HAINES CITY, Fla. — As the population of Haines City skyrockets, more commercial and residential developments are underway.
Ryan Mobley owns Haines City Car Care right off of US-17. He is busier than ever these days.
“Every year, it’s just more and more cars. The highways are packed. We used to have a busy season and slow season. Now we just have a busy season,” said Mobley.
More than 8,600 people moved to Haines City in the last decade. Mobley said retail and restaurants haven’t kept up with the population boom.
“We do need the shopping and the restaurants. We only have a couple of major chains here in town and we need the hotels. We have no hotels in Haines City,” said Mobley.
A major commercial development coming to Haines City will redefine retail and residential space in one of the country's fastest-growing cities.
“With this development coming in here they don't have to go to Orlando, Tampa, or Lakeland. They can drive in their own community to a development that has a Target,” said Morris West, Vice Mayor of Haines City.
Crossroads Village Center is 400,000 square feet of retail space, with Haines City’s very first Target store as the anchor.
The development will feature a mix of national retailers, dining and residential.
“It has a huge economic impact. Hundreds of jobs are being created here. Millions of dollars' worth of trade area this will become. We’re estimating north of a few hundred million dollars in trade that will take place on this site,” said Syed Raza, CEO of Blue Mountain Group.
Traffic infrastructure to support this new development is now a top priority for the city.
“We have traffic issues that we understand so we’re working with the SunRail to get an extension out of Poinciana for alternative transportation for our citizens here in Haines City,” West said.
Crossroads Village Center is set to open in the fall of next year, bringing long-requested amenities closer to home.
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