If developed as planned, the 3,000-acre Central Florida Innovation District (CFID) may provide $5.2 billion in economic impact and 32,000 jobs in the next 20 years, far exceeding the $2.4 billion and 20,600 jobs expected without such a district, according to a study by James Farrell, Ph.D., CFA, an associate professor of finance and economics […]
Four city managers and the county manager have learned a lot from the coronavirus pandemic and will use that knowledge moving forward. They will share, as they’ve been doing, having relied on strong communication networks to help them through this crisis. Lakeland City Manager Tony Delgado said Polk County managers are used to dealing with […]
The Polk County Board of County Commissioners has debuted a new program to assist businesses and residents during the coronavirus pandemic. The website offers links and information on how small businesses and residents in Polk County can apply for part of the $126 million the county received as part of the federal government’s Coronavirus Aid, […]
Reopening parks and recreational facilities that were closed as the coronavirus crept into Polk County is helping people cope during the crisis. “Keep in mind that the whole concept of public recreation in America started from an understanding that being outdoors and engaging in recreation and leisure has tremendous benefits for health (physical and mental) […]
Local school officials and community leaders continue working with students and encouraging them to graduate high school, a premise at the heart of improving the graduation rate in Polk County. That number increased from 86.5 percent to 88.8 percent in 2018-19 among Polk County’s 14 traditional public high schools. “Improving the graduation rate equates to […]
As Polk County continues to focus on education, it’s seeing results: More teenagers are graduating from high school, and more residents have college degrees. The Florida College Access Network, an organization of community leaders that Polk County joined to improve talent development, and the Talent Pipeline Committee, formed by Polk Vision and the Central Florida […]
Just as the show must go on, so must teaching and learning. Polk County’s seven universities and colleges are ensuring they do just that, adapting quickly with creative solutions to finish the spring semester and prepare for the summer and fall. Learn more about how each institution is moving ahead in the time of the […]
Aviation and aerospace remain a critical component to Polk County’s economy, and Lakeland Linder International Airport continues to add to that cluster. On the heels of landing Amazon Air in late 2019, Lakeland Linder will now continue its expansion with the announcement that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will add more employees and three […]
The SBA South Florida District Office will host a series of Small Business Recovery webinars to provide the latest information on how the SBA is helping small businesses with their economic recovery from the effects of COVID-19. You may join the conference 10 minutes prior. Limited to the first 500 callers, unless otherwise noted. Date […]
This op-ed by CFDC President and CEO Sean Malott was originally shared by The Ledger. Polk County was a hotbed of activity before all this started, and it’s our job, mission and responsibility to continue to build upon the solid foundation that still exists. When 2020 started, the economy was riding high, unemployment in Polk […]