LAKE WALES – Construction on the initial phase of a walking trail linking downtown Lake Wales with a park along the banks of Lake Wailes is set to begin, but not until community leaders break ground on the project tonight.
The ceremony inaugurating the project will take place at 5:30 p.m. today just west of the Lake Wales Public Library, at 290 Cypress Garden Lane, in an area where the city plans to build a gazebo and park along the trail’s path. The public is invited.
The first phase of the concrete trail will stretch from Central Avenue north to East Crystal Avenue, said Assistant City Manager James Slaton. Two subsequent phases will wind east past Crystal Lake Park and south to the Lake Wales Museum and Cultural Center.
Diane Armington, chairwoman of the design committee for Lake Wales Main Street, said she’s excited to see the committee’s vision come to pass.
“It was the design committee that first started complaining about how it looked on that side of the street,” she said. “We started talking about a park, and now we’re here. I think it’s awesome.”
Armington, who owns the Village Kitchen Shop at 257 E. Stuart Ave., said store owners can spruce up their buildings, but the areas around those stores need to look good, as well.
“If the surrounding areas aren’t appealing, it affects the whole feeling,” she said. “This is something that’s going to cap off the whole concept of a family-friendly community.”
The project, slated to take about four months to complete, will include a lighted 5-foot-wide walking trail along the east side of Scenic Highway. At Central Avenue, the city plans to rehabilitate an existing parking lot with paving and landscaping. At the other end, the new gazebo will provide pedestrians with a shady place to rest. Along the way, pedestrians will find benches in covered shelters along the landscaped pathway.
The city has budgeted $470,000 for the project, which includes funding from the city’s recreation impact fees, Slaton said. The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency is contributing to the project, as well.
Slaton said plans for the second phase are still being completed, and Lake Wales is seeking a $200,000 state grant to offset those expenses.
City Commissioner Robin Gibson, who has championed redevelopment in downtown Lake Wales, said the project marks the beginning of a new era for the community.
“I think this is really the first tangible signal of a renaissance that we are going to have for the historic area of Lake Wales,” he said.
Suzie Schottelkotte can be reached at suzie.schottelkotte@theledger.com or 863-533-9070. Follow her on Twitter @southpolkscene.