LAKELAND, Fla. — Potential improvements may be on the way for a main thoroughfare in Lakeland.

What You Need To Know

  • Florida Commerce has awarded $75,000 to the city of Lakeland to go toward a study for Memorial Boulevard

  • The study will be done to create a strategic economic development vision for Memorial between Gary and Wabash roads

  • According to city officials, the first phase of this project will be due at the end of January with the second phase wrapping up at the end of May

This comes as Florida Commerce awarded the city $75,000 to help create an economic vision for the future of Memorial Boulevard.

“Between here and Wabash is kind of a bad neighborhood, but I’m seeing improvements,” said General Manager of Fun Bike Center Motorsports Dave Dorsch. The business is located on Memorial Boulevard.

Fun Bike Center has been around for about 30 years, eventually being housed in a 60,000 square foot space to sell all kinds of bikes, watercraft and ATVs.

According to Dorsch, he is excited to see Memorial potentially get some improvements.

Not only through new housing but through that grant from Florida Commerce.

“The memorial corridor is among probably three or four most critical commercial corridors through the city,” said Brian Rewis, director of community and economic development for the city of Lakeland.

According to Rewis, the grant will be used to create a strategic economic development vision for Memorial between Gary and Wabash roads.

It’s a study that will get help from a consultant and the community on what type of investments might be needed to see the economic prosperity they’re looking for in this neighborhood.

“Its importance to not only economic development but also resiliency and transportation. It can’t be overstated,” Rewis said.

He said the project itself will take about 25 weeks, which, if approved by the city, will begin a long process of trying to make improvements along this corridor.

And, after having a business here for 30 years, that’s all Dorsch can ask for.

“At least they’re thinking about it and doing something,” he said.

According to Rewis, the first phase of this project will be due at the end of January, with the second phase wrapping up at the end of May.

Rewis says locals along Memorial should be on the lookout, once the city commission approves the project, for notices asking them to fill out surveys and give their input in public meetings.