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Two Lakeland entrepreneurs have unveiled plans to transform a former used-car lot east of downtown into a food-truck court called Main Street Eats and “turn something ugly into something beautiful and useful.”
The plan jumped its first hurdle Tuesday when the Lakeland Planning & Zoning Board unanimously approved a conditional-use permit for the property at 1112 E. Main St.; it’s on the north side of Main Street between Ingraham Avenue and North Lake Parker Avenue.
In addition, the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency has given preapproval to the project and a reimbursement figure of $175,000 of the expected $450,000 they predict they will have to spend to fix up the site.
Butch Rahman, one of the developers, told the zoning board Tuesday morning that the project fits with the city’s plans to revitalize an area struggling with blight. He hopes to see it open by summer.
Eight food trucks: The permit approved Tuesday would allow eight food trucks, according to Lakeland Senior Planner Audrey McGuire. The permit does not include permission to serve beer or wine; that will require a separate variance.
“We are considering beer and wine in the rear building,” a 112-year house the developers will preserve, Rahman said. “A lot of people want to have a beer with their quesadilla. I don’t know that we want hard liquor. We just want something that complements the food, and beer and wine does that best.”
A church in the shopping center next door lies at the edge of the distance that city ordinances would forbid beer and wine sales. Rahman said they already have verbal consent from the church and will get written permission.
Plates on Deck: The developers are partnering with the owners of Plates on Deck, Ken James, 37, and Ziomara Taveras, 41, who will manage the site. The pair specializes in eclectic soul food.
They recently competed on the 17th season of The Great Food Truck Race, vying for a chance to win $50,000 in the culinary competition hosted by celebrity chef Tyler Florence.
“And they don’t short anything,” Rahman said. “This is not going to be low-quality food; this is going to be the highest-quality food available.”
Historic preservation: Rahman, a retired banker and his business partner, general contractor Chad Englund, also decided to save a 1912 home on the property – one of the oldest homes in the city – and turn it into a restaurant and venue for acoustic music in the evenings.
The pair also plan to turn a 1950s-era office on the property into customer bathrooms and a commissary for the food truck owners, where they can have an on-site food preparation area, storage, and a place to dispose of liquid food waste.
Rahman won a historic preservation award in 2013 for renovating a 1925 Spanish-style home at 925 Oak Hill Street. Rahman was also one of a trio of developers who refurbished the former Purity Ice building at Florida Avenue and Olive Street, transforming it into USAmeriBank in 2017.
Parking: Rahman and Englund bought an adjacent lot behind the property; it fronts onto Rose Street and will be used for parking. Owners of the adjacent strip mall have agreed to allow them to park cars there. And they say they have a gentleman’s agreement with the Masonic Lodge to the west for more parking.
There will also be dedicated space for those picking up pre-ordered food, including DoorDash and Uber Eats drivers.
Chuck Barmby, the city’s business development and transportation manager, said a large, unsightly billboard on the property will be removed, along with several others, in exchange for an electronic billboard on bustling Bartow Highway.
The developers must now obtain City Commission approval before they can begin construction. They anticipate opening about six months after obtaining permits.
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