The building at 417 North Massachusetts Ave began its life in 1964 as the chapel of a funeral home and was last used as a house of worship in 2017. And been abandoned since.
Local historic preservationist and Publix heir Gregory Fancelli bought the property for $800,000 in 2017 under the corporate name FURC1 LLC.
Now, if Fancelli and businessman Stuart Simm have their way, the formerly abandoned church will be revived as a public house (bar) and event venue called “The Chapel”.
The proposal has already been approved by Lakeland’s Planning and Zoning Board in a unanimous vote and has the blessing of the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority, which also voted unanimously to allow conditional use of the property.
The City Commission has already held its first reading of the conditional-use plan, with a public hearing and vote scheduled for Jan. 17.
Simm, who most recently operated the Federal Bar on Tennessee Street downtown, wrote in his application that the building would be used “for hosting large social and business events such as weddings, baby and bridal showers, private parties, meetings, presentations, award dinners, and other similar type events” with attendance of between 15 and 100 people.
It’s a second use Simm’s is requesting that is giving some commissioners and some residents a headache.
On weekends, when no special events are scheduled, the building space would be operated as a public house (bar) open to the general public, with the sale of beer, wine, and liquor during Friday and Saturday evenings until 2 a.m.
Mayor Bill Mutz said he is “vehemently opposed” to Simm’s plan.
Mutz noted that Community Redevelopment Agency partners Yard on Mass and Haus 820 are within a few blocks of The Chapel and serve the same purpose that Simm is proposing.
Mutz has occasionally gone against Fancelli’s requests. Mutz and Fancelli have a history together in past elections.
“What’s was key for us from a zoning standpoint is just looking at the specific use and making sure it’s in compliance with the land development code and the conditional use process,” Chuck Barmby, Lakeland planning and transportation manager said. “And so we don’t get into how a site is marketed or how the specific business is marketed, as long as they’re operating in compliance with land development code, and the conditional use if it were approved by the commission.”
Unfortunately, this is becoming an emotional thing and we don’t want to comment further until the public hearing,” Simm said.
The conditional use permit will come up for a vote at the commission’s Jan. 17 meeting, which is scheduled to start at 9 a.m.