With the eventual removal of two rundown motels on the Lakeland landscape, the suburb wants more control over the design of commercial lodging in the future.

The Lakeland Municipal Planning and Design Review Commission recommended approval for the Heathfield mixed-use planned development outline plan at the future northwest corner of Seed Tick Road and U.S. 70.

Starting in August, the district will serve kindergarten through 11th grade, as Lakeland Preparatory School continues to add a grade to its high school classes each year.

The Lake District property will be sold at auction at noon on April 30 at the Shelby County Courthouse.

“Basically, every teacher would move up the equivalent of four steps in one year,” Lakeland School System Superintendent Ted Horrell said at a budget work session for the coming fiscal year.

Removing developer Yehuda Netanel from The Lake District project east of Canada Road seems headed to its conclusion.

Leaders of the Memphis suburb intend to avoid a property tax increase for the coming fiscal year that begins in July.

Lakeland officials say the necessity of finishing a road could help ease traffic in some nearby neighborhoods.

Rising construction costs have the town’s Board of Commissioners looking at phasing in work for the New Canada Road.

“We’re excited for this next chapter in the development of the Lakeland Gateway,” City Manager Michael Walker said. The motel will be the second Lakeland has torn down in less than six months.

“I do worry about the amount of growth that is coming,” said Kimley-Horn engineer Doug Swett, citing the impact of Ford’s BlueOval City.

A bankruptcy judge’s denial of a reorganization plan for The Lake District casts another level of doubt that the developer — Yehuda Netanel — can resurrect his vision for the Lakeland project.

The long-discussed Equestria development in Lakeland gets a slim approval, while the suburb continues discussions with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office for an office there.

The bankruptcy hearing regarding The Lake District exposed some of the financial problems that continue to plague the mixed-use development in Lakeland.

Testimony in the bankruptcy hearing related to The Lake District ended Wednesday with witnesses for the lender raising doubts of whether developer Yehuda Netanel can make his plan work.

Testimony continued for a second day in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the financially strapped The Lake District mixed-use development in Lakeland.

The bankruptcy case involving The Lake District mixed-use development in Lakeland began Monday with developer Yehuda Netanel among those taking the stand to defend his financial status.

The financially troubled multi-use project will head to court Feb. 5 after filing bankruptcy and losing the townhome section of the development.

The number of hotel buildings in Lakeland soon will be down to just one.

The city currently has $16.5 million in federal funds for the project through a Surface Transportation Block Grant.

The lender for the 109-townhome section, dubbed The Willows at the Lake, has taken back the property from The Lake District developer Yehuda Netanel.

Commissioner Mick Wright has a number of directives in mind for the coming year, including reducing crime and getting Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert’s office in line.

Shelby County’s six suburban school districts and most Memphis-Shelby County Schools will welcome students back to school on Tuesday. Students were last in school on Friday, Jan. 12.

Home sales are down for the third straight year. But with interest rates on the decline, some are hopeful the market stabilizes in 2024.

All six suburban school districts, Memphis-Shelby County Schools and Immaculate Conception Cathedral School made the decision to close schools Monday, Jan. 22.