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Proposed new government center raises concerns
The construction of a new government center in Polk County is getting some pushback from residents who are worried about flooding and traffic. FOX 13’s Carla Bayron reports.
KATHLEEN, Fla. - The construction of a new government center in Polk County is facing some pushback from residents who're concerned that the Kathleen area, where the facility would be located, isn't well-equipped.
The backstory:
On February 3, Polk County commissioners approved a $5 million land purchase agreement for the 28-acre piece of land east of Kathleen Road, south of Duff Road.
It'll be the spot of the future North Lakeland Polk County Government Center which will replace the existing one at Parker Street and Ingraham Avenue.
According to the county, this new center will be able to accommodate residents in this northwest portion of the county and it'll be modeled after the government center in Lake Alfred.
The other side:
"We're more on the quiet side. Kathleen's more quiet than US-98 N so we just like our property and land and that's why we moved out here," explained Destiny Anderson.
However, some homeowners nearby, including Anderson, have some concerns about its location.
The Willow Ridge neighborhood directly across the street flooded during Hurricane Milton.
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"The infrastructure is not there," said Anderson. "It's such a quiet side of Kathleen that everybody, nobody wants this building there. It's surrounded by neighborhoods. We're in a drought, a water shortage, and if it rains, it's going to flood out the neighborhoods around them."
Hurricane Milton flooded a Kathleen neighborhood in 2024.
Anderson said she's also disappointed the county acquired the property and decided what would be put there without seeking input from the community first.
She'd prefer for the facility to be located somewhere along US-98 N or nothing located in that spot at all.
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"Anything around it will flood if you build anything up in that area," she said. "I was telling my husband essentially it would be better off as a retention pond or some sort of water management area because the surrounding area can't support that."
What's next:
Polk County Commissioner Michael Scott will be hosting a community meeting to discuss the center from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at the Kathleen Baptist Church.
The Source: This article was written with interviews with homeowner Destiny Anderson.