by James Coulter
Orange and Crystal Avenue will have its water and sewer lines upgraded as part of its overall Streetscape Project now that these upgrades have been approved by the City of Lake Wales.
At their meeting on Tues. Feb. 18, 2025, Lake Wales city commissioners voted unanimously to approve its consent agenda. Part of that agenda included an item on the Orange and Crystal Avenue Streetscape.
The item would approve a task order for Chastain Skillman for$49,700 to be provided as an addendum to the overall Orange and Crystal Avenue Streetscape project.
This task order, according to the memo, will “produce construction drawings and a permit application package for the water line and storm upgrades in the vicinity of the Orange, Crystal, and Market Street Streetscape.”
“Much of this area has already been mapped by surveyors, but additional mapping will be required for the water line upgrades in the alleys and near the water plant,” the memo states.
These upgrades will be a part of the overall million-dollar reconstruction of Orange and Crystal Avenues in Downtown Lake Wales, which will include the resurfacing of the two streets, along with new street lights, sidewalks, trees, and other landscaping.
The overall project is an extension of the city’s Lake Wales Connected Plan, which, according to its website, “seeks to build upon recent momentum, providing a strategy that aligns with the City’s legacy by using a community-based vision to direct future improvements, growth, preservation, and economic vitality.”
