New Construction Projects in Lake Wales, Florida

Project 1: ViaTerra

• Developer: BTI Partners
• Location: Lake Wales (near US Highway 27 and Thompson Nursery Road, across from Eagle Ridge Mall; between Tampa and Orlando)
• Type: Master-planned mixed-use community (single-family homes, townhouses, apartments, retail, office)
• Units/Size: 3,150 residences at full buildout; 1,841 acres
• Status: Announced / Underway (site preparation and initial construction phases)
• Expected Completion: Phased; initial homesites prep Q1 2026, with some amenities targeted for late 2026/2027
• Description: Large-scale master-planned community featuring a mix of housing types, retail/office space, parks, trails, a 1.5-acre human-made spring and beach amenity, and preserved natural areas anchored by Peace Creek. Homes expected to start in the $400,000s.[1][2]

Project 2: Grove Manor Redevelopment (Affordable Housing Complex)

• Developer: Smith & Henzy Affordable Group (in partnership with Lake Wales Housing Authority); designed by GHA Architects
• Location: Grove Manor site, north side of downtown Lake Wales (24.74-acre site north of West Sessoms Avenue)
• Type: Residential (affordable and mixed-income apartments)
• Units/Size: Approximately 210 units total (phased; first phase includes 78 units + community center); replaces 69 older duplexes
• Status: Under Construction (broke ground May 2026; demolition and site clearing underway)
• Expected Completion: First phase ~18 months from May 2026 (late 2027); additional phases contingent on funding
• Description: Redevelopment of aging public housing into modern low-rise (2-3 story) garden-style apartments with a community center and amenities. Funded in part by $21 million in federal tax credits; aims to create a walkable, mixed-income neighborhood near downtown and historic districts.[3][4]

Limited public information available on other large-scale projects reaching active construction or near-term completion as of September 2026. Smaller-scale new home communities by builders such as KB Home (e.g., Reserve at Forest Lake townhomes), D.R. Horton, Lennar, Dream Finders Homes, and others show active new construction listings on sites like Zillow, but these are typically ongoing subdivisions rather than singular named master projects. The Stoneridge mixed-use development (proposed ~2,950 homes + industrial) received approvals in 2025 but shows no confirmed start of construction. The Walesbilt Hotel project involves restoration/redevelopment rather than new ground-up construction.