Reviving a Piece of Our Past

In a big win for historic preservation, the City of Lake Wales officially regained ownership of the 1927 Walesbilt Hotel on May 9, following a $450,000 settlement that ended a three-year legal dispute.

The long-vacant, 10-story landmark is a centerpiece of downtown history and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A full structural assessment is underway, with hopes to select a developer by summer to restore it as a hotel with ground-floor retail.

We’re excited to see this downtown neighbor move toward a vibrant new chapter, and to continue celebrating our shared heritage as a community.