Speculative industrial project under way in Lakeland

An Illinois company acquired land in the Interstate 4 corridor for the biggest speculative development of industrial space in Lakeland in almost 10 years.

Rosemont, Illinois-based Big Acquisitions bought 112 acres along I-4 near Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland. The seller is R-G Lakeland, an affiliate of New York-based Rockefeller Group.

Big Acquisitions plans to build distribution centers on the 112-acre tract of land for companies that need 200,000 to 1 million square feet of industrial space.

Big Acquisitions previously had a role in the development of a nearby property called First Park at Bridgewater, a fully occupied industrial center that spans more than 2 million square feet.

Edward Miller, Dolores Seymour and Deborah Mickler of Colliers International Tampa Bay represented the seller of the 112 acres at 3401 Old Polk City Road in Lakeland. The land is near Exit 38 off Interstate 4.

Miller told GlobeSt.com that the land purchase by Big Acquisitions is an “institutional endorsement of Florida market fundamentals … Together with other recent expansions such as Amazon, WalMart and The Florida Polytechnic University, this development is a welcome affirmation of the future of Central Florida.” [GlobeSt.com] — Mike Seemuth