Communication Builds Our Community

(250) stories found containing 'Community Redevelopment'


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  • Grants Available for Housing Repairs in Northwest Neighborhood

    Updated May 29, 2021

    The Lake Wales City Commission, serving as the city's Community Redevelopment Agency, has set aside up to $68,000 for a new Legacy Housing Rehabilitation Program. This program is designed to pay respect to the seniors living in the Northwest Neighborhood by doing exterior improvements to their homes. These improvements include repairs or replacements of the roof and painting the outside of the home. In addition to the improvements, each home will receive a raised planter to...

  • Affordable Housing Initiative Kicked Off with Groundbreaking May 1

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated May 6, 2021

    Eleven shovels broke ground Saturday, May 1 to signal the ceremonial start of an affordable housing initiative in the city's northwest community. "I hope you feel as optimistic as I do about the future of Lake Wales," said Lake Wales City Manager James Slaton. "We are providing hope to families to move into beautiful homes." The groundbreaking was for the first two homes being built as a partnership of the Keystone Challenge Fund, the city's Community Redevelopment Agency,...

  • Northwest Community Market Draws Crowds, Rave Reviews

    Updated May 6, 2021

    A light breeze and sunshine made for a pleasant day May 1 for the first Northwest Community Market. Vendors filled the large lots at the corner of B Street and Lincoln Avenue, offering a variety of apparel, products, services and food. The event was hosted as a partnership between the Lincoln Community Development Corporation and the city of Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency. CDC President Sara Jones said she was pleased with the turnout as well as the number and...

  • Busy May for City's Northwest Business District

    Updated Apr 29, 2021

    May will be a big month in the city's northwest business district. Community Redevelopment Agency Coordinator Darrell Starling called it the "coming out party for economic development on Lincoln Avenue." The Lincoln Community Development Corporation will host its first Northwest Community Market from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 1 at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and B Street. The event will include vendors, entertainers, a Kids Zone with bounce house, spoken word and...

  • Commissioner Gibson Announces Plans to Run for Mayor in 2022

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated Apr 29, 2021

    At the end of his last official meeting April 20, City Commissioner Curtis Gibson announced plans to run for Lake Wales mayor in 2022, saying he is "excited for new adventures." Gibson decided to not seek re-election this year, saying he wanted to spend more time with family – including an infant son – and complete his bachelor's degree this summer. Mayor Eugene Fultz has publicly stated he plans to step down in 2022. Gibson and outgoing Commissioner Al Goldstein will be rec...

  • New City Horticulturist Starts Planting Project by Mural

    Brian Ackley, City of Lake Wales|Updated Apr 22, 2021

    Lake Wales Main Street's most recent mural project at Scenic Highway and Stuart Avenue called "Slice of Happiness" is about to get a whole lot happier. With a new full-time horticulturist hired by the city, Lester Gulledge is making one of his first priorities the beautification of the area around the nearly 100-foot long mural that was completed by artist Gillian Fazio late last fall. "If you go out there right now, you're going to see some piles of debris and dirt. That...

  • Taproom and Coffee House Opens Downtown

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated Apr 22, 2021

    The Ranch Taproom and Coffeehouse in downtown Lake Wales officially opened April 16 with enthusiastic crowds and rave social media reviews. Owners Jessica Garrett and her mother, Cathy Becton Garrett, were pleased with the successful opening. "Opening weekend was incredible and the support we received from the city, Mainstreet and the community was greatly appreciated," Garrett said. "Being Lake Wales natives we are excited to be a part of downtown. We look forward to being a...

  • Mayor Bypasses Commission, Claims Sole Authority to Nominate Charter School Trustee

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated Apr 18, 2021
    1

    Despite a recent change to the City Charter requiring more input from city commissioners on appointments, Mayor Eugene Fultz did not involve them and is bringing forth only one name for an opening on the Lake Wales Charter Schools Board of Trustees. In an exchange at the end of an April 14 commission workshop, Fultz told commissioners the charter trustee position was “my spot” and he alone had the authority to choose. Commissioners could then vote to accept or reject his app...

  • Drone Helping with Local Crime Fighting

    Brian Ackley, City of Lake Wales|Updated Apr 15, 2021
    1

    Collaboration between different city departments is a daily occurrence at Lake Wales City Hall. But one of the more unique partnerships help show the good side of Lake Wales and is an important tool in putting bad guys behind bars. A city police drone is one of the latest tool's in the department's crime fighting tool kit. But part of the purchase price was covered by the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency, which uses the drone to provide aerial video of projects like...

  • Fitzgerald, Williams Elected to City Commission in Close Vote

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated Apr 8, 2021
    1

    Editor's Note: More analysis of the city election will be included in future stories. In the closest races in recent history, Daniel Williams and Kris Fitzgerald won election to the Lake Wales City Commission Tuesday, April 6. Fitzgerald beat incumbent Al Goldstein by 32 votes, and Williams bested Ricardo Navarro by just 15 votes. Williams was one vote ahead of Navarro when the in-person vote tallies came in, but pulled further ahead when vote by mail ballots were added....

  • Navarro and Williams for LW City Commission Seat 2

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated Apr 3, 2021

    Seat 2 on the Lake Wales City Commission will have a new occupant after the April 6 municipal election – either Ricardo Navarro or Daniel Williams. Incumbent Commissioner Curtis Gibson is not seeking re-election, but is instead considering a run for Lake Wales mayor in 2022. Navarro, 33, is an internal medicine physician, owner and president of Navarro Medical. He also is a consulting physician for Vitas Healthcare and medical director for the hospitalist medicine program a...

  • City Adopts Framework to Offer Incentives to Redevelop Distressed Property

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated Apr 1, 2021

    Lake Wales City Commissioners have adopted a new incentive program to encourage redevelopment or restoration of distressed properties. Commissioners earlier this month approved a memorandum of understanding that can be used as a framework for future redevelopment agreements. The program would allow redevelopers access to funds they provided to purchase publicly owned properties or to pay off code enforcement liens. Instead of the city keeping or spending the funds, the...

  • Daniel Williams, Lake Wales City Commission Seat 2 Candidate

    Updated Apr 1, 2021

    Editor's Note: Candidates for City Commission were asked to complete a questionnaire. Their responses are being printed as submitted. Daniel Williams Lake Wales City Commission Seat 2 Candidate Hello my name is Daniel Williams, I'm 47 years old an a native of Lake Wales, Florida. I graduated from Lake Wales High School in 1991 and went on to attend Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN. I graduated from "The Peay" in 1996 with a double major in Political Science and...

  • Four Candidates Vying for Two City Commission Seats April 6

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated Mar 17, 2021

    Editor's Note: Check out questionnaires submitted by the four candidates in our People section. Videos of a candidate forum can be viewed at The https://www.facebook.com/247504432355875/videos/3578357928879748 or on You Tube at https://youtu.be/CU5pQcxhnLw Four candidates have qualified to run for two Lake Wales City Commission seats in the April 16 municipal election. Dr. Ricardo Navarro and pastor Daniel Williams are seeking election to Seat 2, which is being vacated by...

  • Community Street Mural Project to be Completed Over Feb. 19-21 Weekend

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated Feb 19, 2021

    Editor's Note: Due to expected rain, the opening ceremony has been moved to 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 20. Artist E.J. Nieves of Ocala will be painting a street mural over the Feb. 19-21 weekend in the city's northwest business district and the community is invited to participate. An opening ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. Friday, Feb. 19 for the mural at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and C Street. A food truck will be on hand serving breakfast. In addition to Nieves,...

  • Local Attorney Sara Jones Kicks off Development in Northwest Business District

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated Feb 17, 2021

    Lake Wales attorney Sara Jones has spent hundreds of hours volunteering to help redevelop the city's Northwest business district. On Tuesday Feb. 9 she took the first step to, as she said it, "put her money where her mouth is." Sara Jones Law submitted the successful proposal to purchase two city Community Redevelopment Agency lots on Lincoln Avenue to build a multipurpose professional office building and event venue. City commissioners, who serve as the CRA Board, accepted...

  • City's New CRA Coordinator Already Has Full Agenda

    Brian Ackley, City of Lake Wales|Updated Feb 17, 2021

    Darrell Starling already has an ambitious agenda in place following his recent hiring as the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Coordinator. In particular, Starling will work closely with the city[s Northwest neighborhood, one of two areas specifically targeted by the city's ambitious and award-winning "Lake Wales Connected" revitalization plan which also covers the historic downtown business district as well. City leaders expect to break ground on the early...

  • Judge Gives Kebabjian More Time, Documents to Fight Seminole Hotel Foreclosure

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated Feb 17, 2021

    Lake Wales city officials were hopeful the foreclosure sale of the historic Seminole Hotel would be ordered Feb. 12, but instead Circuit Judge Dana Moore agreed to allow current owner Harout "Henry" Kebabjian to continue his fight to develop the property. The city now will have to produce a large volume of documents related to the Seminole. Just a week before the foreclosure hearing Kebabjian's lawyer asked the court to have the city produce five years' worth of documents,...

  • Shovels to be in the Ground by Summer for Lake Wales Connected Revitalization Plan

    Brian Ackley, City of Lake Wales|Updated Feb 11, 2021

    City leaders are anticipating shovels in the ground this summer in what will be the first project in its award-winning "Lake Wales Connected" revitalization plan for the historic downtown and northwest neighborhood areas. The Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) approved several measures this month which set the wheels in motion on several projects in both areas. The board approved an agreement with Chastain-Skillman Inc. that will provide construction documents...

  • Good News: Onward and Upward

    Robin Gibson, Contributing Writer|Updated Feb 11, 2021

    This is the 13th installment in the Lake Wales Renaissance series. Lake Wales City Commissioner Robin Gibson serves as Deputy Mayor and Chairman of the city's Community Redevelopment Agency. 2020 is been a bummer. It's time for some good news for 2021. We've got it. Dover-Kohl's "Lake Wales Connected" plan is coming off the drawing boards. It will be going out for bids this Spring. The pretty pictures you've seen -- in reality they are only promises. This summer the shovels...

  • City's CRA to Purchase Vacant Lots to Jumpstart Affordable Housing Initiative

    Brian Ackley, City of Lake Wales|Updated Jan 27, 2021

    The Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency has approved spending $10,000 to purchase two vacant lots on B Street to help jump start a new affordable housing initiative in that area. The city is expected to partner with Keystone Challenge Fund, a non-profit organization, to build two houses on lots currently owned by the Green and Gold Foundation across the street from the B Street Center. Officials said the homes would have an estimated value of $170,000, with mortgage...

  • Collections and Research Center Dedicated Jan. 23 to Honor the Late Mimi Hardman

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated Jan 27, 2021

    Bright sunshine broke through the dreary morning Saturday, Jan. 23 as friends, family and history buffs gathered to celebrate the opening of the Mimi Hardman Collections and Research Center. Named for the city's most noted historic preservationist, the center is located on South Scenic Highway in the newly restored 1916 Seaboard Airline Freight Station. Known for developing the historic Depot museum, bringing millions of dollars in historic preservation grants to the city and...

  • Museum's Mimi Hardman Collections and Research Center Dedication Jan. 23

    Updated Jan 21, 2021

    The Lake Wales History Museum will dedicate the new Mimi Hardman Collections and Research Center at the restored 1916 Seaboard Airline Freight Station, one of its iconic buildings in the museum's historic corridor, at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 23. After adjusting the fundraising goals due to COVID-19, and approval of matching funds from the City of Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency, the project began in July, and is now complete. This newly restored building will now...

  • Commission Considers Purchase of Police Body Cameras at Jan. 19 Meeting

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated Jan 19, 2021

    Two Lake Wales city commissioners are calling for the implementation of a police worn body camera system, but it will take a third to make it happen. Despite having no firm commitment from a third member, Commissioners Terrye Howell and Curtis Gibson insisted that the possible purchase be placed on their Jan. 19 regular agenda. "Accountability is what we need to look at," Gibson said. "I honestly think it will help officers as well, it protects everybody in the event of a...

  • Seminole Hotel Owner Can't Convince Commissioners to Suspend Foreclosure

    Chevon T. Baccus APR, Executive Editor|Updated Dec 11, 2020

    Lake Wales City commissioners in a workshop session Dec. 9 indicated support for continuing with their foreclosure action on the historic Seminole Hotel. Only Commissioner Curtis Gibson expressed interest in holding off on the foreclosure and working with Henry Kebabjian, who purchased the hotel in August at a bargain basement price of $10,500. "Here's the deal," Gibson said. "We want to be pro-business. We want entrepreneurs to come into our city and work with us." But City...

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