Carter USA of Atlanta is preparing to pay nearly $10 million for the former Florida Tile site to build apartments, restaurants and shops, The Ledger reported. Proceeds will feed an endowment fund for future maintenance of the adjacent Bonnet Springs Park. The developer is asking the city of Lakeland for a level of tax increment financing that is higher than the amount typically offered. Members of the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board offered a compromise Thursday, and city commissioners are scheduled to decide the amount on July 18. | Check LkldNow’s previous article for background on the development.
Source: The Ledger
How much money is being funneled into Bonnet Springs?
(Is there really even a natural ‘springs’ there?)
They have money from the City, Free Land, money from Fundraising, Endowments, $43 million in Federal pandemic dollars converted to ‘infrastructure’ money to help the Governor look like a hero, other money I’ve read about but can’t seem to keep track of, and now this $10 million just thrown to them because they’re across the street.
All of this money to create a Park that we’ll be charged premium dollars to take advantage of using. Is this Disney Lakeland? …Oh wait …I forgot about the new ‘Don’t say Disney’ law.
Anyhow, is this man-made nature-centric attraction going to be worth the taxpayer dollars being poured into it?