City of Lake Wales Plans, Manages Growth, and Preserves History While Serving Residents

October 23, 2025 • News

Watching capital projects come to fruition excites James Slaton, City Manager of Lake Wales. The southeast Polk County community has grown from 16,361 in the 2020 Census to an estimated 17,798 in 2024.

“We have always been the Crown Jewel, but now others are experiencing our secret sauce,” said City Manager James Slaton. Slaton has worked in various roles since joining city government in 2005.

One of the big projects in the works is the redevelopment of the Walesbuilt Hotel in downtown Lake Wales. “After years of abandonment, we have reclaimed ownership of this landmark and are actively seeking developers for adaptive reuse and restoration. The goal is to preserve its historic character while revitalizing it into a community and commercial hub.”

“Lake Wales is a special place where natural beauty, historic charm and community spirit come together.”
James Slaton
City of Lake Wales City Manager

Challenges

Planning is key to tackling the challenges the city faces, most of which are caused by growth.

“We have several planning documents that strategically guide us as we move forward, such as Lake Wales Connected, Lake Wales Envisioned and Multimodal Transportation and Mobility Plan,” Slaton said. “Like many growing communities, we are facing several key challenges related to balancing development, preservation and quality of life.”

Four of those challenges, Slaton said, are:

Rapid Growth & Development. “The city is experiencing a wave of development proposals that could significantly increase our population. This has raised concerns from citizens about overdevelopment, but the City Commission is proactively following our strategic plans to ensure we don’t lose our historic character.”
Housing. “The city is working to preserve affordability and neighborhood integrity through initiatives like the Legacy Housing Program, which has remodeled nearly 50 homes for low-income seniors.” The housing market in general is “a mix of affordability, growth and opportunity. For example, we offer a Traditional Neighborhood Design (TND) Incentive Program aimed at encouraging infill development and redevelopment of urban areas. Developers are building a mix of single-family, two-family and multifamily units.”

Infrastructure & Planning. “With growth comes the need for improved infrastructure, including roads, sidewalks, lighting and green spaces. The city is working to avoid cookie-cutter developments that prioritize cars over people. The Lake Wales Envisioned Plan was adopted to guide future development with a focus on beauty. Nature and community-friendly design inspired by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.”
Blight & Redevelopment. “The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is actively targeting blighted areas to encourage private investment and improve the tax base.”

Infrastructure Improvements

“Lake Wales is undergoing a transformative wave of infrastructure improvements as part of our ambitious Lake Wales Connected revitalization plan,” Slaton said. Those focus on road and streetscape projects, and trails and connectivity.

The city received a $23 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to accelerate upgrades — new sidewalks, lighting, landscaping, parking and street furniture — on First Street, Central Avenue, A Street and Lincoln Avenue, he said.

It’s also working to “increase mobility and make our entire city connected,” Slaton said. “One example is the Tower Boulevard Trail, which will connect Lake Wailes Park to Bok Tower Gardens, enhancing recreational access.”

Economic Development

Like other cities, Lake Wales is experiencing “a wave of economic growth,” welcoming several new industries and major developments, Slaton said. It is “actively working to attract development and new businesses through a multi-pronged economic development strategy focused on innovation, infrastructure and community partnerships. It is also investing in infill growth and revitalizing key areas like the Northwest Neighborhood and our downtown core through various programs and incentives.”

Its economic development strategy “targets diversification of business sectors, attraction of commercial and industrial investment, and support for existing businesses and innovation.”

Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS) recently announced plans to build a state-of-the-art pipe manufacturing plant there, bringing 200 new jobs with average salaries of $55,500, along with a $250 million capital expenditure. “This facility will create high-wage jobs with access to rail lines for efficient logistics.”

The Future for Lake Wales

In the 2025-2026 fiscal year, Lake Wales has a multitude of goals that include:

Evaluating impact fees to manage growth.
Resurfacing city streets and repairing and constructing sidewalks.
Expanding Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
Rehabilitating the Market Street Water Treatment Plant building.
Updating lighting and weather reporting equipment and create a wildlife management plan for Lake Wales Municipal Airport.
Continuing to rehabilitate housing and planning for affordable housing while offering development incentives.

The city also plans to continue restoring alleys within the Community Redevelopment Agency’s boundaries, build more streetscapes downtown and in the Northwest Neighborhood, and connect the city’s multimodal trails to help residents with mobility. It will also fund business incentive programs in the CRA areas.

For public safety, Lake Wales plans to expand the North Fire Station and build a new fire station in the southern part of the city, while also buying a new fire engine and rescue truck. It will renovate the police annex facility and take steps to enforce school zone speed limits and red lights.

It also plans to work on upgrading utilities, including extending water transmission mains, improving two water plant buildings, replacing galvanized and asbestos cement pipe for water main lines, and upgrading some lines.

Parks & Recreation

For parks and recreation, the city will be adding lighting to its soccer complex and upgrading equipment in several parks.

Olmsted Jr., son of the designer of Central Park and landscaper and planner for Lake Wales, “envisioned Lake Wales as a ‘city in a garden’ with tree-lined streets, scenic lake views and preserved natural spaces,” Slaton said. “In recent years, we have revived Olmsted’s vision through the Lake Wales Connected revitalization plan. This modern blueprint emphasizes walkability, green infrastructure and landscaping, aiming to reconnect neighborhoods with parks and natural features. We strive to be strategic in every project that we undertake to ensure we honor our historic roots.”

As Lake Wales continues its journey of growth and revitalization, it does so with a clear vision rooted in history, community, and thoughtful planning. Under the leadership of City Manager James Slaton, the city is balancing progress with preservation. They are ensuring that as new developments rise and infrastructure expands, the charm, character, and connectedness that define Lake Wales remain at the heart of every initiative. Bold projects are underway wit a strong foundation of strategic planning. Lake Wales is not only embracing its future—it’s shaping it with intention and purpose.