The blaze that destroyed the former Wedgewood Golf & Country Club clubhouse on Saturday “has circumstances that are suspicious,” the Lakeland Fire Department announced Tuesday.
The Tampa office of the Bureau of Fire, Arson & Explosives Investigations has assigned a detective to the case and the Florida Advisory Committee on Arson Prevention is offering rewards of up to $5,000 for information that helps identify whoever is responsible.
To report a tip
Call Detective Brian Gordon at (813) 220-6264 or the Arson Tip Hotline at (877) NO-ARSON. The case number is 24-1090.
The 6,929-square-foot clubhouse at 401 Carpenters Way has been vacant for several years. The golf course closed in May 2021 and was sold to developers in December 2021.
The fire was reported around 5:45 p.m. Saturday and lasted for several hours. LkldNow readers Ashley and Richie Shannon shared dramatic drone footage showing the building fully engulfed in flames.
At least seven Lakeland Fire Department units responded to the scene, along with Polk County Fire Rescue and Lakeland Police Department.
The golf course north of Interstate 4 and south of Lake Gibson was purchased by Mulberry-based SJD Development LLC in December 2021 for $4.5 million. The group is planning a residential community called “Gibson Trails.”
Lakeland’s City Commission approved a large-scale amendment to the future land-use map and a major modification to PUD zoning in December 2022 allowing for 834 apartments, 60 townhomes and 60 single-family homes on the 117-acre property.
A construction trade journal reported last summer that construction was expected to start in June 2024.
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