6AM City In-house

Shopping on Lake Wire, anyone?
A rendering of the Prospect Lake Wire mixed-use development
We’re already dreaming about what this development will offer. | Rendering provided by Carter USA
A retail and housing development is coming to 608 Prospect St. — the old site of Florida Tile. Atlanta-based real estate company Carter, which proposed the development last fall, has officially purchased the 22-acre site west of Lake Wire and plans to break ground before the end of the year.

The new mixed-use development adjacent to Bonnet Springs Park will feature apartments, retail shops, and restaurants.

Once all permits are obtained and objectives go to plan, the project will be completed in two phases, broken down into sub-phases.

Phase 1A

Two 7,500-sqft buildings facing Kathleen Road will go up for restaurants and retail shops. Developers aim to attract the greater Lakeland community — not just residents — to the amenities. At the project’s inception, Jon Bucklew, founder of The Joinery and its upcoming expansion, The Shed, was consulted to gauge public interest in 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.

While an exact timeline for the project is still TBA, we’re passing the time by daydreaming about its future. Earlier this week, we asked our followers what they’d like to see at the new development. Here are a few requests:
  • “Would be great if they would reserve some spots for local small business to develop. Then it’s not just chain restaurants/big name retailers taking over the whole space” — @matthewlowry711
  • “Trader Joe’s” — @itsbrandie
  • “Crumbl Cookie” — @kellirentscentralfl
  • “Noble Crust” — @hunterjbon3
  • “PF Changs or Del Friscos” — @pam_norrisbouchard
  • "@blazepizza” — @vndrevs_ and @krystalhuot_
Put on your developer hat and tell us what you’d like to see in the new space, from retail and dining to grocery and entertainment.

Disclaimer: This article has been updated since its original publishing in November of 2021 to reflect new information.
Bonnet Springs Park
EVENTS
 

Click here to have your event featured.

Today
  • Time Travel Movie Trivia-Hold On I KnowThis w/ Chubby Wubby’s | Wed., Oct. 19 | 6:30 p.m. | Swan Brewing, 115 W. Pine St., Lakeland | Free | Hop in your DeLorean to play time travel movie trivia while eating gourmet hot dogs from Chubby Wubby’s food truck.
  • Line Dancing Lessons & DJ Steev G | Wed., Oct. 19 | 5 p.m. | Union Hall, Lakeland | Free | Kick off your Sunday shoes and take these free line dancing lessons — stay for music by DJ Steev G and drink specials starting at 8 p.m.
Thursday
  • Wind Ensemble Concert | Thu., Oct. 20 | 7:30-9 p.m. | Bush Chapel at Southeastern University, 1000 Longfellow Blvd, Lakeland | Free | Attend the Southeastern University’s School of Music’s Wind Ensemble Concert at Bush Chapel.
  • Grand Opening of CIL’s Lakeland Office | Thu., Oct. 20 | 3-6 p.m. | CIL’s Lakeland Office, 2025 Crystal Wood Dr., 2nd floor, Lakeland | Free | Lakelanders are invited to the grand opening of the new Lakeland Office and learn more about the work CIL is doing in the area.*
Friday
  • The Golden Age of Jazz | Fri., Oct. 21 | 7-9 p.m. | Florida Southern College Branscomb Auditorium, 1100 Johnson Ave, Lakeland | $10.00 - $25.00 | Watch Florida Dance Theatre perform contemporary dances set to smooth jazz.
  • Harvest Holler Corn Maze | Fri., Oct. 21 - Sun., Oct. 23 | 4-8 p.m. | Harvest Holler Corn Maze, 950 Tavares Rd., Polk City | $12.00 - $15.00 | Have some fall fun with a corn maze, animal adventure hayride, cow barrel train, and a miniature golf course.
Saturday
  • Warrior Walk Lakeland | Sat., Oct. 22 | 9-11 a.m. | First Presbyterian Church, 175 Lake Hollingsworth Drive, Lakeland | Free | Join The Polk County Veteran’s Council and the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps at this free, 2.7-mile walk to honor Florida soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines who paid the ultimate price.
Sunday
  • Classic Albums Live Billy Joel The Stranger | Sun., Oct. 23 | 7:30-10 p.m. | RP Funding Center, 701 W Lime St, Lakeland | $29.00 - $39.00 | Come “just the way you are” and experience Billy Joel’s 1977 album, “The Stranger,” as Classic Albums Live performs it note for note, cut for cut.
Monday
  • After School Art | Mon., Oct. 24 | 4:30-5:30 p.m. | Polk Museum of Art | $5.00 | Parents and children can learn creative skills with a new art lesson each week.
We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
100+ MORE EVENTS
= Publix
CAUSE
 

Break down barriers with CIL ❤️
Two women holding drills
CIL has made Lakeland a more inclusive + livable space for individuals with disabilities (read: 340+ home modifications and improvements) since 1976. | Photo provided by Center for Independent Living in Central Florida
Lend a helping hand. 🤝

The Center for Independent Living in Central Florida (CIL) provides Lakelanders the tools they need to feel supported + included in the community. To help support their mission locally, they recently added a new Lakeland office (2025 Crystal Wood Dr., second floor) to continue breaking down barriers.

CIL provides a wide range of services, including:
  • Home modifications (wheelchair ramps, door widenings, ADA toilets, and grab bars)
  • Medical equipment (wheelchairs, walkers, and shower chairs)
  • Assisting with employment, including transitioning young adults with disabilities into the working world
Passionate about getting involved? Here are a few ways you can help in our community:
  • Donate to CIL
  • Volunteer + get involved with home modifications
  • Educate your company with a CIL-facilitated Disability Sensitivity Training
  • Help provide youth and adults with disabilities job opportunities*
LEND A HELPING HAND
NEWS NOTES
 

Weather
  • 69º | Partly cloudy | 0% chance of rain
Traffic
  • A portion of the Central Polk Parkway from US 17 (State Road 35) to State Road 60 will become a four lane, two-mile toll facility. The 2020 project is currently in its third phase — design — which will include an analysis of environmental impacts, right-of-way needs, and more. 🚙
  • The City of Lakeland Water Department is closing both lanes of Lake Hollingsworth Drive between Nevada Road and Crystal Lake Drive on Mon., Oct. 24 to replace a water main. The $175,000 project will take up to six weeks to complete, and you can find a detour map here.
Number
  • 540. That’s how many new apartments are coming to southwest Lakeland between two new developments. The first will be a 26.8-acre development off of Parkway Frontage Road South. The other 30-acre, 252 unit development will be found at West Pipkin and Yates Road. 🏗️ (The Ledger)
Civic
  • Mayor Bill Mutz presented a proclamation to Commissioner Phillip Walker — the commission’s longest-sitting commissioner — at Monday’s City Commission meeting. The meeting was Phillip’s last after nearly 13 years. (The Ledger)
  • County Judge Susan Barber will be succeeded by one of two candidates: John Flynn or Ruth Moracen Knight. Read more about the former prosecutor and current public defender before casting your vote for the next County Judge in Group 8 here. ⚖️ (The Ledger)
Arts
  • Sound House Studios — a Lakeland recording studio with ties to artists like Taylor Swift, Lorde, Clairo, and Florence and the Machine — recently worked on The 1975’s newest album “Being Funny In A Foreign Language.” For more on the studio and other Lakelanders with big connections to the arts, click here.
Outdoors
  • Circle B Bar Reserve is still closed following Hurricane Ian flooding in multiple areas, including Alligator Alley and Shady Oak hiking trail. Waters are beginning to recede, but a reopening date is yet to be announced. (The Ledger)
Active
  • Who’s ready to run? The Lakeland Runners Club shared this map of downtown running paths, including the 1.5-mile circulator in Bonnet Springs Park. For a more complete city-wide map, click here. 👟
Seasonal
  • Explore the darker side of Florida by hitting every stop on this list of its top 10 haunted locations. We recommend making a road trip out of it, with a stop by the haunted Tampa Theatre for a ghost tour. 👻 (The Florida Times-Union)
  • If you WFH like us, it’s nearly time to break out the space heater. Solve chilly mornings the energy efficient way with the Dr. Infrared Heater that warms objects, not the air. Hello, cozy legs. Bonus: Heat your patio with infrared, too. 🔥*
Feel Good
  • Volunteers from Team Rubicon — a nonprofit organization — have set up their Polk County headquarters in Fort Meade to offer free hurricane aid. The organization, which includes many veterans, was approved to stay in the Fort Meade Mobile Home Park through the end of the year to help with relief and cleanup efforts. (The Ledger)
Asked
  • Get a load of disc. Reader S. E. wrote in to ask us the ultimate question: Are there any pickup games of Ultimate Frisbee going on in Swan City? Tell us where you go to throw.
Real Estate
  • On the lookout for a home with max year-round outdoor living? Meet The Rhi by Hulbert Homes — a 5 BD, 4.5 BA stunner with a detached game room + patio along with a lanai that’s perfect for starting or ending the day. 🏡 *
Biz
  • Looking for a way to bring your ideas to reality? Catapult’s Maker Space provides the tools to get the job done. Membership grants you access to commercial grade manufacturing equipment for a wood shop, metal shop, 3D printing lab, and an assembly area. Learn more about the space + hear from fellow makers.*
Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.
Payne Air Conditioning & Heating Inc. c/o McQueen Marketing
City
 

Lakeland’s annual Swan Roundup
A city official attempting to catch a swan in a net
Do you think you could catch a swan? | Photo via The City of Lakeland
In case you missed it, Lakeland’s annual Swan Roundup took place yesterday morning on Lake Morton, where most of the City’s swans reside and are cared for through a program by the City of Lakeland’s Parks and Recreation staff.

During the event, swans are thoroughly checked by a veterinarian and receive a health assessment. You can catch up with our coverage here.

Fun fact: Did you know that Lake Morton is a designated bird sanctuary? Between that designation and a myriad of other methods, it’s safe to say Swan City prioritizes the protection of its honorary mascot. Click below to learn more.
MORE SWAN-TASTIC SAFETY PRACTICES
6AM City In-house
THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Rilee.

Editor’s pick: The Swan Roundup is just one of a few Lakeland events that make our city so unique. A few of my other favorites include Red White & Kaboom, SUN ‘n FUN, and The Lakeland Christmas Parade. It’s a good time to live in Swan City.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? We took a world tour to see other Lakelands, here.
Connect with us.

Editorial: Rilee Delgado, Connor Keith, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Kaylee Holland, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Kailey Burke | Advertise with us.

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