A bid by the developer of Lakeland Commons to add more than 100 apartments to the project will go to the city’s Board of Commissioners without a recommendation from planners after they failed to reach a consensus on the request.

The Lakeland Board of Commissioners approved on second and final reading Thursday night, June 11, a $78.7 million annual budget and $1.24 property tax rate for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

Committee chair Kim Louis hopes the panel will be a safe haven for black stakeholders to freely share concerns and to ensure equity and fairness. 

Jim Atkinson, former planning director and city manager with the City of Lakeland, has announced he plans to run for a seat on the board of commissioners this fall.

The Atlanta-based company’s cameras are now used in 38 states and more than 600 cities.

A football field house building, baseball locker room, multipurpose locker room and concessions for football and soccer are part of the project.

Lakeland would maintain the same $1.24 tax rate if budget passes on second and final reading.

Negotiations are underway to purchase the land for about $375,000, but officials say construction of an additional new school is not imminent. 

Distancing requirements force operational changes to maintain safety, but give stylists more access to clients. 

Drive-thru, curbside and patio space becoming higher priorities for restaurateurs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Lakeland School System has approved an $18.4 million budget for fiscal 2020-21. Plans are also moving forward on the new high school, despite problems brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Lakeland officials remain hopeful for a spring 2022 start date on two major Tennessee Department of Transportation projects.

Lakeland residents will have another grocery option by this time next year as ALDI is readying for a construction start later this month on its new location at 2298 Canada Road.

Lakeland is celebrating the start of the first building at 
The Lake District, a long-awaited $400,000 project.

Dr. Andrenette Fleming hoped to give a boost to local COVID-19 testing when she offered a limited number of tests last week at her Lakeland clinic. 

This year’s home is in the new Kensington Manor subdivision off U.S. 70. Work is in full swing on the roughly 4,000-square-foot home that will be the grand prize.

Lakeland is moving forward with plans for a new city park as part of its efforts to provide more recreational athletic offerings. 

Students at Lakeland Middle Preparatory School are finding their niche thanks to several new clubs at the school.

Mayor Mike Cunningham requested probe a year ago.

“The beginning of this year’s not starting out great at all,” said one developer. 

Suburban cities are opposing new Postal guidelines requiring cluster mailboxes. U.S. Rep. David Kustoff is co-sponsoring a bill that would not allow the Postal Service to require the measure retroactively. 

Suburban cities are seeing some development along the U.S. 70 corridor, but they're hoping for more as the year progresses.

The Lake District breaks ground in Lakeland, bringing economic boost with it.

Lakeland school board members get first glimpse of high school design.

Forrest Owens is resigning from his position as Lakeland planning director. His last day will be Feb. 14