The spacious building at 310 Frank Lloyd Wright Way that served Southside Baptist Church for decades and St. Joseph Academy more recently is up for sale for $5.15 million. What’s next for the city landmark? City zoning rules, the design of the building and neighborhood opposition could make it hard for the former academy to […]
Author Archives: Rick Rousos
Posted inCity Hall, People
Five City Manager Prospects Will Be Interviewed Next Week
City commissioners will conduct video conference interviews next week with their five top city manager candidates, a list narrowed on Tuesday that includes Interim City Manager Shawn Sherrouse.
Posted inCity Hall, People
City Manager Candidates Narrowed to 8, Including Sherrouse
The search to replace retiring Lakeland City Manager Tony Delgado has been reduced from 126 candidates to eight. Deputy City Manager Shawn Sherrouse, now serving as interim city manager, made the first cut and says he’s excited about it.
Posted inDining
NBA Star Tracy McGrady Opening a Sports Bar at Merchants Walk
A fancy new restaurant/sports bar will open at Merchants Walk in south Lakeland. It has the potential to be a cut above — including a touch of Magic. Retired NBA standout Tracy McGrady has invested in the bar, called HomeCourt. He’s a seven-time NBA All Star who spent four years with the Orlando Magic.
Posted inDining, Health
Local Bars Are Starting to Reopen by Adding Food Items
Local bar owners said they were stung when the state of Florida shut them down — twice — because of coronavirus concerns. But some are finding ways to reopen: adding sandwiches, appetizers and other food items alongside their alcohol. You could call it the pb&j shuffle.
Posted inTransportation
Tryp Offers Charter Air Service From Lakeland Linder
A charter service company is now flying from Lakeland Linder International Airport. While the focus is on trips to the Bahamas and throughout the Southeastern U.S., Tryp Air Charter’s owner says you can fly to just about anywhere. But it isn’t cheap.
Posted inBusiness, Downtown
Terrace Hotel, Downtown Landmark, Bought by Local Investors
Lakeland’s iconic Terrace Hotel overlooking Lake Mirror has been sold to local investors. The primary investors in a five-person group that closed on the downtown hotel property are Edie Yates, a former city commissioner, and her husband, David Henderson.
Posted inPolitics
Two Veteran Commissioners Face Off in County Race
John Hall wants to keep his job as a Polk County commissioner. But Neil Combee wants his old job back. They’ll find out who gets his wish when they face each other Aug. 18 in the primary election. Both are Republicans who share a conservative ideology, but an anonymous flier has ignited sharp words between […]
Posted inActivism, Schools
Toy for Tots Donates Books for Low-Income Students
Toys for Tots has a new initiative that might well be called Books for Tots. The organization’s Polk County branch already includes a book for each of the children it helps at Christmastime. But soon there will be a lot more low-income kids enjoying the riches of reading a book at home.
Posted inPeople, Recreation
New Lakeland Magic President Named as Shelly Wilkes Departs
The new boss of the Lakeland Magic has considerable work to do to measure up to the old boss. Hans Steinbrenner, 28, has been named president, taking over from Shelly Wilkes, who has been the organizational leader and public face of the Magic since the NBA G-League team came to town in 2017.