§ City government · CRA
A dependent taxing district established to reduce or eliminate blight, improve the tax base, and encourage public and private investment within designated redevelopment areas. This page summarizes the 2025 CRA Annual Report — treat every figure as a dated reporting-period snapshot.
Source: City of Lake Wales, 2025 CRA Annual Report · FY 2024-2025 · Last verified 2026-07-16
Housing & rehabilitation
Provides negotiable assistance to developers building affordable homes in CRA areas. The report states City and County impact fees were waived for developers building affordable houses in the core improvement area.
Reported result · Five applicants received assistance.
Provides home-improvement assistance to eligible homeowners addressing conditions associated with substantial code-compliance liens. The report identifies City Code Compliance staff and the Keystone Challenge Fund as program participants.
Reported result · Four property owners received assistance.
More than 77 eligible homeowners had received improvements through the Legacy Housing Rehabilitation Program, CDBG Housing Rehabilitation Program, and Code Compliance Rehabilitation Program as of the 2025 report.
Business incentives
The CRA administers matching-reimbursement incentives for eligible commercial improvements and a separate program for restaurant leaseholders.
Reported 2025 restaurant recipients: Vibin' Vinny's, Lady B's Tea Parlor. Two businesses received assistance through the broader CRA Business Incentive Program.
Full incentive program details →Historic preservation
Provides funding to protect and rehabilitate cultural resources and encourage reinvestment in downtown buildings, districts, and sites.
Provides assistance for exterior improvements to historic commercial buildings in the Downtown Historic District. Eligible work applies to front or side façades facing public streets.
Two buildings on Park Avenue and the Woman's Club of Lake Wales were reported as restored or improved through historic restoration and preservation programs. The two Park Avenue buildings are not identified in the report.
Full historic-preservation page →Public art
Oakley Park pollinator and sculpture garden
Cypress Garden Lane
Bat-house sculpture
Related to the Florida bonneted bat
First Street mural
Reflects Lake Wales' historic 'A City in a Garden' concept
Kinetic art pieces and butterfly topiary
Oakley Park
Featured mural: Slice of Happiness by Gillian Fazio, at 254 E Stuart Avenue.
Infrastructure & pedestrian projects
The CRA supports streetscape, sidewalk, and pedestrian-safety projects across all four CRA areas. Documented investments include the First Street Redevelopment Streetscape, the Orange/Crystal Streetscape, and the Northwest Neighborhood Sidewalk Improvements. Detailed grant records live on the grants and projects page.
A dedicated grants-and-projects page with per-project scope is on the Phase 2 roadmap.
Awarded 2025
Capital Projects / Infrastructure for a Small City
Park Avenue and Market Plaza Redesign Project
Annual Report for a Small City
2024 Lake Wales CRA Annual Report
Tax-increment history
These are reported City and County Tax Increment figures by CRA district. Presented for historical reference — growth is not, by itself, evidence of causation.
| Fiscal year | CRA 1 | CRA 2 | CRA 3 | CRA 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | $155,346 | $1,780,797 | $85,731 | — |
| 2020-2021 | $176,762 | $1,848,566 | $92,409 | — |
| 2021-2022 | $185,526 | $2,109,817 | $108,191 | — |
| 2022-2023 | $217,604 | $2,490,083 | $151,240 | — |
| 2023-2024 | $250,322 | $3,172,530 | $204,493 | — |
| 2024-2025 | $267,223 | $3,518,552 | $281,128 | — |
| 2025-2026 | $310,428 | $4,033,315 | $370,357 | $60,334 |
CRA Board of Directors
Roster as printed in the 2025 CRA Annual Report — verify current officeholders before relying on this list.
Jack Hilligoss
Mayor / Commissioner At-Large
Term shown: 2022-05-03 — 2028-05-02
Robin Gibson
Deputy Mayor / Commissioner Seat 5
Term shown: 2016-05-03 — 2026-05-05
Term shown in the 2025 report ended May 2026 — verify current officeholder.
Daniel Williams
Commissioner Seat 2
Term shown: 2021-05-04 — 2027-05-04
Keith Thompson
Commissioner Seat 3
Term shown: 2023-05-03 — 2029-05-01
Carol Gillespie
Commissioner Seat 4
Term shown: 2024-05-07 — 2027-05-04