City of Winter Haven Adopts Five-Year Strategic Plan, Commits to Continued Quality of Life for Residents

Like every city in Polk County, Winter Haven is reaping the rewards of rapid growth, which, City Manager T. Michael Stavres said, “speaks to the city’s continued commitment to an exceptional quality of life.” It’s also battling the challenges.

“The city is seeing growth in residential (single and multi-family), commercial (retail and restaurants), hospitality, medical and industrial investments,” Stavres said. Stavres has been the City of Winter Haven manager since May 2023. “While this presents challenges, it also provides opportunities to advance capital investments and expand services. The city is advancing a number of major capital investments through projects tied to recreation, water/sewer, transportation and aviation.” 

In July 2024, the city adopted its first official five-year strategic plan. It’s already working on the goals set for the first year, he said. “This plan presents a clear and well-thought-out vision for the city, aligning commission goals with community needs and incorporating valuable feedback from stakeholders.” 

“In 2024, we issued 822 single-family residential and 19 new commercial permits. The city also welcomed close to 2,000 new multi-family units, with approximately 1,500 being developed along Cypress Gardens Boulevard,” Stavres said. “Florence Place, a certified affordable housing project located on First Street North also opened its doors in 2024. These multi-family projects helped ensure diversity in the local housing inventory. Our projection is that single-family housing will continue to remain high for the foreseeable future.” 

2025 Goals for the City of Winter Haven

Ensuring services keep pace with growth is challenging when growth happens at such a rapid pace. In 1990, the city was home to roughly 25,000 people. By 2023, that number more than doubled to an estimated 57,100 people. 

Stavres listed the goals to be started or completed in 2025: 

• Replacing the Winter Haven Recreation & Cultural Center, a $21M project.  
• Working on three park projects: The Chain of Lakes Park Phase 2, Lake Conine Nature Park and the expansion of South Lake Howard Nature Park. 
• Renovating and expanding Wastewater Treatment Plant 3, along with adding two new Water Production Plants. 
• Developing the recently acquired Bradco Farm property for long-term water resources. 
• Building two new fire stations, several street projects and numerous other investments. 

Beyond those, other goals and the challenges that go with them, Stavres said, include: 

• “Expanding housing opportunities that create an attainable environment for our residents. … Addressing the affordability of housing continues to be a challenge in consideration of the overall cost of living throughout the state and beyond. Especially when considering the prevailing wages in and around Winter Haven.” 
• Ensuring services like police, fire, solid waste and recreation keep pace with growth. 
• Strengthening community trust through enhanced communication and engagement opportunities. 
• Furthering development within the Intermodal Logistics Center. 
• Protecting water resources for future generations. 
• Responding to state and federal legislative matters, which also can create unique challenges for all cities. “The city is very engaged at both levels, advocating on issues that directly impact the citizens and businesses in Winter Haven,” he said. 

Industry Entering the Market

The Intermodal Logistics Center is a key distribution point in the center of the state, served by CSX rail, offering direct rail access and ready to develop sites. It is seeing several new projects expressing interest and/or getting underway, Stavres said. Two yet-to-be-disclosed companies:  

• One in discussion with the owners of a recently constructed 1.2 million-square-foot spec warehouse building. 
• The other is pursuing development of a new 600,000-square-foot building. 

There’s also a third. He said: “Project Mist (a code name) has purchased 65 acres upon which it will construct a 1.4 million-square-foot production facility. This project is projected to be the single most valuable new investment in Polk County’s history.”  

He added: “The ILC is well positioned to accommodate new manufacturing and warehousing investments.” 

But that’s not all, he said:  

• AdventHealth will break ground on a new hospital on the eastern end of Cypress Gardens Boulevard. This is an expansion of their free-standing Emergency Department. 
• Hospitality investments are growing, “As Chain of Lakes Park Phase 2 opens, sports tourism will further excel, bringing more guests to Winter Haven. The Staybridge Suites that opened in 2024 is seeing the benefit of sports tourism as it maintains a high occupancy, as do the other hotel sites locally. Discussions for the development of another new hotel in the very near future are underway.” 
• Where retail is concerned, Publix is building two new stores. And, “a major national retail big box company has gone through site planning and is presently pursuing permits for a significant investment along U.S. Highway 17,” he said. 

Tackling Challenges

Winter Haven has solid mutually beneficial relationships with agencies like Polk County and the Florida Department of Transportation, Stavres said. “As congestion builds on major roadways, the city leverages these partnerships to help identify, fund and deliver effective solutions.”  

The city also carries its share of the load as a member of the Polk Regional Water Cooperative. It is “actively engaged in projects tied to alternative water supplies. The city is also on the ‘bleeding edge’ in terms of advancing One Water projects that maximize all water resources,” he said.  

To tackle the housing problem, Winter Haven has created an Affordable Housing Trust Fund. From which “financial resources can and have been appropriated to help leverage private-sector affordable housing investments.”   

In addition, its CRA has developed “several incentive programs that can assist in bringing non-single family housing projects to fruition within the redevelopment areas.”  

Looking Ahead

Stavres is proud and excited for his city.

“Winter Haven continues to be a city of innovation, progress, and fiscal responsibility. In 2024, it earned accreditation for its Public Works Department, joining an elite group of municipalities that meet the highest national standards for efficiency and service delivery. Additionally, the city maintained its strong financial standing, receiving multiple budget and finance awards, reinforcing its commitment to transparency and responsible fiscal management.” 

They’ve invested in infrastructure, quality-of-life improvements and public safety while maintaining one of the lowest millage rates around, he said. “In 2024, the city paved numerous miles of roadways to enhance transportation efficiency and safety.” 

He said housing affordability remains a priority. “The city successfully deployed $1.8M in State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) funding for down-payment assistance and home rehabilitation, helping residents achieve homeownership and improving the quality of existing housing stock.” 

Overall, the future looks bright. “These efforts, coupled with strategic planning, strong partnerships and forward-thinking leadership, position Winter Haven for continued success in 2025 and beyond.”