Most of the parking in a six-story garage planned for downtown Lakeland will be used by employees of large businesses, but some of the spaces will be available for members of the public visiting downtown, City Manager Tony Delgado said today.
Author Archives: Barry Friedman
Barry Friedman founded Lkldnow.com in 2015 as the culmination of a career in print and digital journalism. Since 1982, he has used the tools of reporting, editing and content curation to help people in Lakeland understand their community better.
Gator Trapped After Attack Hospitalizes Elderly Man
The incident happened this afternoon at the Cypress Lakes over-55 community on U.S. 98 north of Lakeland. (WFLA video) The 85-year-old man was by a pond trying to shoo birds from his back yard when he was bit on the foot, Bay News 9 reported. Source: News Channel 8
Spano Acknowledges Possible Finance Violation
Ross Spano, who was elected last month to Congress from Florida’s 15th district, acknowledges in a letter he may have violated campaign finance laws when he borrowed $180,000 from two friends and then lent his campaign $167,000. Source: Tampa Bay Times
Meet the Three City Commission Candidates
Mike Ferguson, The Ledger’s new City Hall reporter, profiles the three candidates running in the Jan. 15 special election to fill the remaining three years on the southwest district seat on the Lakeland City Commission. The seat was left vacant by Michael Dunn’s resignation in October. The candidates are: Patrick Jones, 53, who is focusing […]
Read It in the Morning Paper
KRYSTAL: The Krystal restaurant on Memorial Boulevard is closed until around April, the expected opening of a smaller, more drive-through friendly version that will be built on the site | Photo DOWNTOWN PARKING: New signs expected later this month (photo) will mark updated enforcement of downtown parking regulations: The clock on free, two-hour parking starts ticking […]
Painted Parking Among Lake Morton Drive Changes
City crews plan to paint lines marking 55 parking spots along the outer lanes of Lake Morton Drive on Dec. 13 as part of continuing efforts to increase driver safety awareness there, officials announced Friday.
Read It in the Morning Paper
DOWNTOWN GARAGE: A downtown garage for more than 800 cars could be finished as soon as the end of 2019, city commissioners were told Friday. They’ll be asked Monday to commit more than $6.2 million to the $11 million Heritage Plaza project and would control 399 spaces. | City resolution VETS SURPLUS: The military surplus store […]
Crystal Lagoon Planned for Community Near Airport
A housing developer wants to bring a Crystal Lagoon — a large, clear, manmade water structure — to a subdivision planned for 487 acres southwest of Lakeland Linder Airport. Metro Development Group in Tampa has placed one of the lagoons in Wesley Chapel and plans four more in Florida, Tampa Bay Business Journal reports. Lakeland city […]
Three Qualify for City Commission Race
Three candidates have qualified to run in the Jan. 15 special election for the Lakeland City Commission seat vacated by Michael Dunn: Patrick Shawn Jones, Sara Roberts McCarley and Bill Watts.
Rail News Revises Discussion of Lakeland Station Location
News that Lakeland is under consideration for a future station of a planned Orlando-Tampa rail line has rekindled discussions of where that station might be located. Brightline trains would run through Polk County in the median of Interstate 4. Source: The Ledger

