In its heyday, Memorial Boulevard was more than just the road that bisects Lakeland into north and south. It had a bustling shopping mall, a vibrant shopping center known as Searstown and motels that primarily served tourists.
Today, Memorial is better known for traffic accidents, fast food and a significant population of people who are down on their luck. But city planners are hoping to change that.
Public input
- The city unveiled a project website on Tuesday with a link to a 12-question survey that asks residents what they would like to see on Memorial.
- There will also be a public meeting from 6-8 p.m. on Feb. 20 at the Coleman-Bush Building, 1104 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.
A tall order: The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency entered a five-month, $86,000 contract with Tampa-based Ayres Associates to craft an economic development strategy for the 6-mile corridor from Interstate 4 to East Lake Parker Drive. The goal is to:
- attract new investments
- support surrounding residential communities
- improve pedestrian safety
- boost the local economy
- create more job opportunities
Most of the cost is covered by a $75,000 grant from the Florida Department of Commerce. The remaining $11,000 is from the Midtown CRA’s budget.
‘Significant’ infrastructure investments: The study comes at a time when the Florida Department of Transportation is preparing to redesign a smaller 0.7-mile section of Memorial between Walker and Massachusetts Avenues. The first phase of that project is a $1.25 million design study that will focus on traffic operations and safety improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists, potentially including wider sidewalks, bike lanes, landscaped medians and better lighting.
Former glory
For several decades, Memorial Boulevard was a prime shopping destination. The Lake Parker Mall opened next to Montgomery Ward in 1971, with a Woolco and S.H. Kress 5 & 10. The Jerry Lewis Twin Cinema was added in 1972. New owners renamed it the Lakeland Mall in 1974. It closed in 1994. After standing vacant for five years, it was reconfigured as a worship center for the First Baptist Church…