A million-dollar reconstruction of block-long stretches of Orange and Crystal Avenues is anticipated thanks to a federal grant and an intergovernmental agreement.
The dramatic change will see new streetlights, street furniture, curbing, and the installation of numerous trees and other plants installed in rain gardens that will help absorb stormwater,
The work will include the resurfacing of the two streets east of First Street through and including their intersections with Market Street. The project will also be “ADA compliant,” providing ramps for wheelchairs and strollers.
Funding for the project will come from an $800,000 grant arranged by US Congressman Darren Soto, who formerly represented the area. His district lines no longer include Lake Wales. Soto previously arranged the infusion of funding for downtown street rehabilitation in the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act approved by the US Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021. Those funds will aid in fulfilling the Lake Wales Connected plan.
The 20 percent local match will come from the Lake Wales Community Redevelopment Agency, which issued an $18.5 million bond to fund the Connected plan. That debt will be paid by the “incremental” increase in tax receipts created by the rise in property values by property owners benefitting from the improvements.
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