
Work on the exterior of NoBay Village was temporarily halted Monday after a city planning staffer noticed that the recently installed horizontal cladding differed from the smoother, urban look in the plan approved by the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority.
At an emergency meeting this afternoon, developer Matt Clark told the LDDA board the change was necessary for waterproofing the wood-frame structures. Architect Michael Murphey added that the cladding is “negative space” that ultimately will be far less visible than the more-urban-looking metal panels that will cover the currently green protrusions.
The LDDA board approved the developers’ design change unanimously. The approval clears the way for exterior work to resume on the apartments-and-retail complex that fills three-quarters of a block. Crews did interior work during the last few days.
The project is on track for a September opening, a representative of developer Broadway Real Estate Services told Bay News 9 recently.


Meanwhile, the LDDA announced some street closures this week and next associated with the project.
The lane of Tennessee Avenue closest to the construction site is scheduled to be closed today until 3:30 p.m. and Thursday and Friday from 7 a.m to 3:30 p.m.
Next week, Oak Street on the north side of the project will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday for sewer work, and Bay Street on the south side of the project will be closed from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. In both cases, the work will be on the block between Tennessee and Kentucky avenues.
An LDDA rep said the sidewalk on the south side of Bay Street will remain open, giving access to offices and the block’s two restaurants, Bay Street Bistro and Lakeland BBQ.