A 126,636-square-foot industrial warehouse may be the first structure on the huge Monarch Ranch industrial park.
Monarch Ranch Building 1 would be south of State Road 44 about a half mile west of U.S. 301 on a tiny portion of the 3,400-acre ranch annexed to Wildwood last year.
Special Magistrate Lindsay C.T. Holt recommended approval of the building’s site plan at a meeting Tuesday of the Wildwood Planning and Zoning Board. The City Commission may consider the site plan on Feb. 23.
Holt also recommended approval of an ordinance to authorize planned development status for the 49-acre Monarch Ranch North. The entire Monarch Ranch stretches farther south of SR 44 toward Interstate 75.
Owners of the Wildwood site are 75 Turnpike BDC, LLC, and 75 Turnpike VDC, LLC. A representative of the developers said he could not offer details on when the structure would be built or a business that would occupy it.
The warehouse will have 211 parking spaces, including eight handicapped spaces, and five loading areas.
The developers have requested a technical waiver that would reduce the depth of all parking spaces from 20 to 18 feet.
Trees, existing structures, concrete, septic tanks and other materials will be removed from the project site before construction.
The planned development ordinance would allow up to 500,000 square feet of industrial space on the 49-acre site.
Wildwood Planning Director Melanie Strickland said Monarch Ranch is one of two mega industrial sites in Florida.
It is the largest area of vacant land between Orlando and Tampa. Located near the convergence of I-75 and the Florida Turnpike, an estimated 69 percent or all Florida truck traffic passes the site.
Two years ago, Benderson Development bought the ranch for $40 million in partnership with The Villages.