The Challenge:
After years of neglect and abandonment, the historic eight story former Old Florida Hotel had fallen into almost irreversible disrepair. The building was under serious structural stress, was completely exposed to the elements, and was literally falling apart, as the road to the south of the building had to be intermittently closed due to the hazard of falling debris. With only a few days left before the extraordinary structure was to be demolished, a private developer, The Carlisle Group struck a deal with the City of Lakeland to take over the distressed building and transform it into a crown jewel for Downtown Lakeland once again. The building took up almost every bit of the parcel of property it sat on, so the addition of a parking garage onto the small site was a necessity. The Carlisle Group’s first and only choice to partner on this project was Rodda Construction.
The Solution:
Rodda was thrilled to be a part of this vital historic restoration project for our Community, and we gave this opportunity the same unmatched devotion we put forth on every project. Working with the City, we secured a permit to close down Lemon Street to the south of the Building for a construction delivery and staging area, and for a location to install full building scaffolding and an 8-story construction elevator. By expeditiously completing the stucco, painting, window and roof replacement and refurbishment work on the north side of the building first, we were then able to complete the concealed two-story parking garage into the side of a large hill, without delaying the delivery date of the project. At the onset of the project, Rodda set out to determine the true condition of the building structure, and to safely remove unwanted, non-original building components. By working with specialty structural repair subcontractors and the project engineer, we were able to bring the building back to safe condition as economically as possible. Through exploratory demolition and innovative design-build engineering, Rodda coordinated the efforts to create efficient new HVAC, Electrical, Fire sprinkler, and plumbing systems to serve the building, without inhibiting the use of valuable space, or compromising the building’s historic structure. Rodda also used our skilled craftsmen to restore the beautiful interior spaces of the lobby, common areas, and ballroom to their grandeur of the 1920s.
The Result:
Without question, this project has been one of the most successful historic rehabilitation projects in Lakeland’s history. Instead of this amazing structure meeting the wrecking ball, it has now been reborn as a eight-story apartment building in the revitalized Downtown district. Through-out construction, Rodda created an efficient and safe construction environment for the workers and Citizens of Lakeland on a very constricted site. Our dedication to quality can be seen though-out this amazing project, and we are proud to have been a part of this landmark project.
Client Testimonial:
The rehabilitation of Lake Mirror Tower was as complex and difficult a construction task as I have encountered. It was not only a complete historic restoration of an 80 year old building, but also a conversion of a hotel to apartments. Plus there were the added factors of adding and attaching a parking garage as well as other new amenities. And finally, since the building was Historic, and the restoration was partially financed by Federal Historic Tax Credits, there was the additional requirement of authenticity in regard to the renovation of the exteriors and common areas.
In short, it was a difficult job few contractors would take on, much less accomplish on schedule and on budget. But Rodda Construction did just that. They were consummately professional every step of the way.
Lloyd Boggio
President
Carlisle Development Group
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