A rendering of the proposed new Central Florida HEalth Care Clinic along North Missouri Ave., just west of Bryan Stadium.
A rendering of the new Central Florida Health Care clinic along North Missouri Ave., just west of Bryant Stadium. | Courtesy of the law firm of Clark, Campbell, Lancaster, Workman & Airth

Update: The Lakeland City Commission passed this zoning change 6-0 at its Aug. 19 meeting. Commissioner Mike Musick was absent.

Central Florida Health Care Inc. plans to triple the size of its Lakeland clinic just west of Bryant Stadium.

The nonprofit health care group has asked the City Commission to approve a zoning change so it can build a four-story, 34,000-square-foot health clinic on unpaved land that is currently used as a parking lot.

The lot is next to CFHC’s current two-story, 11,600-square-foot building. That structure would remain in use through the construction phase and then be demolished.

Why it matters: Central Florida Health Care serves a wide variety of patients in need. In 2021, it provided care for more than 45,000 medical patients and 29,000 dental patients. The expansion will bring more services to Lakeland.

The organization was founded in 1972. It has 15 sites in Polk, Hardee and Highlands counties, including one unique Community School Health Center at Crystal Lake Elementary School in Lakeland. CFHC also has two mobile health care units to serve the most rural areas of the tri-county area.

Services: The clinic currently provides:

  • Primary-care medical.
  • Pediatric and adult dental care.
  • Behavioral health.
  • OB/GYN.
  • Nutritional counseling.
  • Optometry.

The project would add on-site labs and full pharmacy services, including a drive-thru window for patients to pick up prescriptions.

An artist's rendering of a new pedestrian entrance to the proposed expansion of the Central Florida Health Care Clinic west of Bryant Stadium. A bus stop is already located near the facility and bicycle racks are also planned. The clinic serves an indigent population.
An artist’s rendering of a new pedestrian entrance to the proposed expansion of the Central Florida Health Care Clinic west of Bryant Stadium. | Courtesy of the law office of Clark, Campbell, Lancaster, Workman & Airth

Other amenities: The clinic currently has a Lakeland Area Mass Transit District bus stop. It will also have bicycle parking and an enhanced pedestrian plaza with landscaping and seating between the principal building entrance and N. Florida Ave.

The Florida Department of Transportation is planning to install a pedestrian signal across North Florida Avenue for people using the clinic’s and a nearby church’s parking lots for football games at Bryant Stadium and baseball games at Henley Field.

History: The current structure was built in 2000 as an office building. It was used as a “multipurpose educational center” for New Jerusalem Church. Central Florida Health Care Inc. bought it in 2012.

“The intent was to combine many different facilities that they have in the city to provide a somewhat of a one-stop-shop for health care services for those who are in need,” said CFHC attorney Tim Campbell. “So they’re really happy about that. They were fortunate to receive some grant funding.”

The commission will vote on the zoning change at its Aug. 19 meeting.

The location of the current and proposed Central Florida Health Care Clinic.
The location of the current and proposed Central Florida Health Care Clinic. | City of Lakeland

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Kimberly C. Moore, who grew up in Lakeland, has been a print, broadcast and multimedia journalist for more than 30 years. Before coming to LkldNow in the spring of 2022, she was a reporter for four years with The Ledger, first covering Lakeland City Hall and then Polk County schools. She is the author of “Star Crossed: The Story of Astronaut Lisa Nowak," published by University Press of Florida. Reach her at kimberly@lkldnow.com or 863-272-9250.

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