Sports and Entertainment District

Picture this: It’s June 6, 2029. Lakeland has a new skyline with innovative architecture and top-notch infrastructure. It’s a different look but (don’t worry) the same community-driven feel of our beloved Swan City. In order to get there, the city’s catalyst plan of Envisioning a Better Downtown has been put in writing and initial steps have been taken.

Over the next four weeks, we’re going to dive deep into this plan and talk about some developing sites in our 10 sub-districts. Today, we’re covering the bases of the Sports and Entertainment District – which is located right next to the RP Funding Center.

Rendering provided by the City of Lakeland

Here’s your breakdown of the developing phases in two minutes. ⌛

Phase I

A 3,500 seat soccer stadium creating additional funding from outdoor concerts, regional + state sporting events (like football, lacrosse, and rugby), preseason MLS games, obstacle races + other outdoor competitions.
20,000 sq. ft. of office space, concessions, and a bar/restaurant.
Pedestrian plaza for pre/post-event functions.

Phase II

Two four-story buildings with 94,000 sq. ft. of commercial, retail, and office uses.
A four-story parking structure.

Phase III

851,400 sq. ft. of six, four-story commercial, retail, office, and residential buildings.
Option of closing off Lemon St. on event days (Think: Tampa’s Amalie Arena concept).
Surface parking internal to the development.

Gateway Corporate Park

What does a connected city look like to you? Does it mean an easier way to navigate downtown businesses by foot? How about a better commute to further parts of the region?

East of the RP Funding Center – right next to Lemon Street – is an area of downtown with vacant buildings and underutilized land that can potentially leave gaps in the downtown Lakeland experience.

The city’s catalyst plan of Envisioning a Better Downtown shows what could happen by strengthening this subdistrict + giving everyone a little something extra to be excited about – no matter what’s at the top of your agenda.

Rendering provided by the City of Lakeland

🍕 For the foodies

Easier walkways + connection in Lemon West, Southwest, and South portions of downtown could support the burgeoning restaurant scene around Munn Park.
Curious downtowners could walk across from Lime St. to the RP Funding Center for entertainment or trek into the core for eats + live music.

🚗 For the commuters

A quadrant that allows for direct connection wherever you want to go: The Polk Parkway, Lakeland Linder International Airport, U.S. 98 + I-4. Or as we like to call it, a commuter’s dream.
Two 3-story parking garages of approximately 1,000 spaces each.
An added marquee on the corner of Lime St. and Sykes Blvd. that would show drivers the newest events at the RP Funding Center.

🌆 For the movers + shakers

Attracting professionals with disposable income could help keep the RP Funding Center successful.
Since the City of Lakeland doesn’t own much property in this district, it has an opportunity to partner with existing property owners. Which begs the question: What type of businesses would you like to see in this subdistrict?
Promoting the existing fiber infrastructure would allow the city to market this zone as a Corporate Park within the greater downtown.

Massachusetts Avenue Corridor

With a few promising projects of new infrastructure, the Lake Mirror and Northeast sub-districts could be the next “wow” you’re looking for (when showing your out-of-town family around downtown).

If implemented, the Massachusetts Corridor will feature the following add-ins:

Five opportunity sites for public investment. (More on that next week.)
A parking garage + pedestrian crossing on the Lakeland Police Department site to connect the north portion of downtown to Munn Park.

Rendering provided by the City of Lakeland
An Ideal location for integration of an intermodal facility.
A public plaza with many layers of engaging space for pedestrians.
A property on the corner of Main St. and Massachusetts Ave. can help avoid surface parking, generating additional tax revenue for the city.

Rendering provided by the City of Lakeland
A Stormwater Educational Park.
Rendering provided by the City of Lakeland
A pedestrian walkway will position the north portion of downtown as transit-oriented development.

Opportunity sites

Is downtown Lakeland ready for high rises? What about hotels + residential units with views of Lake Mirror? Or perhaps a new workplace within walking distance of a grocery store?

Expanding on the theme of a connected city, Lakeland Community and Economic Development have identified five opportunity sites downtown – giving us insight on what Lakeland could look like in 2029. Dream with us a little.

Opportunity sites 1 + 2 on the corner of E. Oak St. // Rendering provided by City of Lakeland

A “gateway” into the downtown core
Two mixed-use four-story buildings, bringing more residential units + offices with extended patios, cafes, better streetscapes + the potential of a downtown grocery store.

30,000 sq. ft. retail
60,000 sq. ft. office
30,000 sq. ft. for flex lots
88 residential units

Opportunity site 3 on the corner of Bay St. // Rendering provided by City of Lakeland

Connectivity from Lake Mirror to Lake Wire
With an addition of a parking garage, money could be allocated to redevelop the Gore Building – which currently sits on this opportunity site. The idea would be to renovate this space into a fully lease-able commercial + retail space with residential units.

16,000 sq. ft. of commercial/retail space
44 residential units
East + West connectivity along the corridor

Opportunity site 4 on Massachusetts Ave. // Rendering provided by City of Lakeland

A way to bring more jobs to our local economy
With this investment, the City of Lakeland can potentially attract a large office user with high skill + high wage jobs – meaning more jobs could be added to our local economy.

135,000 sq. ft. office + mixed-use space
475 employees

Opportunity site 5 on the corner of Cedar St. // Rendering provided by City of Lakeland

View of Lake Mirror + more valet parking
This building would potentially bring in a new hotel or residential space with views of Lake Mirror.

62,000 sq. ft. of mixed-use space with valet parking
6,000 sq. ft. of meeting space
6,000 sq. ft. for a second-floor deck
95,000 sq. ft. of office available for prospective businesses

– LALtoday team (Jessica + Kaylee)