Away from Amazon

Polk County, once known more for orange groves and phosphate mines than construction cranes, has touted its central location and local government incentives to attract new distribution buildings.

The list includes a $102 million Amazon warehouse in Lakeland on the Tampa end of the county and an Amazon “sortation center” in Davenport on the Orlando end. Both centers opened last year.

But builders are also seeing more education and health care projects, mostly because an improving economy has loosened up both private and public dollars. Those projects will be key to a sustained recovery in the county, and help move Polk away from a reliance on distribution projects.