Lakeland city staff are pushing the Florida Department of Transportation for a clear agreement on who’s funding the final redesign of South Florida Avenue, better known locally as the Dixieland “road diet.”
Ryan Lazenby, the city’s civil engineer manager, said the city has asked FDOT to draft a memorandum of understanding that clearly outlines who will be responsible for funding which portions of the estimated $20 million construction cost. Lazenby expects to have it by the end of this month.
“I need it in writing from them, one way or another,” he told commissioners at Friday morning’s monthly Project Update workshop.
Four years after the “one-year pilot study” began, the commission was told in March the state agency expected the city to come up with the money to complete construction on South Florida Avenue’s reconfiguration.
Now, they aren’t leaving anything to chance — but it might be another two years before residents see the last phase of construction begin.
Where the project stands now
Lazenby said the city sent a letter to the FDOT after the meeting offering to fund and manage design of the road project in an effort to get things moving forward. The first step was city staff developing a Scope of Services, outlining what work will be needed to transform the current eyesore of South Florida’s concrete bunkers, which narrowed five lanes down to three, into a fully landscaped streetscape. This document has already been approved by the FDOT.
The city has decided to move forward with the design selected by the commission in December 2022. It will permanently keep South Florida Avenue as a three-lane roadway, consisting of one travel lane in each direction and a central turning lane. The commissioners chose to have 11- to 12-foot-wide, multiuse sidewalks for pedestrians and bicyclists on each side of the road, rather than adding a bike lane on the edge of the street.
The city’s purchasing department has drafted a request for quotations that it will put out next week seeking quotes from companies interested in designing South Florida Avenue’s final layout. The city will need to advertise it for 30 days before negotiating a contract with the highest-ranking firm, Lazenby said.
Lazenby said he hopes to have a proposed contract for the roadway’s final design in front of city commissioners for their approval in late August. The FDOT should have its pavement evaluation report on the condition of the existing roadway to the city by then, he said.
“We can hit the ground running with design in September,” he said.
Who’s paying for South Florida Avenue?
In an effort to get the South Florida Avenue redesign, or road diet, moving forward, Lakeland officials have made clear they are willing to front funds for construction provided there is some level of reimbursement from the state. After all, it’s a state-owned and managed roadway.
The FDOT has agreed to pay for any private land, or right-of-way acquistions, that will need to be taken over to finish construction, according to Lazenby. This will include services needed to obtain any necessary properties.
The state agency also agreed it will be up to the construction engineering inspection to ensure the finished roadway meets all statement requirements, according to Lazenby. This alone can cost an estimated $2.5 million.
But city staff is expecting there might be some dispute when it comes to the pavement, pathways and fixtures.
“The city is interested in putting in improvements that normally wouldn’t be put in an FDOT project, decorative lighting, street trees, pavers,” Lazenby said. “We don’t think it should be our responsibility to replace your traffic signals. It’s not our responsibility to replace your drainage system.”
The draft memorandum of understanding is expected to clearly lay out what the state versus the city will pay for, including who will pay the upfront costs and, if so, how much will be reimbursed eventually by the state.
“We are responsible for things not normally in an FDOT project,” Lazenby said.
Recently, the FDOT opened up funding for road projects beginning in 2026. Lazenby said he’s hopeful the state agency can fund some part of South Florida Avenue’s redesign in its 2026-27 budget cycle.
“If all those funds are not available, we need to know what year the city will have to wait until [FDOT] can fund your obligation,” Lazenby said.
Lakeland officials, meanwhile, must decide whether they want to find a way to come up with the funds upfront and get reimbursed.
“The answer will be yes,” Mayor Bill Mutz said.
Commissioner Sara Roberts McCarley was more skeptical about funding the roadway’s construction upfront and expecting state’s reimbursement.
“Can we make sure we have that piece in there, signed in blood?” she said.