Clear Springs to Change Bartow BARTOW (WUSF) - Bartow has relied for years on the phosphate industry - but now the area is nearly mined out, and operations are moving south. City leaders say the Clear Springs development offers hope for economic growth in the area.

Besides agriculture, there are ambitious plans for businesses, industry and housing developments. And Clear Springs officials seem determined to show they mean to be good neighbors. They've been holding public meetings to get feedback - and one thing Bartow residents are clear about is that they don't want Clear Springs to kill off their downtown.

Clear Springs owner Stanford Phelps has pledged $12 million - reportedly the largest private donation ever in Florida -for a new branch of Polk Community College. © Copyright 2009, WUSF