Despite lots of interest in the space formerly occupied by The Yard on Mass, only two entrepreneurs completed the lengthy application to take over the building at 802 N. Massachusetts Ave. — and neither proposal was deemed a perfect fit.
The Yard on Mass was a live music venue, beer garden and food truck park. It opened in 2019 to much fanfare, but announced in May that it was closing its doors because it wasn’t making a profit.
A selection committee met Wednesday to consider two visions for what could come next:
- A private jazz and supper club proposed by Denise Gilmore, owner of Mary’s Bagel Cafe.
- The Enchanted Fairytale Hollow — an event space for things like princess makeovers; tea parties; art parties; festivals themed on fairies, mermaids and unicorns; and trick or treating.
Committee members called the proposals “very creative,” but ultimately they recommended that the Community Redevelopment Agency advertise the property again.
Why it matters: The Yard on Mass building was one of the Midtown CRA’s signature projects in its quest to redevelop Massachusetts Avenue between Parker Street and Memorial Boulevard.
Its closure was a setback for the agency, particularly as the private investors behind The Yard on Mass cited the location as part of the reason it failed. The building has a small indoor space, no commercial kitchen and a large unshaded outdoor area that is uncomfortable in hot or rainy weather. The location is also near Talbot House, a homeless shelter.
The CRA is taking pains to ensure that the next tenant can overcome those factors. (See photos and sketches of the property here.)
Two proposals for The Yard on Mass
City officials said they could not release the application documents until Sept. 15 because of city bid rules. But they discussed the contents of the proposals in the meeting.
Private jazz and supper club: Gilmore proposed turning the property into a private supper and jazz club by adding a commercial kitchen and possibly a second-story dining space.
However, the committee members took issue with the “private” part of her proposal and were concerned about the costly expansion she wanted to do before opening the business.
“If Denise is willing to change her proposal from private membership to a restaurant open to the public, I’d reconsider,” said A.J. Jaffer, vice president of business development for the Lakeland Economic Development Council.
Several said they would like to see her start slowly and then possibly construct additions to the building.
Enchanted Fairytale Hollow: The second proposal was The Enchanted Fairytale Hollow, a space for whimsical, themed events.
Amy Sharpe founded the business 13 years ago and, in 2019, opened the Enchanted Fairytale Hollow space downtown at 214 Traders Alley, just west of The Stationary Loft.
Sharpe said she moved out of the downtown space because it was too small and the rent increased. She was hoping to stay downtown, but recently signed a lease for a building on Bartow Highway in Highland City.
“It’s a much bigger space,” Sharpe said. “We’re so happy to be in Lakeland, but were struggling finding something in Lakeland with a price fit.”
Less-than-ideal environment: Despite recent investments in the area, committee members noted that there is still a significant population of people experiencing homelessness in the neighborhood — with all of the drug, alcohol and mental health issues that often accompany that.
“I would not feel comfortable taking my 4-year-old and my 1-year-old there, especially after dark,” Jaffer said, referring to Sharpe’s plan.
Tim Mitchell, executive director of Parker Street Ministries, also addressed neighborhood factors including traffic, limited parking and the homeless population.
Parker Street Ministries is catercorner across Massachusetts Avenue and Parker Street from The Yard on Mass. Mitchell is intimately familiar with the neighborhood, having worked and lived there for years.
“What concerned me, even with the restaurant … you’re still going to walk out to your car and encounter people you don’t want to deal with,” Mitchell said. “If it doesn’t fit, we need to be honest and say it and not try to change them.”
Sharpe said she was still interested in being downtown and would consider resubmitting her proposal.
Scores: Out of a potential score of 100, the jazz supper club received 55.2 and the Enchanted Fairy Hollow was close behind with a 48.2. The scale included qualifications, experience, financial capacity and the business plan.
“I think that reflects some concern,” CRA Manager Valerie Vaught said as she reviewed the numbers.
Former City Commissioner Phillip Walker scored both businesses the highest, with an 85 for the jazz/supper club and 86 for the Enchanted Fairy Hollow, while Mitchell scored both the lowest, at 39 and 25, respectively.
T.J. Zimmerman, co-owner of Concord Coffee, recommended reopening the process to new and/or refined bids. “I don’t feel like these two proposals are the right option,” he said.
Zimmerman joked that the space really needs someone who would sell beer and wine, along with gourmet hotdogs and turn the lawn into a pickleball court. His idea was met with laughter and half-hearted encouragement for Zimmerman to open that.
Major investment: The CRA’s mission is to turn blighted areas into vibrant, economically stable ones. The CRA contributed $778,400 to develop the Yard on Mass building on the site of a former used car lot. Project Redfish kicked in nearly $692,000, for a total of $1.38 million.
The city, which owns the building, agreed to reimburse Project Redfish $250,000 for some of the capital improvements it made.
The space: The 2,522-square-foot building has an indoor bar area with improvements including a draft beer system, coolers, sinks and racks. There is some indoor seating, but the outdoor area is the main draw. Together, the building and yard occupy 10,800 square feet of space. There are also 66 parking spaces accessible from Massachusetts and Kentucky Avenues.
The outdoor area has some covered cabanas and a broad multipurpose yard for entertainment and activities. A wide porch allowed bands to set up outdoors and play to people on the lawn. The north end of the space was designed for multiple food trucks to park there.
Intense interest: Vaught said there has been intense interest in the property. The request for proposals was viewed at least 950 times and 16 people “followed” it. But nine started applications that they never finished and only two submitted complete proposals.
What’s next: The committee’s recommendation will be presented to the CRA Advisory Board, possibly on Sept. 5. Then the board’s recommendation will be presented to the City Commission, possibly on Sept. 16.
The selection committee members are:
- A.J. Jaffer, vice president of the Lakeland Economic Development Council, a think tank of local business leaders.
- Teresa Maio, city of Lakeland community development assistant director.
- Tim Mitchell, executive director of the non-profit Parker Street Ministries
- Phillip Walker, a former city commissioner and Chamber of Commerce vice president of partnerships and research.
- T.J. Zimmerman, co-owner of Concord Coffee.
latest news
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
The selection committee members raised valid points….I have attended several events there but the location is not ideal…..I do not understand how Phillip Walker rated these applications so highly I feel they are sketchy at best.
Is there going to be another round of applications? Where can people find more info?
The selection committee recommended that, but the CRA Advisory Board and the City Commission need to agree. Anyone who is interested should probably reach out to CRA Manager Valerie Vaught for more information. Her email is Valerie.Vaught@lakelandgov.net
What size is the building & what is the cost to rent it?
The original request for proposals is no longer live on the city’s website, but it is archived here: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/lakelandgov/projects/102462/document?section=932949
Another one will likely be posted in the coming weeks. For more information, your best bet is to reach out to CRA Manager Valerie Vaught at Valerie.Vaught@lakelandgov.net.
It’s interesting people are concerned with the area and people surrounding the venue. I avoided it because of the people inside the venue.
Anyway, it might be worth considering a venue that doesn’t alienate the local population. However, gentrification has a way of doing that. Best of luck to the next pseudo-capitalist!
Like a pawn shop or liquor store?