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A number of Lakelanders were interested in taking the outdoor seating concept one-step further and creating a pedestrian-only Kentucky Avenue. We asked our friends at The Lunz Group to visualize that concept for you…

Over the past few days the LEDC and The Lunz Group partnered to create these renderings to help Lakelanders visualize what temporary and/or permanent outdoor seating might look like on Kentucky Avenue and Main Street.

When we experience a crisis like COVID-19 it reminds us how important it is to have a diversified economy. The following is a list of questions we have been asking ourselves as part of a project we are calling “The Other Side”.

Last week the Lakeland Economic Development Council staff called our 135 member companies for the second time during the Covid-19 crisis. We have been getting updates on how their businesses have been affected.

Many of you have seen the inspirational video produced by local creatives, Andy McEntire, Aaron Marsh, Nate Fleming & Kevin O’Brien called The Light. To date, it has received over 65,000 views. But more importantly, it touched Lakeland’s heart in a time when we needed it.

We decided we needed to pivot on the project due to recent events.  Instead of focusing on those outside our community, we thought it would be more powerful to shine the light on our heroes right here in Lakeland. 

Over the past few business days, LEDC staff has been calling our 135 member companies getting updates on how their businesses are being affected by COVID-19. This isn’t a health care update, but more of a current state of union with regards to our member businesses.

The primary role of the Lakeland Economic Development Council (LEDC) is to create jobs, with an emphasis on high-skill, high-wage jobs and increase Lakeland’s tax base. But, if you asked me what I really wanted to accomplish over my last 33 years with the LEDC, it would be to create a city where our children would want to stay…

Lakeland had 13,312 property crimes reported in 2017, according to FBI data, which makes the property crime rate for the metro area just 1,960.1 per 100,000 people.

Starting in 2005, the LEDC and its High Skill Investors began traveling to cities around the country to learn best practices.  These trips have led to many ideas we have brought back to Lakeland.