Ignite lakeland 2015 Strategic Vision Plan for Downtown

Photos courtesy of Http://daviddickey.photo
IGNITE LAKELAND
2015 STRATEGIC VISION PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN
Downtowns are often referred to within a city as their “heart”, “lifeblood”, “living room”, or other similar adjectives describing the
importance of a great downtown and how it provides strength and energy to the broader region. Downtown Lakeland certainly serves
this role for our community.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Ignite Lakeland would like to thank the following people for their vision, guidance and hard work in serving on our board, actively
participating in numerous visioning sessions, and being a key contributor to the Ignite Lakeland 2015 Strategic Vision Plan for
Downtown:
Chair
Matthew R. Clark
President, Broadway Real Estate Services
Team Members
R. Howard Wiggs
Mayor, City of Lakeland
Jim Malless
Commissioner, City of Lakeland
Douglas B. Thomas
City Manager, City of Lakeland
Larry Ross, Ph.D.
(Facilitator)
Anne & Bill France Distinguished Professor
Barney Barnett School of Business & Free
Enterprise, Florida Southern College
Peter Kageyama
(Facilitator)
Author, For the Love of Cities
and Love Where You Live
Chrissanne Long
CEO, Maximize Digital Media
Leonard Mass
Vice President – Land Development,
Drummond Company, Inc.
David Collins
Artist / Owner, Paint Along Studios
Julie Townsend
Executive Director, Lakeland Downtown
Development Authority
Ellen Simms
Co-Owner, Two Hens & A Hound
Interim Executive Director,
Downtown Lakeland Partnership
Brad Crenshaw
Real Estate Manager,
Publix Supermarkets
Jason Rodda
Vice President, Rodda Construction

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David A. Miller
Shareholder, Peterson & Myers, P.A.
Brad Lunz
President,
Lunz Prebor Fowler Architects
Gary M. Ralston, CCIM, SIOR, SRS, CPM,
CRE, SCL
Managing Partner,
Coldwell Banker Commercial Saunders
Ralston Dantzler Realty
William L. Rhey, Ph.D.
Dean, Barney Barnett School of Business &
Free Enterprise, Florida Southern College
Steven J. Boyington
Managing Partner & VP,
Wallis Murphy Boyington Architects, Inc.
LaTrice Moore
Professor of Business Administration,
Polk State College
R. Joseph Childs
Dean, College of Business & Legal Studies,
Southeastern University
Timothy B. Darby
Partner, Darby Law Group, P.A.
Grant G. Miller
Director, Prestige World Wide Group
Dana Hurly
Financial Advisor, Allen & Company
Maggie Mariucci
Director of External Affairs.
Florida Polytechnic University
Corey Miller
Owner,
Miller Construction Management, Inc.
Anupam Saxena
Senior Managing Engineer, Exponent
Sozon Vatikiotis
CEO, Alltrust Insurance
Tom Phillips
Executive Director, Citrus Connection
and Polk Transit Authority

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Acknowledgments ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Table of Contents ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
Executive Summary ………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………. 5
Prioritized Elements of Vision Plan (Summarized Policy Version) ……………………………….……………………………………………………………... 7
2015 Strategic Vision Plan for Downtown (Full Working Version) …………………………………………………..…………………………………………. 13
Strategic Role of Governing Body ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 13
Distributed Parking Strategy ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 17
Appropriate Residential Development ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 20
Dynamic Digital Communication Strategy ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 25
Strategic Use of Under/Undeveloped Land …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 29
Sustainable Retail Mix Strategy ………..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 38
EXHIBITS
Exhibit A – Survey Summary & Link to Full Survey Results ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 41
Exhibit B – Links to Prior Plans for Downtown Lakeland …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 43

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The board of IGNITE Lakeland offers the following set of strategic recommendations to the City of Lakeland City Commission. Full
support for the recommendations can be found in the attached working documents. It is important to keep in mind that the vision for
Downtown Lakeland belongs to all of its citizens and stakeholders and not to any one group. The City Commission is unique in its role
and ability to guide Downtown Lakeland towards this vision by developing and approving policies that support the vision. These policies
ultimately direct City staff on the actual implementation necessary to achieve the common vision. It is the recognition of this unique
and critical role that has inspired the members of IGNITE Lakeland to direct its recommendations to the City Commission. We believe
these recommendations, in the hands of the City’s governing body is the most effective way to facilitate our community’s pursuit of a
common vision setting forth what is best for Downtown and for all of those who visit, work, and one day live in Downtown Lakeland.
Ignite Lakeland was formed as a citizen action committee due to concerns that Downtown Lakeland was not progressing and no
material development had occurred in over a decade. Our purpose has been to assist the City and its stakeholders in determining
what is important for the future of Downtown and build consensus towards a common strategic vision plan to make that future a
reality.
Downtown has been through numerous planning exercises over the years, many of which still provide a great framework for the
continued growth and success of Downtown. We are extremely fortunate to have the existing landscape we all enjoy Downtown due
to the efforts of many community leaders before us, as well as the significant public investments that the City has historically made
Downtown. These prior public investments worked extremely well in the past to encourage private investments to follow (e.g., the
public Lemon Street Promenade project led directly to the private development of two large office buildings in the late 1990’s and
early 2000’s). Unfortunately, Downtown has no longer been given the priority treatment it once enjoyed and as a result growth and
development have plateaued.
This plan does not replace the City’s prior plans, but is instead designed to build upon the extensive planning efforts from the past and
provide specific policy strategy to the City Commission and key stakeholders of Downtown so that we can all pursue a common vision
for the future of Downtown. That common vision is the never ending pursuit of a vibrant urban core that provides endless
opportunities to be surprised and delighted as you live, work, and play in Downtown.

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The following recommendations are the result of a phased visioning process that started with public workshops led by Peter Kageyama
and continued with hundreds of man hours of discussion, an extensive survey with nearly one thousand thoughtful responses, a
facilitated development of the prioritized elements of the vision plan by Dr. Larry Ross, and a series of visioning sessions that led to
these policy strategies, implementation recommendations, and overall structure for a constantly evolving vision for Downtown
Lakeland.
Ignite prepared two primary vision documents: a summary version of the most important action items for the Lakeland City
Commission to consider for implementation as policy initiatives in the near term and an extensive implementation white paper to give
additional direction to the Commission and staff on the work that Ignite believes the City needs to engage and complete. We recognize
that some of the recommendations may be expensive to implement and that City resources are limited. Ultimately, there will need
to be hard decisions made by the Commission as it decides what resources to allocate to the future of Downtown and other areas of
our great City. Ignite simply requests that the City Commission make Downtown one of its key priorities for leading all of Lakeland
into the future.

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PRIORITIZED ELEMENTS OF VISION PLAN (SUMMARIZED POLICY VERSION)
Recommendation Priority Related Action Items
1. Clarify the STRATEGIC ROLE OF
THE GOVERNING BODY in
taking a leadership role
Downtown by setting policy that
provides the political will
necessary to remove obstacles
and develop the infrastructure
needed to make achieving the
vision for Downtown one of the
City’s top priorities.
Critical:
Short term action required to begin to
change the culture of status quo and
provide clear policy direction that
empowers the City Manager’s office and
all of City staff to implement the vision for
a truly vibrant and thriving Downtown.
Longer term there needs to be deliberate
discussions to continually engage the City
Commission and important stakeholder
groups in keeping the City’s focus on an
always growing Downtown as new
opportunities and challenges arise in the
future.
 City must take ownership and lead the
vision for a thriving Downtown, moving
past its traditional role of a regulator,
facilitator, and service provider, by
providing clear policy direction to staff to
make Downtown a top priority.
 Develop a new financial structure for
Downtown that provides sustainable
support for growth and development,
including the infrastructure necessary for
such growth as well as aggressive and
coherent incentive policies and strategies.
 Re-examine the current process-driven
environment and seek opportunities to
revise, streamline and facilitate every
process involving downtown
development/growth to becoming a
“solution driven process”.

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2. Develop and implement a
coherent and comprehensive
DISTRIBUTED PARKING
STRATEGY as part of the critical
infrastructure necessary for the
Downtown area.
Very Important and Ongoing:
Short term action required. Recommend
initiating both supply and demand analysis
and short term parking solutions
immediately.
Longer term items that may include
construction and require long term
financing should be initiated after the
strategy has been developed, approved,
and articulated to all key stakeholder
groups.
 Short term solutions that do not require
significant planning or capital
requirements to be completed within 6
months.
 Incorporate demand analysis in the
selection of locations and the design/use
of parking infrastructure.
 Identify appropriate public/private
partnership opportunities and
communicate strategic importance of
investing in distributed parking
infrastructure to serve as a catalyst for
continued Downtown growth.
3. Encourage the facilitation of
APPROPRIATE RESIDENTIAL
DEVELOPMENT in Downtown.
Important and Ongoing:
Short term action required to complete a
Gap Analysis on existing utility
infrastructure in Downtown. Incorporate
analysis in upcoming budget discussions to
focus on improvement of City utilities for
new residential development in
Downtown.
Longer term there needs to be a plan for a
master Stormwater system for Downtown
 As an essential factor in advancing the
vision for Downtown, residential
development is a persistent element of all
vision plans developed for Downtown.
Recognizing that market forces will drive
the development effort, the city should
continue to facilitate the alignment of
infrastructure, regulations and available
incentives to shape those market forces.
 Conduct a process-improvement exercise
on a recurring basis to identify

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so that new residential developments are
not required to bear the direct cost or
sacrifice valuable space for retention
ponds. Similarly, there needs to be a long
term plan for undergrounding electrical
utilities near potential development sites
throughout Downtown.
opportunities for streamlining all
permitting and development review
processes and communicate the
improvements to the appropriate
stakeholders.
 In recognition of the significant economic
impact that derives from residential
development, current incentive programs
should be revisited, restructured and
reinforced to encourage long-term growth
in the tax base. The revised incentives
should be aggressively communicated to
the development community in a timely
and consistent manner. (See #4 below)
4. Support the development of a
comprehensive and DYNAMIC
DIGITAL COMMUNICAITON
STRATEGY that strengthens the
brand identity for Downtown.
Short term recommendation to engage in
a paid study of best practice initiatives
that have produced significant positive
results. This should be combined with a
digital inventory conducted by a
private/public partnership including area
colleges and university students/interns.
Longer term recommendations focus on
engagement of current stakeholder groups
to develop an integrated marketing plan
 Coordinate the marketing talent and
resources of all those organizations with a
stake in the success of the vision for
Downtown. Challenge the collective
organizational talent to develop a strategy
that reflects what the people in the
market need and want – not just what the
individual organizations would like to
see/want.
 Create and support a city-wide marketing
task force in its efforts to develop a
marketing plan to implement the

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with resources and accountability to
ensure sustainability. This should include
development and implementation of
effective marketing tools for local
merchants.
collective marketing strategy that is
identified in the action steps above. Try,
whenever possible and appropriate, to
leverage the resources of local marketing
organizations.
 Build the marketing talent infrastructure
through training and workshops targeted
at the successful growth of local business
enterprises in a sustainable and
appropriate fashion that recognizes the
strength of both big and small businesses.
5. Assist current property owners
and potential investors to
enhance the STRATEGIC USE OF
UNDER/UNDEVELOPED LAND in
Downtown.
completion of a current inventory of all
properties and structures in the
Downtown and the current status of same.
Simultaneously implement the regulatory
process-improvement study/plan
(referenced in #3 above) to begin to ease
the burden on Downtown development in
comparison to suburban development.
Longer term recommendation to plan for,
and budget for, the implementation of a
dynamic land mapping and informational
tool that will provide access to the
information database referenced above.
 Identify land that is undeveloped or
underdeveloped in the Downtown core
that can be developed for commercial
purposes, including “pitchable projects”
that could attract new employers and high
skill, high wage jobs to Downtown.
 Align and streamline the regulatory
framework for commercial development in
Downtown with the residential framework
to a “solution driven process”.
 Develop and market aggressive incentive
packages to entice and encourage
development in and around Downtown.

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Promote the availability and use of this
tool. (See #4 above)
 Initiate development of key, “catalytic”
sites that are controlled by the City of
Lakeland.
 Open lines of communication between
identified members of Ignite, the
development community and city
leadership to garner support for, and to
conduct the action items as recommended
in this vision document.
6. Develop Downtown as an
evening and entertainment
district and encourage a
SUSTAINABLE RETAIL MIX
STRATEGY that will attract and
retain additional experiential
retail.
updating and expanding the parking app.
For mobile devices and increase
available/accessible parking. (See #1
above)
Longer term there needs to be an updated
retail mix analysis conducted and the
results used to actively recruit foodservice
and complementary retail operations
consistent with the demographics of
Downtown.
 Identify appropriate operational data
points/metrics. Collect and maintain data
in a readily accessible database.
 Streamline regulatory processes,
differentiating whenever possible and
feasible to facilitate urban development in
the Downtown.
 Restructure, revise and enhance an
aggressive package of incentives for urban
development.
 Identify key city parcels that could serve as
catalytic sites for significant development
(See #5 above).

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 Through appropriate existing and newly
formed agencies, departments, etc.
communicate the development plan and
its objectives. Hold all parties accountable
as tasks and timelines are developed and
marked for implementation.

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2015 STRATEGIC VISION PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN (FULL WORKING VERSION)
STRATEGIC ROLE OF GOVERNING BODY
The City of Lakeland has long played an important role in the growth and development of Downtown. Beginning in the late 1970’s,
the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority (LDDA) and the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency (LCRA) were formed.
In addition to these agencies, numerous plans have been adopted by the City of Lakeland for Downtown, including redevelopment
plans and updates dated 1980, 1990, 1995, 1999-2000, 2002-2003, the most recent LCRA plan in 2009, and the City’s Downtown Sector
Plan in 2010 (See Appendix). These prior plans provide a wealth of knowledge and should be reaffirmed as part of an always evolving
vision plan for the future of Downtown. In addition, the extensive public investments that were encouraged by prior planning efforts
successfully led to significant private sector development (e.g., the public Lemon Street Promenade project led directly to the private
development of two large office buildings in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s). These prior public investments are a key part of
Downtown’s historical success, yet Downtown is no longer the priority it once was amongst City leadership, and as a result the private
sector development has plateaued.
Throughout all of these prior planning efforts, the role of governance has been discussed and numerous suggestions have been made,
yet substantial challenges remain. The City, and more specifically the City Commission as our governing body, needs to adopt
appropriate policy that will empower the City Manager and all of City staff to implement the suggestions from this and prior planning
efforts, including: removing the obstacles for growth by shifting away from a regulator mentality to a facilitator mentality; embracing
the role of servant leadership; streamlining regulatory and building permit processes to a solution driven process; improving the
coordination of efforts between various existing organizations and staff all working towards a better Downtown; and investing in
appropriate infrastructure for the future of Downtown. The fact remains that all governmental bodies have their challenges when it
comes to regulation and processes that frustrate the private sector. While there is significant room for improvement in this area
within the City, the City Commission needs to look at this more holistically and serve a much larger and more important role for
Downtown. Quite simply, the City Commission needs to return to the role of making the growth and success of Downtown one of its
top priorities.
 Goal: To focus the role of the City Commission as the leader in implementing policy that directs City staff to remove
obstacles and provide the infrastructure necessary to achieve a re-prioritized key initiative for the future prosperity of
Lakeland: the successful growth and development of Downtown.

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Key Elements Action Items Timing Team Members Status
1) Take Ownership and
Lead Downtown
a) Convince the City
Commission that
Downtown is one of its
most important assets
and that the future
success of Lakeland
depends on the future
success of Downtown.
b) Convince the City
Commission that its role
Downtown is more than
an owner, regulator,
facilitator, service
provider, and financier;
it must take full
leadership
responsibility by
providing clear policy
direction to staff to
make Downtown a
priority.
Short-Term (1-120 days)
City of Lakeland
(“COL”), LDDA, Ignite,
LEDC, DLP, Chamber,
Lakeland Business
Leaders (“LBL”),
Lakeland Vision,
Citizens
COL, LDDA, Ignite, LEDC,
DLP, Chamber, LBL,
Lakeland Vision,
Citizens
In-Progress
In-Progress
2) Provide Sustainable
Financial Feasibility for
Downtown Growth
a) Put in place a new
financial structure for
Downtown that
provides opportunity
for sustainable support
of Downtown growth
and the public
infrastructure necessary
Short-Term (120-270
days)
COL, LDDA In-Progress

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to support such growth.
This should include
major goals such as
reducing or
restructuring the debt
related to the LCRA’s
purchase of the 10+
acres northeast of the
police station to free up
over $800,000 in annual
funds for Downtown, as
well as “creative”
financing solutions such
as exploring the use of
crowdfunding for
community projects
(e.g., the new
Downtown dog park).
b) Create and
implement attractive
incentive packages that
“prime the pump” for
future development.
Short-Term (270-360
days)
COL, LDDA,
Development
community
In-Progress
3) Become Facilitators
and Streamline
Processes
a) Ensure City staff
recognizes the inherent
complexity of urban
development compared
to suburban
development and the
different infrastructure
Short-Term (120-360
days)
COL, LDDA, Business
Friendly task force,
Consultants as
necessary
In-Progress

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needed for urban
growth. Implement
policies and procedures
to ease development in
the urban core and
remove obstacles that
stifle private growth.
4) Communication &
Accountability
a) Organize meeting(s)
and open lines of
communication
between identified
Team Members to not
only conduct above
action items, but to also
garner support for
implementing the
proposed solutions
(financially and
otherwise). Team
Members should be
held accountable as
tasks and deadlines are
determined.
Short-Term (1-360 days) COL, Ignite, LDDA, LEDC,
DLP, Chamber, LBL,
Lakeland Vision,
Citizens
Ongoing

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DISTRIBUTED PARKING STRATEGY
Downtown Lakeland, like many downtowns, has suffered from a “parking problem” for many years. Various groups and task forces
have researched this issue over the years and the City of Lakeland has explored numerous options (e.g., 2 hour zone, metered spaces,
free long-term parking in certain lots, leased long-term parking in certain lots/garages, etc.). While past solutions have been explored,
significant challenges still remain. In addition to existing challenges, Ignite Lakeland has determined that without the addition of
structured parking with public assistance, material new development and growth is unlikely to occur Downtown. The reason for this
is simple, the economics of the Downtown Lakeland real estate market will not justify the cost of new construction if the development
community has to bear the cost of structured parking without public assistance. In order to realize the growth our community wants
to see Downtown, and provide all of Lakeland with a truly vibrant Downtown core, the City must address new structured parking as a
key part of the infrastructure it provides to its citizens. By providing this critical infrastructure, development will become more
attractive and financially feasible, ultimately leading to significant economic impact for the community and the City’s tax base.
The City must develop a comprehensive Distributed Parking Strategy to not only address the current parking demand, but to plan
additional capacity for future growth and development. The term “Distributed Parking Strategy” is used because the solution is more
than just planning the next structured parking garage(s), it is figuring out the best strategy for properly distributing parking resources
with parking demand both now and in the future.
 Goal: To develop and implement a comprehensive “Distributed Parking Strategy” to resolve both today’s parking
challenges and future parking demands as Downtown grows.
1) Demand Analysis a) Conduct study of
current parking demand
compared to current
infrastructure and
parking habits.*
b) Compare current
demand analysis with
projected growth
Short-Term (120-180
days)
COL, LDDA, DLP, LEDC
COL, LDDA, LEDC, DLP,
Downtown property
In-Progress
In-Progress

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patterns and parking
habits.
owners, Downtown
business owners
2) Location & Design
Solutions
a) Map out potential
location and design
options/solutions based
on current demand and
projected growth as
determined by the
Demand Analysis.
Proposed
options/solutions
should include both
structured parking
garage(s) and
alternative methods
that cost significantly
less, such as angled on-
street spaces.
Short-Term (180-240
days)
Downtown property
owners, Downtown
business owners,
Potential third-party
consultant(s)
In-Progress
3) Financial
Implementation
a) Once solutions are
determined, develop
specific financial and
operational strategy for
construction and
maintenance of
improvements.
Consideration should be
given to both traditional
and creative financial
solutions.
Short-Term (240-360
days)
Downtown property
owners; RFP with
contractors
In-Progress

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Implementation should
also include incentive
packages for new
development within
Downtown.
4) Communication &
Accountability
and open lines of
communication
between identified
Team Members to not
only conduct above
garner support for
implementing the
proposed solutions
(financially and
otherwise). Team
Members should be
held accountable as
determined.
and Ongoing
Downtown property
owners, Downtown
business owners,
Chamber, Ignite
Ongoing
*Note, there are various methods to analyze current demand compared to current infrastructure. However, by simply taking the basic
existing building information from the property appraiser and comparing it to appropriate parking ratios as set forth in the building
code, it is evident that Downtown has a significant parking deficit that rises to a crisis level.

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APPROPRIATE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT
The need for increased residential development has been a long standing challenge for Downtown. In fact, it was identified as the
first of five essential elements in the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency’s most recent Downtown plan in 2009, where it
was stated that “increased residential development (some at higher densities) is an essential factor in advancing the vision for
Downtown … [s]uccessful Downtown residential development will increase the retail market base, utilize marginal or vacant property,
promote district “identity” and create more consistent activity.” A strong residential base is crucial to Downtown for all these reasons
and more. When you think of successful downtowns, they all have a significant residential bases in and around the urban core. A
dense residential population provides the demand base for the vibrancy everyone wants to see downtown (i.e., more retail, more
nightlife, more restaurants, more arts and cultural opportunities, more activities, etc.). While some will argue that a larger employer
and job base is the key to a successful downtown (which is certainly an integral element), without the residential base to support
Downtown outside of business hours Lakeland will be left with a daytime population that leaves Downtown vacant on nights and
weekends and miss out on the vibrant 24/7 live, work and play lifestyle that thriving downtowns enjoy.
Despite the importance of increased residential development and the City’s awareness of this issue, little to no material residential
development has ever occurred Downtown. Recognizing that the City’s role is not to perform residential development, the City can
and should do everything in its powers to encourage private developers to build an ever increasing residential community Downtown.
 Goal: To provide an attractive framework of infrastructure, regulations and incentives that encourage appropriate
residential development Downtown.

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1) Develop sufficient
infrastructure base to
support residential
development.
a) Perform GAP Analysis
on existing utility
infrastructure
throughout Downtown,
including electric,
water, sewer,
stormwater, gas, and
data.
b) Plan, budget for, and
implement the
improvement of City
utilities necessary to
provide for new
residential
development
c) Plan, budget for, and
implement a master
stormwater system
Downtown so that new
residential
developments don’t
have to bear this cost
alone, nor lose valuable
space to expansive
ponds.
Mid-Term (1-2 years)
COL, LDDA,
Development
community
COL, LDDA,
Development
community
COL, LDDA,
Development
community
In-Progress
In-Progress
In-Progress

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d) Plan, budget for, and
implement the
undergrounding of
electrical utilities
surrounding potential
development sites
e) Ensure residential
development is
considered in
Distributed Parking
Strategy.
COL, LDDA,
Development
community
COL, LDDA, LEDC,
Downtown property
owners
In-Progress
In-Progress
2) Improve and
streamline regulatory
framework for
residential
development
Downtown.
a) Study regulatory and
approval processes for
residential
development
throughout the City.
b) Determine what
changes the City can
make to these
processes to ease the
burden for more
complicated urban
residential
development as
compared to suburban
residential
development and in
essence remove the
Short-Term (150-270
days)
COL, LDDA, Business
Consultants as
necessary
COL, LDDA, Business
Consultants as
necessary
In-Progress
In-Progress

23
regulatory obstacles
from residential
development
Downtown.
c) Implement the
suggested changes and
market them to the
local and regional
residential
development
community.
Short-Term (270-360
days)
3) Develop aggressive
incentive packages to
entice and encourage
residential
development in and
around Downtown and
properly market these
incentives to the local
and regional
development
community.
a) Convince the City
Commission of the
significant economic
impact that residential
development will bring,
not only in increased
foot traffic and demand
for more growth, but in
direct tax revenues.
b) Direct policy
initiatives to staff to
create incentive
programs to encourage
residential
development in and
around Downtown.
Short-Term (150-270
days)
COL, Ignite, LDDA, LEDC,
DLP, Chamber, LBL,
Lakeland Vision,
Citizens
COL, LDDA,
Development
community
In-Progress
In-Progress

24
c) Once in place, market
the incentive programs
to the local and regional
development
community.
Short-Term (270 days
and into the future)
4) Communication &
Accountability
and open lines of
communication
between identified
Team Members to not
only conduct above
garner support for
implementing the
proposed solutions
(financially and
otherwise). Team
Members should be
held accountable as
determined.
Short-Term through
Mid-Term (1-730 days)
COL, Ignite, LDDA, LEDC,
DLP, Chamber, LBL,
Lakeland Vision,
Business Friendly task
force, Development
community, Citizens
Ongoing

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DYNAMIC DIGITAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
Downtown Lakeland lacks a cohesive brand identity. Organizations in Lakeland exist for various, isolated aspects of the messaging of
Downtown Lakeland. Due to this fragmentation, the digital marketing strategy, as seen by the public, lacks cohesion, vibrancy and
consistency. In order for a downtown to function as the heartbeat of the city, attention must be given to the digital assets and
marketing strategy that brings all of these moving parts into a singular effort, leaving out no corner of the map.
The success of a digital strategy of this magnitude will require buy-in from all of the organizations with a stake in the improvement of
Downtown.
This means connecting with and collaborating with all of these organizations:
1. Downtown Lakeland Partnership
2. Lakeland Downtown Development Authority
3. Lakeland Chamber of Commerce
4. Lakeland Vision
5. Polk Museum of Art, Polk Theatre, Platform Art, Lakeland Community Theatre, Paint Along Studios, Art City, etc. – ALL
cultural/arts organizations serving the Downtown area.
6. The City of Lakeland
7. Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing
8. The Lakeland Center
9. Lakeland Economic Development Council
10. Lakeland Business Leaders/Lakeland Connection
In order to carry this out, we must develop a strategy that is based on what the people of Lakeland want, and not what the individual
organizations want.
Of specific interest/focus should be the Micro-Businesses in and around Downtown Lakeland (i.e., small businesses with fewer than
50 employees), who lack the resources, budget, and training to improve their online presence, without assistance.

26
 Goal: To develop a comprehensive downtown digital marketing strategy that includes all of the stakeholders in
Downtown Lakeland, but focuses the messaging on the public perception and the personas of the various citizens and
their interests, creating accessibility to the events, opportunities and ideas that matter most to the public.
1) Research other
similar initiatives
Contact the teams
responsible for:
downtownisonfire.com
(Jacksonville initiative)
Godowntownbaltimore.com
(create, collaborate, share
information to assist
different stakeholders)
downtownfargo.com
(Inclusive directory, with
spotlight on “supporters”)
Short Term (1-60 days) COL, LDDA, DLP, Ignite,
LBL
Start Immediately
2) Current Digital
Inventory
a) Collect the websites and
digital assets of the
Downtown Lakeland
stakeholders.
b) Locate the event
calendars of the
stakeholders for Downtown
Lakeland
Short-Term (30-90
days)
Short-Term (30-90
days)
COL, LDDA, DLP, Ignite,
LBL, College
students/interns
LBL, College
students/interns
Start Immediately
Start Immediately
3) Invite Stakeholders a) Develop a marketing
plan, determine measurable
outcomes and establish a
budget.
Short-Term (90-150
days)
LBL, College
students/interns
Determine Start Date

27
b) Consider partnering with
existing community sites to
bring the desired outcome
forward without
reinventing the wheel.
Short-Term (90-150
days)
LBL, College
students/interns
Determine Start Date
4) Content Marketing
Strategy
a) Once a marketing plan
exists, a content plan will
need to be implemented.
This is where most
marketing plans fail. We
must ensure that there are
stakeholders in place who
will systematically continue
to update the content for
the plan.
Long-term, initiated in
conjunction with 1-3
COL, LDDA, DLP, LBL,
Chamber, College
students/interns
Ongoing
5) Training and
Development
a) Provide the local
merchants with essential
tools for successful
marketing will give our
downtown stakeholders the
opportunity to receive
support (online and offline)
from experts.
b) Initiate a series of
training for downtown
merchants at low-cost.
Short-Term (180-360
days) and Ongoing
Short-Term (180-360
days) and Ongoing
LEDC, Chamber,
College
students/interns
LEDC, Chamber,
Ongoing
Ongoing

28
Consider making these
available to specific
businesses within Lakeland
(beyond Downtown) to
ensure these options are
available to the greater
Lakeland area
College
students/interns
6) Communication &
Accountability
a) Organize meeting(s) and
open lines of
communications between
identified Team Members
to not only conduct above
garner support for
implementing the proposed
solutions (financially and
otherwise). Team Members
should be held accountable
as tasks and deadlines are
determined.
Short-Term and
Ongoing
COL, Ignite, LDDA, DLP,
LBL, LEDC, Chamber,
College
students/interns

29
STRATEGIC USE OF UNDER/UNDEVELOPED LAND:
Why are we at this juncture?
For decades, the economic vitality and prosperity of downtown cores has been negatively impacted and thus, changed by the growth
and spread of the metropolitan areas to the suburbs. By virtue of this population shift to the “burbs”, the core business and retail
activity shifted as well and, as was the case with many large and small cities, the major retailers (e.g., Burdines, J.C. Penny) moved to
where the customers were. Small businesses which relied upon the customer “traffic” generated by the larger stores found themselves
fighting to survive. Office space began to move as well to be closer to where the employees lived and to be more convenient to them.
This relocation and suburban growth seriously impacted downtown cores, including Downtown Lakeland.
Through the tireless efforts of many Lakelanders, and several previous downtown redevelopment plans, the current state is now
generally considered to be a positive and stable environment for all aspects of life. Unfortunately, major improvements or
developments/redevelopments have been few and far between over the past 15+ years. The general aesthetics of the Downtown area
are positive, and there has been significant investment by the City of Lakeland historically to provide infrastructure including
parks/greenspace, attractive landscaping and hardscaping, roadways, sidewalks, and utilities that should all help to be a catalyst for
future development.
However, there are challenges to future development/redevelopment projects in Lakeland such as fractured ownership, perceived
“absentee landlords”, and poor parcel configuration, which makes land assembly for larger redevelopment projects difficult and costly.
There are also a high proportion of underutilized properties and various regulatory road blocks.
The Concept of New Urbanism
In the 1980’s, there was an urban design movement called “New Urbanism” which focused on revitalizing and re-inventing urban cores
that were suffering from economic decline. No one came downtown anymore. Businesses closed or were downsizing because of the
lack of patronage. The “mom and pop” businesses that remained were struggling to survive. If it weren’t for the employee base from
local government, law firms, banking institutions and other large stable and established businesses in the downtown area, the “mom
and pops” that remained in the urban core would have closed, as many did over time. Furthermore, whatever retail activity occurred,
was carried on during the daytime. After working hours, theses urban centers became “ghost towns”.
The New Urbanism concept was focused on place-making to revitalize urban cores by encouraging movement back to the city core
through integrating mixed-use properties integrating commercial, residential and retail within structures and properties, creating a

30
diversity, connectivity and walkability between types of buildings and proximity of a variety of uses within the core, and finally,
promoting sustainability and quality of life as the cornerstone for attracting and retaining people and businesses within the urban core
district.
The implementation of New Urbanism concepts have successfully proven to be directly responsible for the revitalization of many
“Urban Ghost Towns”. Rising like the phoenix, many cities implementing the concepts of new urbanism have re-invented themselves
to become vibrant, active and successful urban centers. Two such cities in Florida that serve as examples of this revitalization are St.
Petersburg and West Palm Beach.
Incorporating the Concept of New Urbanism for Lakeland
The challenge for revitalization for Lakeland’s Urban Core is to evaluate and incorporate the meaningful concepts of New Urbanism
within our urban core district. Previous planning studies have identified various opportunities to implement these concepts and use
them to our best advantage. Our City should continually evaluate these previous concepts with new ones and synthesize the best
ideas to create an always evolving strategy for moving forward with under and undeveloped parcels within the urban core. These
properties should be focused into “pitchable projects” that match the appropriate use with the appropriate elements, with an
emphasis on projects that could attract new employers and high skill, high wage jobs to Downtown. In addition, we should not be
complacent with “what is” and should continually ask ourselves “is there a need to re-purpose existing properties (e.g., repurpose a
commercial office building into mixed use office and residential).
Following that analysis, the City should look at ancillary components that exist or are needed to make each project or property
successful. This analysis involves public services like utility capacity, access, land use or zoning modifications or variances, etc. In these
cases, working hand in hand with City administration is vital to executing the plan, and in fact this process should be led by our City
staff with private sector partnership. Municipal support is vital and a key element in allowing the plan to become successful. In some
cases, it may even involve the use of eminent domain to allow the plan to become a reality. Again, it will be necessary for the municipal
government to become a true partner in the process with a commitment to the always evolving plan.
Summary
We are fortunate that lots of work has been done in the past through the investment of much time and effort on the part of the several
organizations comprised of civic-minded citizens of Lakeland. By utilizing prior planning recommendations with new opportunities,
we can accomplish a great deal towards enhancing our City and creating an environment that truly delivers the “vision” of a vital and
thriving urban core called Downtown Lakeland.

31
 Goal: To assist current property owners and potential investors identify properties that are feasible for
development/redevelopment, and provide them with an attractive environment of regulations and incentives that
encourages strategic development of properties Downtown.
1) Evaluate all of the
previous concepts and
synthesize the best
ideas to create a viable
strategy for moving
forward.
a) Evaluate prior
Downtown
development plans for
the best concepts and
recommendations
b) Synthesize the
concepts into a viable
and workable “Plan” for
the urban core.
Short-Term (200-360
days)
COL, LDDA,
Development
community
COL, LDDA,
Development
community
Should start
immediately
Will start after
evaluation is
completed.
2) Identify land that is
undeveloped or under-
developed within the
core.
a) Develop a current
inventory of all
properties and
structures (including SF,
# of stories, zoning,
year built/improved),
and current status
(occupied or not).
b) Match good urban
planning concepts to
identified properties
that fit the “Plan”.
COL, LDDA,
Development
community
COL, LDDA,
Development
community
Should start
immediately
Should be on-going

32
c) Plan, budget for, and
implement a dynamic
mapping tool that will
provide all of the above
mentioned information,
and which can be
accessed by the public
via the City’s website.
This will require regular
updating.
d) Promote this tool for
use by Lakeland Citizens
and business people, as
well as the regional and
national real estate
development
communities. Property
owners could promote
opportunities as
advertisements on the
website (which could
potentially be used as a
revenue source in the
future)
COL, LDDA,
Development
community
COL, LDDA,
Development
community
Planning should begin
immediately, creation
of tool should begin
soon, and
implementation should
begin only after all info
is included.
Should begin as tool is
being developed, and
fully implemented once
it is up and running.
3) Improve and
streamline regulatory
framework for
commercial
development
Downtown.
a) Study regulatory and
approval processes for
development
throughout the City.
Short-Term (1-150 days) COL, LDDA, Business
Consultants as
necessary
In-Progress

33
b) Determine what
changes the City can
make to these
processes to ease the
burden for more
complicated
development as
compared to suburban
development.
One potential strategy
could be to appoint a
Downtown Liaison
within the City’s
Planning Division to be
the single point of
contact for developers,
and property/ business
owners. The person
would be an advocate
for developers, and
seek to find ways for
the City to always find
ways to make projects
happen, and make
Downtown the easiest
place to invest in
Lakeland, not the most
difficult.
c) Recommend and
assist facilitation of
Short-Term (150-270
days)
COL, LDDA, Business
Consultants as
necessary
COL, LDDA, Business
In-Progress
Should be on-going

34
appropriate changes in
existing uses.
d) Implement the
suggested changes and
market them to the
local and regional
development
community.
e) Work with municipal
agencies to
accommodate changes
(physical, services,
financial, etc.)
f) Ensure the integrity
of the Plan is
maintained while
maintaining flexibility to
respond to market
conditions and urban
needs.
Short-Term (270-360
days)
Mid and Long-Term
Mid and Long-Term
Consultants as
necessary
COL, LDDA, Business
Consultants as
necessary
COL, LDDA, Business
Consultants as
necessary
COL, LDDA, Business
Consultants as
necessary
In-Progress
Should be on-going
Should be on-going
4) Develop aggressive
incentive packages to
entice and encourage
development in and
around Downtown and
properly market these
incentives to the local
a) Convince the City of
the significant
economic impact that
development will bring,
not only in increased
people in downtown,
but the potential
Short-Term (1-120 days) COL, Ignite, LDDA, LEDC,
DLP, Chamber, Lakeland
Business Leaders,
Lakeland Vision,
Citizens
In-Progress

35
and regional
development
community.
corresponding
increased demand for
downtown housing, and
also in direct tax
revenues.
b) Prepare incentive
programs to encourage
development in and
around Downtown.
One potential program
could be to create a
Development
Opportunities Study
(DOS) Program to
encourage property
owners to explore
redevelopment. This
would include funding
for City owned
properties, or private
property owners and
developers for pre-
development activities
such as environmental
studies, geotechnical
reports, architectural
planning studies,
building inspections,
engineering reports,
market assessments,
Short-Term (120-270
days)
COL, LDDA,
Development
community
In-Progress

36
and real estate financial
analysis. Another
potential program could
include a more
aggressive TIF program,
such as 10 year tax
abatements for new
projects, which worked
well in Philadelphia.
c) Once in place, market
the incentive programs
to the local and regional
development
community.
COL, LDDA, LEDC In-Progress
5) Catalytic Site
Development
a) Determine potential
sites (e.g., the 10+ acre
site, Lake Mirror gravel
parking lot, etc.) that
are controlled by the
City of Lakeland, and
could be turned into
“pitchable projects”
that could reshape the
perception and
demographics of
downtown.
b) Create a marketing
package that will
provide developers and
COL, LDDA, LEDC,
Chamber, Lakeland
Business Leaders,
force, Development
community, Citizens
COL, LDDA, LEDC,
Chamber, Lakeland
Business Leaders,
Ongoing
Ongoing

37
businesses owners
information about the
properties and their
attractiveness, available
incentives and funding
programs, Downtown
market data, as well as
telling of success stories
of past Lakeland
Downtown
developments.
force, Development
community
6) Communication &
Accountability
and open lines of
communication
between identified
Team Members to not
only conduct above
garner support for
implementing the
proposed solutions
(financially and
otherwise). Team
Members should be
held accountable as
determined.
Short-Term through
Mid-Term (1-730 days)
COL, LDDA, Ignite, LEDC,
DLP, Chamber, Lakeland
Business Leaders,
Lakeland Vision,
force, Development
community, Citizens
Ongoing

38
SUSTAINABLE RETAIL MIX STRATEGY
Downtown Lakeland lacks density of retail to be a competitive shopping destination. Large corporate chains and the internet dominate
the market place leaving independent retailers to struggle for market share. Downtown competes with other commerce centers
throughout the city to attract retail, so clear understanding of the kind of retail that can thrive in a Downtown environment, and more
specifically Lakeland’s Downtown, is key. A simple wish list created with no data to support the viability and sustainability of those
categories within the district is a fool’s errand. The reality is that Downtown will not attract major chain stores. We do not fit their
models. Many would argue that is not what is desired in Downtown anyway. If our focus is on the small independent retailer or
regional franchisee, we should create an atmosphere and ambiance in which they can succeed. Retail follows people and money. More
people attracted to Downtown for dining and entertainment, means more potential shoppers.
 Goal: To develop Downtown Lakeland as an evening dining and entertainment district which will encourage existing retail
to extend hours of operation and attract additional experiential retail.
1) Improve the parking
experience (in
conjunction with
Distributed Parking
Strategy).
a) Expand the parking
app
b) Explore additional on
street parking (e.g.,
angled parking)
c) Consider Valet
options
In conjunction with #2
above.
COL, LDDA
COL, LDDA, DLP
COL, LDDA, DLP,
Downtown business
and property owners,
In-Progress
In-Progress
In-Progress

39
2) Redefine trade area
(geography) for
downtown
a) Create polygon that
capture higher income
to the south
b) Data mine the area
for marketing
c) Stress the trade area
to retailers/restaurants
Short-Term (180-240
days)
Short-Term (240-360
days)
COL, LDDA, DLP,
Commercial brokers
COL, LDDA, DLP,
Commercial brokers
COL, LDDA, DLP,
Commercial brokers
In-Progress
Ongoing
Ongoing
3) Recruit Retail a) Look for examples of
general retail (NAICS
44-45) that are
successful in other
downtowns like ours
(cities of 150,000 or less
without interstate
downtown)
Short-Term (1-240) and
Ongoing
COL, LDDA, DLP,
Commercial brokers
In-Progress
4) Create a Restaurant
Strategy
a) Same strategy as
above for general retail
b) Define the dining
areas, ID linkages and
impediments to
connectivity
c) Create ambiance:
sidewalk dining with
Short-Term (120-360
days)
Short-Term (240-360)
COL, LDDA, DLP,
Commercial brokers
COL, LDDA, DLP,
Commercial brokers
COL, LDDA, DLP,
Restaurant community
In-Progress
In-Progress
Ongoing

40
umbrellas, strolling
musicians
d) Collect data from
current restaurants (#
of seats, sales, volume,
etc.)
e) Create a marketing
program for Downtown
Dining
f) Look for possible
relocations of existing
successful restaurants
Short-Term (120-240
days)
Short-Term (240-360
days)
Short-Term (240-360
days) and Ongoing
DLP, LDDA
DLP, LDDA
DLP, LDDA
Ongoing
In-Progress
Ongoing
5) Communication &
Accountability
and open lines of
communication
between identified
Team Members to not
only conduct above
garner support for
implementing the
proposed solutions
(financially and
otherwise). Team
Members should be
held accountable as
determined.
Short-Term (1-360 days) COL, LDDA, DLP,
Commercial brokers,
Restaurant community
Ongoing

41
EXHIBIT A
(Survey Summary & Link to Full Survey Results)
Summary Results of Citizen Survey conducted July-August 2014
 Method of data collection Online survey with 22 questions, including open-ended comments. 984 valid responses
 Demographically representative of
the City
61% female, 59% Male
9% > 65; 17% 55-64; 23% 45-54; 25% 35-44; 22% 25-34; 4% < 25 years old.
 Relationship w/ Downtown 8.3% Live; 24.4% Work; 5.5% Both Live & Work; 56.1% Only visit or shop.
 Those who only visit/shop 41% once per week; 38% once per month; 17% several times per year.
 Preferred metrics for success?
Number/types of business; Number/type of events or attendance; Number/type of residential
units; Level of safety (absence of crime)
14 Factors Associated with Successful/Vibrant Downtowns Variable
Mean
Score**
RANK Great Downtowns . . .
1 Should be clean - conveying as sense of care and attention. CLEANLINESS 3.88
2 Have pedestrian scale and accessibility WALKABILITY 3.75
3 Depend on individuality and unique character that stems from its unique heritage DISTINCTIVENESS 3.66
4 Should be safe – conveying a sense of care and attention. PERSONAL SECURITY 3.59
5
Provide opportunities for social interaction through open space, design of buildings
and streets and public events.
SOCIAL INTERACTION 3.59
6
Should be a well-defined or branded place with landmarks, focal points and a sense of
character.
LEGIBILITY 3.53
7
Have a mix of land uses, variety in the types of buildings and streets, and diverse
character districts.
VARIETY 3.32

42
8
Should be regionally accessible and the focal point for an efficient and connected
public transportation system.
ACCESSIBILITY 3.17
9 Have ageless vitality for attracting young talent YOUNG TALENT 3.12
10 Should support a rich cultural diversity. CULTURAL DIVERSITY 3.12
11
Should support myriad opportunities for networking and connecting with people of all
backgrounds.
CULTURAL INTERACTION 3.09
12
Should include surprises and new experiences each time you visit with imagination and
curiosity sparked by new places to explore.
NEW EXPERIENCES 2.93
13
Should be surrounded by viable neighborhoods with close and comfortable linkages to
the downtown core.
RELATE TO
SURROUNDINGS
2.69
14 The market for housing in downtown should be diverse, strong and growing. HOUSING MARKET 2.55
 Missing elements for success of
Downtown Lakeland?
More retail/variety of retail; More restaurants; More events/activities (esp. family-friendly);
Parking; Walkability & Public Transportation
**(5 = Best Anywhere; 4= Good, Better Than Most Places; 3 = Not Bad, Not Good, Just OK; 1 = As Bad As Can Be)
 Links to Full Survey Results:
o Ignite Lakeland 2014 Survey Summary
 http://www.slideshare.net/IgniteLakeland/ignite-lakeland-2014-survey-summary
o Ignite Lakeland 2014 Survey – Public Comments
 http://www.slideshare.net/IgniteLakeland/ignite-survey-open-ended-responses

43
EXHIBIT B
(Links to Prior Plans for Downtown Lakeland)
 1980 – Downtown Lakeland: Framework for Action
o http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Plan%20Downtown%20Lakeland/Framework1.pdf
 1990 – Downtown Lakeland: Strategic Development Initiative
o http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Plan%20Downtown%20Lakeland/Strategic%20Development%20Initiative%20B
ooklet.pdf
 1995 – Revitalization Strategy: Lakeland West Corridor
o http://www.slideshare.net/IgniteLakeland/1995-revitalization-strategy-lakeland-west-corridor
 2000 – Downtown Lakeland: Strategic Development Initiative
o http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Plan%20Downtown%20Lakeland/Downtown%20Lakeland%20Strategic%20Dev
elopment%20Initiative.pdf
 2003 – Downtown Lakeland: Achieving the Vision
o http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Plan%20Downtown%20Lakeland/Downtown%20Plan_Cy%20Palmier_2003.pdf
 2005 – Lake Wire Redevelopment Master Plan
o http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Documents/Lake%20Wire%20Report%20-%20Final.pdf
 2009 – Downtown Lakeland: Redefining Our Goals, Refining Our Future
o http://www.lakelandcra.net/Portals/CRA/Documents/Update%20to%20the%20Community%20Redevelopment%20Plan
%20for%20the%20Lakeland%20Downtown%20Community%20Redevelopment%20Area.pdf

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