Lake Wales CRA Approves Agreements for Streetscape Projects and Walesbilt Hotel Development
by James Coulter
The Walesbilt Hotel and several downtown streets are one step closer to being renovated now that the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has approved several agreements for streetscape and hotel development projects.
At their regular meeting earlier this month, the Lake Wales CRA voted unanimously to approve several agreements, addenda, and proposals regarding revitalization efforts for downtown streets and the historic hotel.
Two agenda items involved adjustments to the 1st Street Streetscape Project, which spans from W. Tillman Avenue to Stuart Avenue and from Crystal Avenue to Wiltshire Avenue.
The first was an addendum to the Chastain-Skillman/DCCM contract, expanding its scope of services. The updated design widens the travel lanes from 10 feet to 11 feet, a change that also affects the layout of parking spaces, planter widths, and potentially the placement and size of sidewalks. The fiscal impact of the amendment is $173,660.
The second item was an agreement with Catalyst Design Group for landscape architectural services. Because the wider travel lanes require a reconfiguration of the corridor, Catalyst will redesign the roadway hardscape, site furnishings, landscaping, and irrigation systems. This agreement carries a fiscal impact of $24,400.
Both items were necessary for the project to qualify for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s RAISE Grant. The city’s original application proposed a road diet, a design approach the grant program does not fund, making the lane-widening revisions essential for eligibility.
“Expanding the lane width sounds minor, but when you are engineering plans, there is a cascading effect, and this is the most efficient way to get that accomplished,” City Manager James Slaton explained.
Another agreement authorizes Colliers Project Leaders to provide project management services for the bid phase of the RAISE Grant Streetscape Project.
According to Assistant City Manager Deena Drumgo, Colliers will serve as “the primary representative for the City to manage the bid phase of the 1st Street, Central Avenue, Orange/Crystal Street, Lincoln Avenue, and A Street streetscapes from their current state of design through the completion of the design and bid phases.”
The redesign-phase services are expected to begin in August 2026 and conclude in December 2027. The agreement carries a total fiscal impact of $160,218, or $6,676 per month over 24 months.
Colliers was also approved for an agreement to provide project management services for two additional initiatives: the design phases of the Walesbilt Hotel Development Project and the design, bid, construction, and closeout phases of the Stuart Avenue Streetscape, which includes upgrades to the existing Care Center and the Peterson Meyer property. The total fiscal impact is $192,912.
Commissioner Carol Gillespie asked why the City would hire Colliers as a consultant when St. Louis Restoration is already involved in the hotel revitalization. City Manager James Slaton explained that Colliers will represent the City’s interests throughout the process.
“We want to make sure that, as long as we are hitting the milestones, they benefit us as the city,” he said. “Any of the projects they are associated with, they are here to protect the city, and the awards are to our benefit.”
1st Street in Downtown Lake Wales is undergoing a major multi‑million‑dollar streetscape redevelopment as part of the Lake Wales Connected plan. Improvements include wider sidewalks, a two‑way cycle track, new shade trees, rain gardens, and ADA‑compliant enhancements.
The Historic Walesbilt Hotel is also slated for extensive revitalization. Recently, the Lake Wales CRA entered into an interim agreement with Restoration St. Louis that provides up to $2 million for pre‑construction design and preparation work.
