphate land poised for a variety of development opportunities. 

When it comes to economic development, Bartow is the right place at the right time. The City of Bartow is positioned to flourish in an environment that consists of a number of exciting economic development projects including:

Clear Springs

Located on 18,000 acres in Bartow, the Clear Springs development offers a semi-rural setting midway between Tampa and Orlando, and within 100 miles of Cape Canaveral. Clear Springs received final approval from the state Department of Community Affairs in June, 2009 on 7,606 acres of the project, clearing the way for managers to begin building in those areas. June, 2009 also saw the Florida Department of Community Affairs present Bartow with an Excellence in Planning Award for work on the Clear Springs project. Bartow was one of four government agencies to receive the annual award. Development plans are underway for:

• Industrial sections with easy access to air/sea/rail/road transportation
• High-tech, manufacturing, and traditional business development sites
• Business Parks and Commercial areas with a modern, well-designed corporate park
• University-style education campus as center for workforce training programs
• Opportunities for collaborative research and development projects
• Residential villages and a classic town center
• A pedestrian-friendly community with an abundance of open space and recreational sites
• An ideal community in which to live, learn, work and play.

Polk State College/Clear Springs Advanced Technology Center

As part of the Clear Springs project, the Polk State College/Clear Springs Advanced Technology Center represents a public/private partnership between Clear Springs and Polk State College that will strengthen and grow both business and education in the region. The advanced technology center is a planned $24 million facility based on a $12 million donation by Stan Phelps, Chairman of Clear Springs, and a $12 million match being sought through the State of Florida Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant Program. In addition to the $12 million donation, Mr. Phelps has donated 20 acres of land for the facility. Quality of workforce is one of the first questions companies ask when they consider locating or expanding a facility. Workforce training at the Advanced Technology Center will address a critical industry need in high-wage, high-skill training and will provide companies across Florida and throughout the country with a much needed highly qualified workforce pool. Programs offered at the center will enable students to identify and obtain employment in high-wage, high-skill manufacturing and industrial occupations. Training resources will incorporate the latest technology training tools and educational support services. The planned programs will lead to industry specific certifications and degrees for students preparing for those occupations. Specialized programs to be offered include:

• Institute for Advanced Manufacturing
• Supply Chain Management Institute
• Information Technology Institute
• Safety and Homeland Security
• University Partnership Institute
• General Education Programming. 

Each of these industry institutes will serve to educate and train post-secondary job candidates while also retraining incumbent and displaced workforce employees in new advanced tech processes relevant to each industry: The economic development benefits of these institutes will be seen in:

• Decreases in unemployment and displaced workers
• Increases in salary income of center-trained workers
• Increases in productivity that translate into increased economic output
• Infrastructure support as industries relocate to the Central Florida region
• Increases in tax revenues as supply chain sectors and industries relocate to the Central Florida region
• Support of anticipated distribution routes via ship, rail, and road.

CSX Integrated Logistics Center

Located just east of Bartow’s city limits, the CSX Integrated Logistics Center (ILC) will be built by Evansville Western Railway, a subsidiary of CSX, and be a centralized hub of transportation, logistics and goods distribution anchored by a new rail-based intermodal and automotive terminal. Within the terminal facility, containers will be transferred from rail to truck (inbound) and truck to rail (outbound). In addition, vehicles will be unloaded and positioned for transfer to retail sales locations. The other important part of the ILC concept is the planned development of distribution centers, warehouses, light manufacturing and offices in proximity to the terminal facility. The ILC will:

• Serve as a destination point for consumer goods transported in containers and automobiles moving to central Florida
• Provide $173 million of direct and value-added economic output generated during construction
• Provide, over a projected 10-year build-out, $10 billion in economic output and contribute nearly $400 million to state and local taxes
• Generate an estimated 900 construction-related jobs in the first year
• Create 200 full-time positions for operations
• Could create 8,500 jobs upon completion of the terminal.

Legoland Florida

Merlin Entertainment Group, the world’s second-largest operator of tourist attractions behind Walt Disney Co., recently purchased Florida’s oldest theme park, Cypress Gardens, and will transform the park into one of the world’s leading tourism destinations. Located in Winter Haven, 15 miles northeast of Bartow, Legoland is planned to create 1,000 full-time jobs for the area. Other Legoland parks, one in California and three in Europe, draw 1.5 to 2 million guests per year. Future plans also call for the park to become Legoland Florida Resort and contain at least one hotel.

University of South Florida Polytechnic

The University of South Florida’s new campus alongside Interstate 4 will forever change the region. Located north of Bartow, the research university will generate economic growth by enhancing Polk County’s ability to recruit large companies. It will also create high paying jobs and a more highly-educated work force. The University of South Florida Polytechnic has commissioned the acclaimed architectural firm, Santiago Calatrava/Festina Lente Services, Inc., to design the first building for the school’s new campus in Lakeland, and update the campus master plan. USF Polytechnic is Florida’s first and only polytechnic. As an integral part of the USF system, USF Polytechnic delivers bachelor’s and master’s degrees, as well as a variety of online certificate and continuing education programs. The polytechnic model emphasizes applied learning and research and intensive collaboration with economic development partners in the region. Vibrant student life and challenging multi-disciplinary programs in fields such as information technology, engineering, business and education provide a distinctive educational experience at the heart of Florida’s "High Tech Corridor."

Bartow International Baccalaureate School

Bartow International Baccalaureate School educates some of Central Florida’s brightest minds. The school has been ranked in the top 10 percent of America’s best schools, according to Newsweek’s annual rankings. In 2009, U.S. News & World Report ranked the IB school No. 7 on its list of "America’s Best High Schools." The "A" school, which has about 269 students, started in 1995 and is located at Bartow High School. Newsweek ranks the high schools based on a ratio that examines the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Cambridge tests taken by all students at a school divided by the number of graduating seniors.

Downtown Development

The City of Bartow’s marketing tagline is "Our History Comes to Life." This recognition and commitment to the historic nature of the city is a testament to the pride its citizens have for their hometown. The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency has invested millions of dollars in reviving its historic Main Street. The redevelopment efforts have attracted new businesses and have begun to bring life back to the city’s downtown. Many historic buildings have been, or are in the process of being, rehabilitated to house retail and office space.