The City Commission on Monday is scheduled to approve spending $2.6 million to replace the arena’s 50-year-old flat roof. The roof has been patched and tarped since Ian blew through Lakeland as a Category 1 hurricane on Sept. 29, 2022.
“The temporary patching was, of course, not permanent, and during a few storms additional leaks were detected and those areas required even further patching,” City Communications Director Kevin Cook said.
It took some time to get bids and approval for the project. Ultimately, Tampa-based RYCARS Construction LLC bested four other companies with its proposal to provide the much-needed and long-awaited roof.
The city’s property insurance is paying for all but the $629,123 deductible. The city is seeking reimbursement for that from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.