Success Stories
Featured Success Story
The New Florida Hotel (Regency)
Construction of The Florida Hotel (1926)
The Florida Hotel was designed by the St. Petersburg architectural firm of Avery and Round for owner T. L. Hendrix. Prior to its construction, the design was modified by hotel general manager Robert Borland and Arthur William of the Polk County Association of Architects. The New Florida Hotel was grand in scale and designed in the Mediterranean Revival style. It is a nine-story building, constructed of "fire proof" concrete and tile, and finished with textured stucco. The design employs a variety of Mediterranean motifs, including arched ground floor windows and entrances, curvilinear gable bell tower, medallions, balconies and bracketed mission tile eaves. An upper story deck commands a spectacular view of the Lakeland area. The interior is richly appointed with marble, brass, and wood. It was designed as a resort and tourist hotel during Florida's boom.
Unfortunately for the backers of The New Florida Hotel, the boom was about to go bust. The New Florida opened on September 28, 1926, even though its interior was not yet finished. An ad in the Lakeland Ledger proclaimed:
...Lakeland itself has not been overlooked. The roof garden, the solarium, the civic rooms, the convention rooms, the tower room --- all have been provided that The Florida may be a veritable civic center.
After its brief opening in the fall of 1926, the collapse of the Florida land boom caused The New Florida to close its doors and then the Great Depression kept them closed until 1935. The Order of Railway Conductors reopened The New Florida in late 1935 and ran it until 1940. It was purchased in the latter year by Lakeland businessman, John E. Ballenger.
The New Florida, like the Terrace, was run successfully through the 1940's and 1950's. However, due to the changing travel habits of Americans and competition from newer hotels and motels, it fell into disrepair and in 1962 was converted into a senior living facility. In 1981 the name of The New Florida was changed to The Regency. In 1996, the Levin family of Tampa, who had purchased the hotel in 1962, announced that the hotel would close for renovations. It has not reopened.
The Florida Hotel is one of the three high rise or "skyscraper" buildings built during the boom of the 1920's. The fact that these three high-rise buildings remain the tallest in the City attests to the impact that period of time continues to have in Lakeland. As one of the three "signature" buildings giving downtown Lakeland its skyline, The New Florida Hotel is one of Lakeland's most important landmarks.
In March of 2001, The City of Lakeland purchased The New Florida Hotel. Since that time Historic Lakeland has been communicating with City officials to strongly urge the restoration of this important historic landmark. Historic Lakeland, Inc. is committed to the historic preservation of the New Florida Hotel (Regency). As such, we have written to City officials, endorsed and paid for a full page advertisement in The Ledger, and commissioned a rendering to assist in visualizing The New Florida Hotel's potential.
In response to our efforts, the City has voted against the idea of demolition and started the process towards the renovation and revitalization of this important landmark. Historic Lakeland, Inc. supports and looks forward to the "rebirth" of The New Florida Hotel.