As crews begin to say “that’s a wrap” on construction at the new Summit Consulting building on Massachusetts Avenue, we thought it was high time we take a look at the new build’s economic impact on downtown Lakeland, by the numbers.

207 — That’s how many jobs were supported during the setup and construction of the new project.
$41,386 — That’s the average annual wage paid out to Polk County crewmembers.
$8,566,902 — That’s the total amount paid out in wages to individuals working on the project’s setup and construction.
$38,000,000 — That’s what was spent on total capital investments for the building’s construction + equipment.

Summit Consulting's new building on Massachusetts Avenue | Photo by the LALtoday team

Impact is a two-way street. Now that we’ve looked at what the building costs, let’s look at how this development could affect downtown Lakeland's businesses.

With hundreds of employees (500, to be exact), the consulting firm is going to bring new routine customers to downtown’s coffee shops like Mitchell’s Coffee House and Black and Brew Brew Coffee House & Bistro, lunch spots like Palace Pizza and Nineteen61, and bars like Revival and The Terrace Grille (hello, happy hour).

Although an official move-in date is yet to be announced, Summit appears to be preparing to move its employees into the new offices sometime this spring. We’ll keep you posted when we hear an official announcement, but until then, tell us what development you’re most excited to see come to fruition here.