City records show a $159 million produce center, a $17.5 million return center and $49 million in refrigeration at Publix's County Line Road campus.
Publix’s warehouse expansion on Lakeland’s west side now has about $260 million in building work on file with the city. The largest single piece is a $159 million produce center.
The figures come from the city’s own permits and projects records. We added up 16 permits filed between April and October 2026 for the Publix campus at 2600 County Line Road and the land next door on Allen K. Breed Highway.
The newest filings came on Oct. 14. They are two ammonia refrigeration systems, each declared at $24.52 million.
What it means for you
- Where: the work is on the city’s west edge, along County Line Road and Allen K. Breed Highway. The permits do not list hiring figures or truck counts.
- No store changes: these permits cover warehouse, refrigeration and site work. None of them is for a store.
- Still in review: the city lists plan approval for some buildings. None of the 16 records shows an issue date yet.
- Have your say: a new planned unit development application for the return center is open with the city. Watch our building permits and zoning guide for the hearing date.
What is on file
The permits tie the new buildings to the existing warehouse. The site work permit, filed by Gray Construction, is for the “Publix Warehouse & Return Center.” A $6.1 million “Produce Center - Foundation Only” permit is filed under the 2600 County Line Road address.
The main permits, as the city records them:
| Permit | What it covers | Declared value | Status in city records |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLD26-03902 | Produce center, 5330 Allen K. Breed Highway | $159,000,000 | Applied July 1; approved Aug. 27 |
| BLD26-06066 | Ammonia refrigeration, 2600 County Line Road | $24,520,000 | Applied Oct. 14 |
| BLD26-06067 | Ammonia refrigeration, 5330 Allen K. Breed Highway | $24,520,000 | Applied Oct. 14 |
| SWP26-00008 | Site work for the Publix warehouse and return center | $23,517,250 | Applied and approved July 1 |
| BLD26-05047 | Return center, 5340 Allen K. Breed Highway | $17,500,000 | Applied Aug. 24 |
| BLD26-02558 | Produce center foundation only | $6,100,000 | Applied May 1; approved June 1 |
Smaller permits add about $5.3 million more:
- five retaining walls at $506,945 each, four of them approved in mid-October
- a $1,517,396 site alteration permit for the distribution center, approved May 6
- a $600,000 security post and a $215,000 pump house, both approved Oct. 1
- two turnstile pavilions at $193,000 each, one for each new building
A declared value is the estimate filed with a permit application. It is not the final cost, and it does not include the land. Some of the work in the separate permits may overlap, so read $260 million as the value on file, not a total budget.
The return center needs one more approval
On Sept. 11, a planned unit development application, PUD26-019, was filed with the city for the return center at 5340 Allen K. Breed Highway. The city’s records do not yet show a hearing date or a decision.
Zoning changes in Lakeland go to the Planning and Zoning Board first, then to the City Commission for a final vote. The board meets at 8:30 a.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at City Hall, 228 S. Massachusetts Ave. Both meetings are public.
The city also approved a $243,000 demolition permit on Oct. 6 for a “complete teardown” at 5300 Allen K. Breed Highway, next to the new buildings. The record does not say what is being torn down.
Have your say