The Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board is giving an additional $100,000 to construct Central Bark – a 27,242 sq. ft. downtown dog park, set to be constructed near Lake Mirror by The Joinery. The funds will be used to help pay for lighting, signs, and other amenities.
The $100,000 would be borrowed against proceeds from the nearby planned Mirrorton community to be built on land the CRA recently sold to Tampa developers Framework Group.
The city had budgeted $300,000 for the park. But the bids came in at $660,000, so the Parks & Recreation Department “value engineered” the project to $470,000, according to a memo from CRA Executive Director Alis Drumgo.
Drumgo recommended the CRA fund the lighting and other amenities that would be cut if the city stuck with its $300,000 budget.