While we don’t have an official rainbow row in Swan City, we do have plenty of colorful buildings. Join us for a brief tour of some of Lakeland’s best + brightest.
You’re looking at one of Lakeland’s first retail spaces, the Clonts Building. Built in 1903, the iconic building, known for its signature tower, has been home to a variety of businesses over nearly 120 years.
Built in 2007, the Pilot Bank Center is a 3-story, 30,000-sqft office building on South Florida Avenue. Its bright pink + red exterior gives Lakelanders traveling north into Dixieland their first glimpse of many colorful buildings.
One of downtown Lakeland’s newest builds is NOBAY, which houses residential + commercial spaces. Known for its industrial look and signature orange pops of color, NOBAY has become a focal point for Lakelanders.
Originally built for $15,000 in 1913 as the “Colonial Apartments,” this building was the first apartment building in Lakeland. It would later become a Florida Southern College dormitory, then a hotel known as “The Lakeshore Hotel.” Now, it’s recognized as The Ruthven Building, a collection of private offices.
Fun fact: if we made a “rainbow row” prior to the building’s remodel, it would’ve been an example of an orangey-pink structure. Check out the original coloring here.
Can you name a more photogenic green building in the 863? The iconic Tax Collector building, known for its Art Deco facade and neon lights, was built in 1953 as a Publix supermarket. Later on, the Straughn-Trout architecture firm aided the Tax Collector’s Office in raising $1.8 million in construction funding from county + city funds to give the building new life, reminiscent of its former glory.
Built in 1958, this family-owned Puerto Rican cafe is a breakfast + lunch staple. The scratch kitchen boasts “comfort food with a Puerto Rican twist” and is most well known for its pastries and sandwiches.
Did we miss one of your favorite colorful buildings? Tell us about it.
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