By this time next year, construction could be underway on a new retail and office lifestyle center and hotel near the Interstate 4-State Road 472 interchange.

It likely would be the first development in the 1,800-acre Southwest Volusia Activity Center, a government-designated development of regional impact surrounding that interchange. Control of the land is divided among more than 450 landowners and four local governments -- Deltona, DeLand, Orange City and Volusia County.

Jordan Development Group, based in Winter Park, announced this week that the 700,000-square-foot project, dubbed Victoria Pointe, will rise on 72 acres nestled into the southeast corner of SR 472 and Kentucky Avenue near Orange City.

Chester Murray, city development director, said the property is in the unincorporated county adjacent to the city limits, but will be annexed later.

"The county will review and approve the initial business planned unit development," Murray said. "Once that rezoning happens, we'll annex the property and handle the planning review."

Allowing the rezoning to be handled by the county will be faster than the city changing its land-use for the property, Murray explained.

If Jordan Development meets Orange City's design standards, Murray said, construction could begin by next summer. "It is possible if they come into the city and comply with our standards," he said.

Victoria Pointe is planned to include 500,000 square feet of retail space, 200,000 square feet of offices and a hotel with nearly 30,000 square feet of space, Jordan Development officials said.

"The vision we have is . . . a sustainable village center," said Gregory D. Lee, the company's president and chief operating officer. "It's going to have pedestrian-friendly orientations with a lot of landscaping."

Lee, a native of DeLand (his father is Stetson University President H. Douglas Lee), said the area is right for this type of development.

"The (development of regional impact designation) has been in place for 10 years," Lee said. "We think it's long overdue for someone to step up. . . . We're not afraid of being the first."

The retail sections would be built first to create activity that will sustain the offices and hotel, he said.

Lee said he has had "a lot of dialogue" with Orange City and Volusia County so he could become familiar with the city's design standards.

"I don't anticipate not following those standards," he said. "As a village center, we'll be able to design to meet those standards."

Several projects have been announced for Deltona's 900-acre portion of the activity center, but construction has not begun on any of them.

joe.crews@news-jrnl.com

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