Welcome to the PlanDowntownLakeland Blog. If you found us in the world wide web, please visit our website, www.plandowntownlakeland.com, for more information about our initiative. Our overall goal is the create a clear vision and direct plan for the future development of Downtown Lakeland.
We need your help. If you haven't done so, please take a moment to fill out our survey. Once you have completed the survey and toured our website, please come back to the blog and give us some intital feedback or ideas you have on the future development of Downtown Lakeland.
In the new year, we will be coming back to the blog and begin regular postings of specific topics to discuss. Think of it as a virtual workshop.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Re: Last night's meeting
ReplyDeleteGood unput, but will something be done with the input?
Ideas that really struck a chord with me:
1) South Lake Morton neighbohood is part of downtown. Treat it as such.
2) Develop area north of current downtown core with offices/retail as a barrier to transient population (better yet, adopt and enforce some policies re: other municipalities dumping homeless in Lakeland);
3) Develop property around Lakeland Center and north (Fla Tile) to support "convention" business. Need hotels, restaurants. A gold course and other recreational amenities would go a long way in attracting visitors associated with conventions and conferences. Not a big convention center, though. Don't go after huge conventions, but smaller ones that don't want to go to Orlando or Tampa.
4) Develop the "Steve Bissonnette" proposal of improving connectivity between "Downtown" and Lakeland Center (through West Downtown) by making the Sykes underpass more of a tunnel and establishing pedestrian friendly areas. Include retail - think Ponte Vecchio in Florence Italy.
5) Develop the zone around Lake Mirror with restaurants and retail.
6) Develop 2nd floor properties for residential and office (preferably residential).
7) Don't forget to keep an eye on the "core" downtown development. Don't think "all is well."
8) Parking - whether a perception or a reality - it's a problem. Make a decision about where to put the next garage and pull the trigger. Don't succumb to paralysis by analysis.
9) Figure out a way to connect downtown's core with the library, Polk Museum and Florida Southern - pedestrian linkage.
10) Disneyesque trams instead of a trolly.
R.J. says
ReplyDeleteDowntown Lakeland needs defining. First begin constructing an elevated circular four lane road around the area you wish to define as 'downtown'. You will need this in the future anyway. High traffic on Florida Ave and Main St. is impossible. Feed traffic off Memorial on the north, around Lake Morton on the south, M.L.K. on the west and Hwy 98 on the east. With additional feeder lines in from I-4 and Hwy. 98 you'll be able to allow more easy access to downtown. Under the elevated road you build easy on and easy off parking; adding to the appeal you then offer unique shuttles that can transport a family of six to a destination in Munn Park which could be as far as 6-8 blocks away (about the maximum area you would want to be considered 'downtown'. In the middle of the area that contains an elevated road, construct an area for bicycles and running. Build our Lake Morton run around this new area. Actually, build a national run around this area and make the run into something unique like a continuous run that never stops until their is a cure for cancer or something like that. Sign up young people (all people) to actually run night and day, 7 days a week. Make this a project that will receive national exposure. This is doable right now on a more modest basis just using the downtown lakes as the boundary. Forrest Gump would be proud.