A new retail and housing development coming to the old site of Florida Tile has been approved by the board of the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority. 

The 22-acre site, which sits west of Lake Wire, adjacent to Bonnet Springs Park (between Sikes Boulevard + George Jenkins Boulevard), will be home to 630 apartments and numerous retail shops and restaurants. 

If all permits are obtained and objectives go to plan, the project will begin next spring and will be completed in two phases broken down into subphases.

Phase 1A — Two 7,500-sqft buildings facing Kathleen Road will go up for restaurants and retail shops. Ideally, the buildings will provide options that attract the greater Lakeland community, not just those living in the area. Jon Bucklew, founder of The Joinery and its upcoming expansion, The Shed, is being consulted to gauge public interest for various dining options. 

Phase 1B — Four-story buildings housing 300 apartments measuring roughly 915-sqft each will be built on 10.33 acres of land near George Jenkins Boulevard.

Phase 2 — Two more buildings, four and five stories, will house 330 apartments above a 15,000-sqft stretch of retail space on Sikes Boulevard.

The project’s next steps include submitting site plans for Phase 1 to state and regional agencies for approval.

The post New development to break ground near Lake Wire appeared first on LALtoday.