New Independence Parkway extension continuing soon

HORIZON WEST  The Boyd Development Corporation plans to continue its development of Horizon West with a parcel at the southwest corner of the intersection of McKinney and Avalon roads, based on an Orange County community meeting Dec. 10 at Bridgewater Middle School.

Attorney Jim Willard, the applicant who presented on behalf of the Boyd Development Corporation, said the planned extension of New Independence Parkway crosses this parcel. Officials will continue to study the parkway, which ultimately will connect to U.S. Highway 27 in Lake County, he said. That would mean at least four more miles for New Independence Parkway to extend, with construction about a year away, he said.

“It’s not long until commercial activity moves west of (State Road) 429 and Avalon (Road),” he said.

District 1 Orange County Commissioner S. Scott Boyd said the Central Florida Expressway Authority — of which he is the vice chairman — also would be examining its role in connecting New Independence Parkway to U.S. Highway 27.

As for the plat at hand, the developer proposal is to change the future land use of about 10.05 gross acres at 17450 McKinney Road from urban residential and open space to retail wholesale. With that change, the applicant would like to construct about 40,000 square feet of retail space. This would complement Boyd Development Corporation’s development of the Horizon West Town Center along present-day New Independence Parkway, near its State Road 429 interchanges.

Contact Zak Kerr at [email protected].