Brennan Investment Group is going for a second large spec warehouse near the I-4/Polk Parkway Intersection north of Florida Polytechnic University. The Chicago developer recently closed on a 165-acre purchase from Ruthven I-4 LLC to the north and west of that interchange, Tampa Bay Business Journal reports. More
Faced with the sudden closure of a popular retail outlet following a bankruptcy court ruling, mall owners VC Capital Group are taking over the business and re-opening it. They hope to get things running as soon as next Friday in time for post-Thanksgiving crowds.
If there was any question about Mayor Bill Mutz’s position on whether Lakeland should build a fiber-to-the-home internet utility, an event Friday touted as a significant announcement about Lakeland’s gigabit ambitions should settle it. More
Dozens of well-wishers turned out today for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at The Yard On Mass, a family-friendly food truck park and beer garden that opens Friday at the northwest corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Parker Street.
View video of the seven-minute ceremony after the jump: More
City commissioners today approved changes — mostly increases — in impact fees assessed on new construction. The purpose of impact fees is to pay the costs for new roads, parks and public safety associated with new development.
But in most cases, the impact fees approved today fall short of the levels that a city consultant said would be necessary to pay for that new infrastructure. How far short? City staff estimates it’s up to $5.1 million over the next five years for transportation, parks and cultural facilities that either won’t be built or will have to depend on other funding sources. More
The sudden closing of the Wildwood Antique Mall off U.S. 98 just north of I-4 has left hundreds of vendors wondering if or when they’ll get access to their goods again. They learned via email on Wednesday night that the mall was closing immediately following a ruling earlier that day in federal bankruptcy court.
On Monday, city commissioners will consider updating the impact fees that dictate how much each owner of a newly constructed home, business or industry must pay to offset the cost of providing city infrastructure. More
The hotel being built next to the RP Funding Center will be managed by somebody who knows a thing or two about running a hotel near an entertainment/convention center. John Loute has been named general manager of the 126-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott, according to a news release. His extensive hospitality resume includes nearly eight years (1999-2007) as manager of the Hyatt Place, the next-door neighbor to his new hotel. For the last eight years, he was manager of the La Quinta Inn & Suites near Lakeland Square mall.
Chef T’s Garden Grill has recently closed for business after a long run. It’s not entirely out of the question that the popular fine-dining restaurant in a 1920s-era yellow house has a future as Chef T’s again. “But for now I’m hanging up my chef’s jacket,” Terry Doner said. More
Lakeland-based Publix Super Markets reported several gains for the third quarter of its 2019 fiscal year: sales were up 6.3%, as were same-store sales. Stock, available only to associates and board members, was at a record $47.10 per share on Nov. 1, up from $44.10 in the second quarter; the previous high was $45.20 in March 2016. | Stock price chart
