A splash of color can make a huge difference in attracting people downtown and to other districts.A new initiative in Lakeland is enhancing culture and driving economic development.
At By the Chef Pizza, don’t call their pie Sicilian or Detroit-style.”We call it our focaccia deep-dish pizza,” Peter Garces, owner and executive chef of By the Chef Pizza, said. “It is its own unique product.”You can only find it at Garces’ pizza joint, located in Dixieland. But the delicious pie isn’t the only draw; it’s also the art.
“[The mural] brings in a lot of people who are curious in general, because who doesn’t like good art?” Garces said. “When it comes to business, you want to have something that catches people’s eyes, and the murals do a good job of drawing people’s attention.”
The Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency Mural Passport is the CRA’s new initiative to highlight public art in Dixieland, Downtown and Midtown.
Project Manager Jonathan Rodriguez says the agency’s goal is to increase property values throughout its districts.
“We know that improving facades through our program and bringing art is going to do that, but we know this will drive foot traffic through these businesses and help them along as they scale,” Rodriguez said.
The CRA has commissioned more than 20 murals through its Art Infusion Grant program.
The agency partners with business owners to improve their building facades, commissioning artists from both the local area and across the state.