Atlanta-based Watkins Real Estate Group has secured a $70 million construction loan for The Station at Hamlin, an apartment community planned near the intersection of Avalon Road and the extension of Lake Hamlin Trail in Horizon West’s Hamlin district.
The financing from Winter Haven-based SouthState Bank follows Watkins’ February acquisition of roughly 16 acres in Hamlin for $16.5 million. Watkins specializes in grocery-anchored retail centers, multifamily communities and commercial real estate developments across the Southeast.
“This thoughtfully designed community offers residents immediate access to premier retail, dining and entertainment along with convenient proximity to a growing medical hub and A-rated schools,” said Development Manager Mason Logue of Watkins Real Estate Group.
He also told GrowthSpotter his team, which includes GC Batson Cook, is mobilizing to begin construction. The clubhouse and first units are expected to be delivered in July 2027, with full completion slated for July 2028.
Designed by Charlan Brock Architects, The Station at Hamlin will include 373 apartment units spread across 13 residential buildings designed to create a village-style environment. Plans call for four 4-story, elevator-served buildings, one 3-story building and eight carriage-unit buildings. Amenities will include a clubhouse overlooking Lake Hamlin, a more than 2,500-square-foot fitness center, yoga studio, outdoor kitchen, pickleball courts, dog park, dog wash and walking trails.
GrowthSpotter previously reported on the project when it was proposed in 2023 by Boyd Development Corporation as drawing inspiration from old Florida train stations. While Boyd ultimately sold the land to Watkins for development, many attributes promised three years ago remain part of the project, from the number of units to the palette of amenities.
Horizon West is currently the second-fastest-growing master-planned community in the country, according to Ashley Walker, partner and licensed real estate broker at Orlando-based Millenia Partners.
“There are rooftops being built everywhere here,” Walker said. “The area has become particularly attractive to developers because the pay mix is great, the demographics are great and there’s long-term growth potential.”
Roughly 80,000 residents already live in the surrounding area, and developers continue to pursue projects that can serve both existing residents and future population growth, she said.
Meanwhile, the Station at Hamlin marks Watkins’ second multifamily development in Central Florida. In an interview with GrowthSpotter, Logue said his firm previously developed a complex near Boggy Creek Road and Simpson Road in the Lake Nona area, which was later sold to apartment giant MAA for $84.25 million. The project, now known as MAA Boggy Creek, was completed in 2023.
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