Former Golf Course to Provide Lakeside Housing and
Community Services
Transforming an underutilized area on the shores of Lake Parker, Lakeland, Florida
Project Summary
Community: Lakeland, Florida
Technical Assistance: Strategic Action Plan
Former Use: Golf Course, Cattle Grazing
Future Use: Housing, Commercial, and
Community Services
Background
Old industrial facilities on the southeast side of Lake
Parker in central Florida have blighted nearby properties
over time. A large (57~acre) undeveloped former golf
course within the City of Lakeland sits surrounded by a
mix of industrial and power plants, commercial buildings,
and residential neighborhoods.
In 2013, the Central Florida Regional Planning Council
(CFRPC) used a Brownfields Area-Wide Planning grant
from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to
conduct extensive community outreach and create a plan
for redeveloping high-priority properties in the project area,
including the former golf course. The community identified
this site as having the greatest potential for redevelopment
that could support important amenities such as a
community center, senior living residences, and
neighborhood-serving commercial businesses.
EPA's Land Revitalization Technical Assistance
In 2016, EPA's Land Revitalization Program provided
contractor technical assistance to identify options for
revitalizing the project area. The contracting team held a
1.5-day workshop with community members discuss
redevelopment hurdles, opportunities, and potential steps
moving forward. The team prepared an updated land
revitalization plan that presented viable short-term uses,
specific action strategies to advance inter-agency and
stakeholder activities, and planning-level redevelopment
cost estimates for each element of the project.
The action plan and supporting technical assistance that
EPA provided will foster economic development in the
Lake Parker area and central Florida.
Catalyst Site Progress
The CFRPC, the City of Lakeland, the property owner, and
an affordable housing developer continue to work together
on grant applications for Low-Income Tax Credits for more
than 100 affordable housing units on the north portion of
the property, which has been rezoned to allow for multi-
family housing. In addition, sales of dilapidated mobile
homes have been removed from the south side of the
property and an updated Phase II environmental study has
been completed. The site is marketed as shovel-ready for
mixed-use development.
Proposed catalyst site enhancements, including a mix of
senior/assisted living residences and neighborhood-scale
commercial, office, and community service facilities.
For more information, contact Camilla Warren, EPA
Region 4 Brownfields Program, at
warren.camilla@epa.gov.
s>EPA
United States	Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization
Environmental Protection
Agency	560-F-19-005-G

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