Although Bartow had been the largest city in Polk county in 1900, by the 1910 U.S. Census, Lakeland had surpassed it in population. Bartow remained the second largest city in the county until sometime in the 1950s, when Winter Haven superseded it. In the late 1990s phosphate operations in the area moved southward, and much of the former phosphate land became available for sale. In 1999, Connecticut financier Stanford Phelps purchased the former Clear Springs phosphate lands east and south of city limits; he announced plans for an 18,000-acre development, the largest project in Polk County history. After nearly a decade of delays, the plan received final approval in 2009. The Clear Springs Development includes plans for more than 11,000 new homes, of commercial space, three schools, and a golf course. According to the Central Florida Regional Planning Council, Bartow's population is projected to grow to over 25,000 people by 2015. When buildout of the Clear Springs Development is completed by 2030, the population of the city is projected to be over 45,000 residents. Geography and climate Geography Bartow is located slightly southwest of the geographical centers of both Polk County and peninsular Florida. The city is approximately east of Tampa and southwest of Orlando. The cities of Bartow, Lakeland, and Winter Haven form a roughly equilateral triangle pointed southward, with Bartow being the south point, Lakeland the west point, and Winter Haven the east point. The city is located near the headwaters of the Peace River at Lake Hancock. Bartow is located within the Central Florida Highlands area of the Atlantic coastal plain with a terrain consisting of flatland interspersed with gently rolling hills. According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2000 the city had a total area of , of which is land and (1.23%) is water. As a result of the annexation of over of undeveloped land, primarily the Clear Springs land, the area of the city has quadrupled to over with more annexation still pending. Physiography and soils Bartow is located on the South Central Florida Ridge, as classified by the USDA. Most soils in the Bartow area are sandy; other soils have sandy surface layers and clay subsoils, and the eastern outskirts of town have a clay-rich floodplain through which the Peace River flows. Drainage outside of the floodplain ranges from good to excessive for the most part except for a poorly drained band