The Yard on Mass, an entertainment venue and beer garden that opened in 2019 as a partnership between private investors and Lakeland’s Community Redevelopment Agency, is closing. It is not clear when it will shut down, but the current lease ends June 30.
The venue replaced a former used car lot and was one of the Midtown CRA’s signature projects.
Craig Morby, co-founder of Project Redfish which owns the business, and CRA Director Valerie Vaught made the announcement during the CRA’s monthly meeting Thursday afternoon.
Almost $1.4 million in upgrades: CRA documents show that Project Redfish invested nearly $692,000, while the CRA spent $778,400, for a total of $1.38 million.
The founders’ investment also included furniture and a liquor license, which will not transfer over to a new owner. Morby is a commercial real estate agent and also a local musician. He, his partners and the CRA renovated the building, outdoor space and parking lot to turn the CRA-owned building into a spot for parties, performances and food truck rallies.
Morby and the CRA had been speaking for several months about terminating the lease and giving Project Redfish a payout from the CRA for its investment in the property. They settled on $250,000. The board unanimously approved the closure, but with questions and sadness.
A blow for the Parker Street neighborhood: It is a setback for the CRA, which has invested heavily in the blighted neighborhood around Massachusetts Avenue and Parker Street which includes The Yard on Mass, Haus 820 event space, ARTifact Studios and Gallery, The Well meeting and event space, Crystal’s World of Dance and the Polk County Tax Collector’s Lakeland Service Center.
What went wrong: Morby said it was a painful decision, but “we don’t have the location or the environment for us to be successful.”
Morby said the venue, with a small indoor space and a large outdoor area, was essentially unusable during the heat and rainstorms of summer. He said the location near Talbot House, a homeless shelter, was also a factor.
Morby declined to speak further with LkldNow until after the City Commission considers and votes on the measure.
The City Commission is expected to discuss the proposal at its May 31 transportation and real estate committee meeting and vote on the lease termination and payout at its June 3 meeting.
New tenants: Project Redfish’s lease expires June 30. Vaught said she expects the request for proposal process to be very competitive. Anyone with questions should call the CRA office at 863-834-5200 or email them at lcra@lakelandgov.net.
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This place was doing very good until COVID hit, but Craig is correct — very hot and all the rain days affected business. They really needed a tent like Swan Brewing. We loved this place and were one of the first food trucks during its grand opening and throughout. It will be missed.
Nothing special here… classic Lakeland story 🙁
So, they get to keep the liquor license AND get a 250k payout? That’s some golden parachute nonsense right there.
You cannot expect to build something like this and have it right in the middle of the hood to succeed. It’s a shame.
Maybe more painful for Lakeland City taxpayers. According to http://www.polkpa.org Lakeland CRA paid $375K in 2017 dollars then invested another $778K in 2019 dollars and now in 2024 proposes to hand over another $250K payout to a private business owner (unexplained). Total $1.403 million. Two questions: How much rent did the City actually receive for a 5 year lease? How much would a willing and able buyer pay for this building and lot on Mass. Ave. without added City incentives? Yes. Another lesson learned about City “sponsored” private businesses.
Any new update on this… “Morby declined to speak further with LkldNow until after the City Commission considers and votes on the measure.” … Now that it has been voted on?