The brightly flowered mural that Gillian Fazio recently painted on the side of Gaines Jewelers downtown is based on the “Tobacco Leaf” pattern hand-painted on expensive china. The owner of the company that manufactures the china is a fan of the mural and is flying from New York to see it.
Maybe the biggest question looming over a fledgling downtown venue called The Joinery has been answered: Craft beer will continue to flow onsite. And the list of vendors who will fill the artisan food hall is nearly complete. More
Fitness studio The Balance Culture is planning to expand this spring from Dixieland Village to a larger home downtown. The new location: a ground-floor space at the Heritage Plaza South office building under construction on Orange Street between Tennessee and Kentucky avenues. The major tenant in the building, which adjoins a large parking garage also under construction, will be Farm Credit of Central Florida
Three pay-to-park machines in downtown Lakeland that many drivers found confusing have been replaced by new machines that take credit cards, bills, coins or payment via the ParkMobile app. Drivers no longer have to remember a number for the space they parked in, but will need to enter their license plate number. More
Should the city of Lakeland approve plans for a single-user office building on a prime parcel overlooking Lake Mirror — or should it take a long-term view and hold out for a potential multi-use project more in keeping with the vision of downtown planners?
That was the question posed by Lakeland Downtown Development Authority board member Greg Sanoba this morning before the board voted 4-1 to approve the design concept for an eight-story office building/parking garage planned by Summit Consulting. More
Summit Consulting is negotiating with the city of Lakeland to buy a key property on Lake Mirror and build an eight-story office building there. It’s being hailed as the largest downtown construction project in decades, and supporters say it will transform the skyline, bring 500 mostly high-wage jobs downtown and spur more private development. More
The SpringHill Suites hotel being built next to the RP Funding Center should open by mid-April next year, according to an announcement that construction of the steel frame has been completed. More
Dissent Craft Brewing, which runs a popular taproom in a St. Petersburg strip mall, is planning to expand to downtown Lakeland. If approved by the city, it would be the fourth in a cluster of bars on South Kentucky Avenue and potentially one of eight alcohol-only establishments downtown. More
With a ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning, city commissioners opened Lakeland’s first “cycle track,” a dedicated two-way bike path along three blocks of New York Avenue downtown. (Video by Reems Landreth) More
Take a downtown building that’s been largely vacant for more than a year. Add a bar and fill it with arcade games. What do you get? The Rec Room, a bar+arcade planned for the building at Massachusetts Avenue and Cedar Street that housed a Firestone tire store for many years and LkldTV more recently.
The Rec Room is being planned by a group that includes the trio that operates the Cob & Pen craft beer bar in Dixieland. The trio is also planning another venture: Good Thyme, a fast-casual takeout restaurant mixing healthy options and comfort food in the Dixieland Village spot that has held several eateries, including D’Lucas. More on that later. More
