County Throttles Trucker's $5 Million Land Deal

An estimated $5 million land deal and a $15.5 million planned project 25 miles from downtown Orlando aren’t dead, only sidelined, insiders to the transaction tell GlobeSt.com. Meanwhile, Watkins Motor Lines’ planned Sept. 1 ground-breaking on a 150-bay terminal that would have brought 150 new jobs to Lake County is on hold.

Lake County commissioners, listening to their constituents, are standing by their 5-0 unanimous vote to deny the 68-year-old Lakeland-based firm a rezoning request in a dense residential area. “We have all been told by the lawyers not to say anything at this time, but we can tell you Watkins is evaluating all of the options open to them,” Daryl M. Carter, president of Orlando-based Maury L. Carter & Associates, told GlobeSt.com.

Carter sold the 90 acres to Watkins in May. The price equates to about $55,555 per acre, or an estimated $1.28 psf. The State Road 50 and Lake Boulevard site borders the Lake-Orange County line. The deal hinges on Watkins winning a rezoning request to build an 87,772-sf distribution hub building and terminal for its 18-wheel vehicles.