The Path to Pain-Free Healthy Living Begins at Sarasota Neuropathy Center
(941) 347-9434 Diabetes and Neuropathy Treatment in Southgate, FL
Living with neuropathy and diabetes is a challenge that millions of Americans face every day. Neuropathy - which comes in several forms and manifests in many ways - can affect any person. In the United States, neuropathy and diabetes often go hand-in-hand, with about 50% of people with diabetes suffering from the condition. In fact, the number of people with neuropathy is only increasing as diabetes becomes more common and the population ages.
People who suffer from these conditions must endure painful and disruptive symptoms, such as:
- Intense Bouts of Sharp, Burning Pain
- Numbness, Prickling, or Tingling in the Hands and Feet
- Decreased Muscle Strength and Paralysis
- Trouble with Balance and Coordination
- Unusually High Sensitivity to Touch
- Digestive and Bladder Control Issues
While some patients are at a greater risk of developing certain types of neuropathy, it doesn't discriminate between sex, race, age, or medical history. Fortunately, neuropathy and diabetes awareness are growing. By proxy, so are new and exciting treatment options that show dramatic improvements in both conditions.
If you've been suffering from the symptoms of diabetes or neuropathy and are in search of a truly effective solution, Sarasota Neuropathy Center can help. Unlike some clinics, our commitment is to offer more than temporary relief. As a diabetic and neuropathy treatment specialist in Southgate, FL, we aim to rectify the distinct root causes underlying each patient's symptoms.
But to understand how we're able to accomplish that goal, you've got to first understand the nuances of neuropathy and diabetes.
There are several types of diabetes of which you should be aware:
Other types of diabetes can include:
- Monogenic Diabetes
- Cystic Fibrosis-Related Diabetes
- Secondary Diabetes
Service Areas
Neuropathy 101
Neuropathy is a medical condition that arises when the peripheral nerves, which are responsible for transmitting signals between the brain, spinal cord, and other parts of the body, fail to function correctly due to damage or disease. These nerves are essential for detecting sensations such as warmth, cold, and pain, as well as regulating muscle movement and carrying out automatic processes like digestion and heartbeat without our conscious involvement.
What Causes Neuropathy?
When patients speak with a nerve pain doctor for the first time, they have a lot of questions, and rightfully so. At Sarasota Neuropathy Center, one of the most frequently asked questions we hear centers around the factors causing neuropathy. If you're reading this article, chances are you have similar questions. While we can't pinpoint what's causing your neuropathy without proper testing, here are a few of the most common factors that can cause neuropathy to manifest:
Diabetes
Diabetes is one of the leading causes of diabetes in adults - especially when a person has dealt with high blood sugar levels over long periods of time. When diabetes harms your nerves, it can lead to diabetic neuropathy and create a recurring trigger for this type of nerve damage.
Lack of Vitamins
Your nerves require certain vitamins, including B1 (thiamine), B12, B6, and vitamin E, to function correctly. Without a balanced diet or supplementation, deficiencies in these vitamins can lead to nerve damage over time.
Autoimmune Disorders
In certain instances, a person's immune system accidentally attacks its own cells, including nerve tissues. When this happens, neuropathy often follows. Diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Guillain-Barré syndrome come under this category, where the immune system's misguided attack on nerves causes dysfunction and pain.
Genetics
Neuropathy can be inherited in some families, meaning it is passed down from one generation to another. When this occurs, peripheral nerves can be affected by genetic forms of the condition, such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
Infections in the Body
There are certain viruses and bacteria that have the ability to attack nerve tissues and also cause conditions that can result in nerve damage. Examples of such infections include Lyme disease, HIV, and hepatitis C. These illnesses have the potential to either initiate or worsen existing neuropathy.
Physical Trauma
Physical injuries, whether caused by accidents, repetitive movements, or falls, can lead to nerve damage. Such injuries can result in neuropathy, causing loss of function and painful sensations in the affected region of the body.
What are the Different Types of Neuropathy?
Peripheral neuropathy is a condition that can affect one nerve, a group of related nerves, or multiple nerves in different parts of the body. The symptoms can vary depending on which type of nerve signals are affected. Keep reading for a closer look at the various types of neuropathies and how they affect you. If one of the categories below sounds familiar, make a mental note to discuss it with your diabetic and neuropathy treatment specialist in Southgate, FL.
Peripheral Neuropathy:
Nerve Pain in Your Arms and Legs
Of all the different types of neuropathies, this is the kind that you're probably most familiar with, as it's the most common form treated in the U.S.It occurs most often when the nerves responsible for transmitting messages of touch and movement between your brain and your extremities don't function properly.
Symptoms can include:
- Sensations of Pins and Needles
- Numbness
- Soreness
- Cramping
- Shooting Pains
As the condition progresses, muscle weakness can occur, making it difficult to perform precise movements and walk without assistance. Balance problems are also common.
Focal Neuropathy:
Nerve Pain in a Specific Area
Focal neuropathy can sometimes result in damage to a single nerve or a cluster of nerves in a particular region, leading to localized pain or weakness. For instance, carpal tunnel syndrome can affect the wrist, causing numbness or weakness in the hand. Similarly, Bell's palsy can impact the face, resulting in droopiness or stiffness on one side of the face.
Other symptoms can include:
- Muscles Don't Work Correctly
- Sharp Pains
- Localized Pain and Weakness
Autonomic Neuropathy:
Nerve Pain That Controls Automatic Body Functions
This type of neuropathy affects the nerves that control involuntary bodily functions, such as heartbeat, digestion, and bladder control. When these nerves are damaged
You may experience symptoms such as:
- Dizziness When Standing Quickly
- Issues with Sexual Intercourse
- Constipation
- Issues Regulating Body Temperature
Compression Neuropathy:
Nerve Pain from Your Nerves Being Squeezed
This type of neuropathy happens when a nerve is pinched or squeezed. It happens most often when you are injured or have to repeat actions over and over again for work or sports purposes. Some examples include Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and sciatica. Symptoms can include:
Symptoms can include:
- Sharp Shooting Pain
- Weakness in the Affected Body Part
- Numbness
Whether you or someone you love are trying to live with neuropathy, you know that it can significantly alter lifestyles, making it difficult to perform day-to-day activities, work, or engage in hobbies. That's why it's so important to understand the underlying causes of your nerve pain, so that you can receive appropriate treatment and improve your quality of life. Taking care of the root problem, as well as managing the pain and other symptoms, is key to helping you stay active and comfortable. That's where working with a diabetic and neuropathy treatment specialist in Southgate, FL, becomes crucial.
Addressing the Root Causes of Your Neuropathy
Sarasota Neuropathy Center is a nerve pain clinic that provides patients with a comprehensive, rewarding journey toward healing. It begins with a thorough evaluation that involves in-depth laboratory tests and analyses. This introductory step helps us identify the specific factors that contribute to your peripheral neuropathy. Our team of neuropathy treatment specialists then creates a personalized treatment plan tailored exclusively to your body and symptoms.
By providing you with a wide range of strategies aimed at addressing the root causes of your condition, you can achieve lasting relief and may even be able to reverse the effects of peripheral neuropathy.
Our advanced therapeutic options include:
Nerve Regeneration Equipment
We use cutting-edge machinery like laser light therapy and electromagnetic impulses to stimulate your nerves, encourage repair, and foster nerve tissue regeneration.
Vaso-Pulse Technology
This FDA-approved treatment sends signals through your feet and around your spine, which helps us highlight and rectify areas where nerve and vascular damage are present.
Antioxidants
By incorporating antioxidants into your treatment plan, we can better mitigate nerve damage and counteract oxidative stress.
Anti-Inflammatory Treatments
Inflammation exacerbates nerve damage and pain. Our neuropathy specialists use anti-inflammatory agents to help alleviate your symptoms
Minerals and Vitamins
Nutritional deficiencies impact nerve health. We supplement those deficiencies with vitamins and minerals to help nerve repair.
Immunomodulators
For neuropathies linked to autoimmune disorders, we employ immunomodulators that help regulate the immune system's activity to prevent it from attacking the body's own nerve tissues.
Lifestyle and Diet Changes
Changing your diet and incorporating exercise into your daily routine are two of the best ways to support nerve health.
Through a personalized, natural, and comprehensive treatment plan from Sarasota Neuropathy Center, reclaiming your life doesn't have to be a dream - it can be a true possibility.
Diabetes 101
Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by elevated levels of sugar in the blood. This happens when the body is unable to produce or use insulin effectively. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps regulate blood glucose levels by facilitating its absorption into cells for energy or storage.
There are several types of diabetes of which you should be aware:
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes is a condition in which the immune system attacks and destroys the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, resulting in little to no insulin production. This condition usually develops in childhood or adolescence but can occur at any age. Patients who suffer from Type 1 Diabetes have to depend on daily insulin administration to manage their blood sugar levels.
The exact cause of this autoimmune reaction is not fully understood, although it is believed that genetic and environmental factors may contribute to it. Contact your diabetic and neuropathy treatment specialist in Southgate, FL to learn more about this disease.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes is the most common form of diabetes and is mainly caused by lifestyle factors such as obesity, physical inactivity, and poor diet. In this condition, the body either doesn't produce enough insulin or the cells don't use insulin effectively, leading to high blood sugar levels. Unlike Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes can sometimes be managed or reversed with lifestyle changes, although some people may still need medications or insulin therapy.
Gestational Diabetes
Gestational Diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy and typically goes away after giving birth. However, it can give an indication of a woman's future risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. The condition is caused by hormonal changes during pregnancy that make the body's cells more resistant to insulin. It's important to manage Gestational Diabetes to prevent complications for both mother and baby.
Other types of diabetes can include:
- Monogenic Diabetes
- Cystic Fibrosis-Related Diabetes
- Secondary Diabetes
Genetics
You can have genetic links to both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. These links make you predisposed to the condition.
Lifestyle
Poor diet, lack of exercise, and obesity all contribute to insulin resistance, which causes diabetes
Autoimmune
Your immune system mistakenly targets and eliminates insulin-producing beta cells in your pancreas, leading to insufficient insulin production and Type 1 Diabetes.
Insulin Resistance
The most prevalent type of diabetes - Type 2 Diabetes - arises when cells resist insulin's effect, causing a spike in blood sugar levels.
What Are the Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes?
Many patients who speak with a diabetic and neuropathy treatment specialist in Southgate, FL assume they have Type 2 Diabetes, but aren't 100% sure. At Sarasota Neuropathy Center, we would need to conduct tests to verify whether you have the disease. With that said, the following symptoms often manifest when you have Type 2 Diabetes.
Neuropathy
Type 2 Diabetes can cause nerve damage, which in turn causes tingling and numbness, especially in your feet and hands.
Tiredness
Chronic fatigue happens when your body can't utilize glucose for energy in the right way.
Excessive Urination and Thirst
When you have high blood sugar, your body's natural response is to eliminate excess fluids. This can cause you to urinate frequently and can also cause you to feel very thirsty.
Slow-Healing Wounds
High blood sugar impairs your body's ability to heal itself and resist infection.
Vision Changes
When your blood sugar spikes, it can cause visual disturbances that can blur your vision.
Unexplained Weight Loss
In uncontrolled Type 1 Diabetes, the body may begin to break down muscle and fat for energy, leading to unexplained weight loss.
If you believe you may have Type 2 Diabetes, it's important to get checked out ASAP. Regular health screenings and glucose monitoring are important for early detection and effective management of Type 2 Diabetes, as symptoms may not be apparent in the initial stages.
The Sarasota Neuropathy Approach to Diabetes Care
As a diabetic and neuropathy treatment specialist in Southgate, FL, we are committed to offering a groundbreaking approach for Type 2 Diabetes, which focuses on reversing the condition by addressing the root causes rather than just managing the symptoms. Our innovative strategy goes beyond conventional treatment paradigms and delves into the underlying factors that contribute to Type 2 Diabetes.
We use a holistic methodology that includes comprehensive lifestyle interventions, nutritional counseling, and personalized medical oversight. This approach has consistently demonstrated remarkable efficacy in significantly reducing blood glucose levels among our patients.
Key highlights of our diabetes treatment include:
Book Appointment
The Path to Relief Starts with a Diabetic and Neuropathy Treatment Specialist in Southgate, FL
At Sarasota Diabetes & Neuropathy Center, our mission is to empower you to overcome neuropathy, Type 2 Diabetes, or both by embarking on a transformative journey to wellness. By integrating advanced medical care with comprehensive lifestyle interventions, we help you achieve better health outcomes and a renewed sense of hope and control over your journey to a healthy life.
Latest News in Southgate, FL
Here are South Florida’s top multifamily deals of 2023
Lidia Dinkovahttps://therealdeal.com/miami/2023/12/18/inside-south-floridas-top-multifamily-deals-of-2023/
South Florida’s multifamily market wasn’t spared from elevated interest rates this year.The biggest deal was Air Communities’ purchase of a pair of apartment buildings in Miami Beach for $223.5 million, a price far below last year’s biggest sale of $440 million and runner-up of ...
South Florida’s multifamily market wasn’t spared from elevated interest rates this year.
The biggest deal was Air Communities’ purchase of a pair of apartment buildings in Miami Beach for $223.5 million, a price far below last year’s biggest sale of $440 million and runner-up of $429.4 million.
The drop in prices is mainly due to the Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes that started in March of 2022. Although activity remained strong last year, bolstered by unprecedented demand and skyrocketing rents, South Florida’s good fortune didn’t trickle into this year.
Investment sales activity was mostly muted in the first few months of this year. Deals picked up in the summer and fall when buyers with closed discretionary funds, or capitalized funds allowing investors to avoid borrowing at higher interest rates, swooped in on South Florida. With an average occupancy of roughly 95 percent and an average monthly rent of over $2,100, the tri-county region remained a safe and coveted real estate bet –– at least for buyers that can still afford purchases.
Here are this year’s top 10 multifamily deals in South Florida.
The year kicked off with the biggest multifamily deal of 2023.
Air Communities bought the pair of 14-story Southgate Towers in South Beach for $223.5 million in January.
The deal marked the first time the L-shaped buildings traded since the Gumenick family completed them in the late 1950s or early 1960s. Sitting on 4 acres at 910 West Avenue, Southgate Towers overlook Biscayne Bay and Miami.
Air’s purchase breaks down to $451,568 per apartment.
Denver-based Air, or Apartment Income REIT, also paid $26.9 million for the garage with ground-floor retail across the street from Southgate Towers and at 959 West Avenue.
In September, San Francisco-based Stockbridge Capital Group bought the Casero apartment complex in the Fontainebleau neighborhood for $156 million.
Trammell Crow Residential and private equity giant Carlyle sold the four-story, 356-unit property at 8300 Park Boulevard in unincorporated Miami-Dade County. The pair had completed the complex, previously named Alexan Park 82nd Apartments, last year.
The sale breaks down to $438,202 per apartment.
Praedium Group bought a Lantana apartment complex for $138 million.
The New York-based firm purchased the 348-unit Manor Lantana at 861 Water Tower Way from the complex’s developers, Related Group and Rockpoint. The deal breaks down to $396,552 per apartment.
Coconut Grove-based Related and Boston-based Rockpoint completed the four-building Manor Lantana last year.
Related, led by Jorge Pérez and his sons, Jon Paul and Nick Pérez, offloaded another apartment complex this year.
The firm sold 29 Wyn at 2918 and 2828 Northwest First Avenue in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood to Berkshire Residential Investments and Palo Alto, California-based Bayshore Global Management for $135 million.
Related developed the 248-unit 29 Wyn in partnership with Bob Zangrillo’s Dragon Global Management and Carlos Rosso, which were also the sellers. Completed this year, 29 Wyn consists of a 12-story and an eight-story building.
The sale breaks down to $544,355 per apartment.
The Connor Group paid $121 million for The Villas at Wyndham Lakes apartment complex in Coral Springs.
The Dayton, Ohio-based firm bought the garden-style complex at 11500 Northwest 56th Drive from AEW Capital Management. Completed in the 1990s, the Villas consists of 22 three-story apartment buildings with 332 units.
The deal breaks down to $364,458 per apartment.
Harbor Group International beefed up its South Florida portfolio with a $105.5 million purchase of a West Palm Beach complex.
The Norfolk, Virginia-based firm bought the Locklyn West Palm at 3590 Village Boulevard from Alliance Residential Company and Carlyle. Alliance and Carlyle completed the six-building complex last year.
The deal for the 280-unit property breaks down to $376,786 per apartment.
Pantzer Properties bought the six-story Milagro apartment building for $97.5 million.
Wafra sold the six-story, 237-unit property at 2263 Southwest 37th Avenue in the Silver Bluff neighborhood to New York-based Pantzer.
The deal breaks down to $411,392 per apartment.
Bar Invest Group scooped up a garden-style complex in Margate for $93 million.
Blackstone, through its real estate arm, sold the 394-unit Pinebrook Pointe at 3495 Pinewalk Drive for $236,041 per apartment.
Completed in 1988 on 33 acres, Pinebrook Pointe has 45 two-story and three-story buildings. Records show Blackstone had paid $69.9 million for the complex in 2017.
Greystar bought a 448-unit apartment complex in Palm Beach Gardens for $92.2 million.
PGIM Real Estate sold the garden-style Avana Palm Beach Gardens. It was completed in 1991 on 44.3 acres at 10000 Alternate A1A.
Newark, New Jersey-based PGIM had purchased the complex in 2021 in partnership with Carroll Organization, an Atlanta-based firm that until recently was led by controversial real estate figure Patrick Carroll. This year, RMR Group, led by Adam Portnoy, bought Carroll Organization, and Carroll stepped down from the CEO post of his eponymously named firm.
The recent Avana sale breaks down to $205,705 per apartment.
GID bought a seven-story building with 312 units in Miami-Dade County’s Glenvar Heights neighborhood.
The real estate investment and management firm paid $91.4 million for the Windsor Ludlam Trail at 7004 Bird Road in unincorporated county.
Fort Lauderdale-based Altman Companies, a subsidiary of BBX Capital Real Estate, completed the building last year and christened it Altís Ludlam Trail. The former name was an homage to the Ludlam Trail, a biking, walking and running path that will run 5.6 miles within the boundaries of a former Florida East Coast Railway track.
The recent sale breaks down to $292,832 per apartment.
Source: TRD analysis of brokerage data, as provided by Colliers and Cushman & Wakefield.
Lakeland’s most iconic landmarks
Victoria Bardegahttps://laltoday.6amcity.com/new-to-lakeland/landmarks-in-lakeland-fl
We’ve all been there: Someone’s trying to give you directions by describing 10 lefts, 20 rights, and a jumble of cardinal directions. Isn’t it easier to just point out a landmark?That’s exactly what we’re doing. We have a few of the most recognizable Lakeland landmarks — from the Southgate Sign to Lake Mirror’s Frances Langford Promenade. Not only are these local icons easy to remember, but they’ll also get you where you need to go in a jiffy.Tax Collector for Polk CountyAd...
We’ve all been there: Someone’s trying to give you directions by describing 10 lefts, 20 rights, and a jumble of cardinal directions. Isn’t it easier to just point out a landmark?
That’s exactly what we’re doing. We have a few of the most recognizable Lakeland landmarks — from the Southgate Sign to Lake Mirror’s Frances Langford Promenade. Not only are these local icons easy to remember, but they’ll also get you where you need to go in a jiffy.
Tax Collector for Polk CountyAddress: 916 N. Massachusetts Ave.Nearby: Haus 820, The Yard on Mass
There’s something iconic about our city’s neon signs —even our Tax Collector’s office gets it. The building was once home to a 1950s-era Publix store, and it keeps its signature green hue today.
Southside Cleaners SignAddress: 901 S. Florida Ave.Nearby: 360 Unlimited, Low Country Vintage
No drive through Dixieland is complete without a glance at the Southside Cleaner’s quote of the day. The seafoam green and sunny starburst sign has been around since 1962 and is curated with different phrases on the marquee throughout the week.
“Sputnik” Roto-SphereAddress: 941 E. Main St.Nearby: Jenkins Lincoln, Boring Business Systems
This spinning neon art piece was designed by Warren Milks between 1961-1970. It’s been dubbed “Sputnik” because it looks like the satellites that were launched in the 1950s. The Roto-Sphere is so much of a Lakeland landmark that pilots use it as a reference point at night.
The Frances Langford PromenadeNearby: The Joinery, Lake Mirror Complex, Catapult
Listed on the US National Register of Historic Places, the promenade was completed in 1928 and later dedicated to Lakeland native Frances Langford. It’s now home to events like the Lakeland Christmas Parade and Red, White & Kaboom.
The Polk TheatreAddress: 121 S. Florida Ave.Nearby: Little Lake Play, Oates Building
The Polk Theatre first opened in 1928 and was one of the first local spots with air conditioning. If the glowing sign catches your eye, head inside to see a movie and take in the Mediterranean-inspired building design.
Southgate Shopping CenterAddress: 2515 S. Florida Ave.Nearby: Publix, Crowder Bros. Ace Hardware
Built in 1957, the Southgate Shopping Center transformed the Polk County skyline — now, you’d be hard-pressed to find an illustration of Lakeland that doesn’t include it. Its claim to fame was a cameo in the 1990 film “Edward Scissorhands.” More recently, it was also used for Disney’s movie “The One and Only Ivan” in 2018.
Publix Water TowerAddress: 3335 New Tampa Hwy.Nearby: Publix distribution centers, Silvermoon Drive-In
This water tower, nicknamed “Hydrocake,” was built in 1982. The tower stands tall at 146 feet, and it’s topped with 8-ft tall illuminated candles that represent Publix’s past and future. It can provide 250,000 gallons of water per minute for the supermarket’s nearby production and distribution centers.
The Dixieland DragonAddress: 118 W. Park St.Nearby: Born & Bread Bakehouse, Waller Centre
A welder used scrap metal from Dixieland Relics to create a public art installation. Pay this mythical beast a visit on your next trip to the Dixieland neighborhood.
What did we miss? If you know a landmark that’s not on the list, let us know using this survey.
'It's a poor location': Neighbors concerned about plan for a Chick-fil-A near Southgate
Sara-Megan Walshhttps://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2023/04/28/chick-fil-a-with-no-drive-thru-planned-just-north-of-southgate-plaza/70164673007/
LAKELAND — The thought of a second Chick-fil-A opening on South Florida Avenue has raised alarm among Lakeland residents.Tampa-based Bohler Engineering held a neighborhood meeting Thursday night to meet with residents about a proposal to open a Chick-fil-A restaurant at 2301 S. Florida Ave, just north of Southgate Shopping Center."It's a poor location. It has been for years and years and years," said Chad Reid, a Lakeland resident of 30 years. "Now the road diet ends just before it and drivin...
LAKELAND — The thought of a second Chick-fil-A opening on South Florida Avenue has raised alarm among Lakeland residents.
Tampa-based Bohler Engineering held a neighborhood meeting Thursday night to meet with residents about a proposal to open a Chick-fil-A restaurant at 2301 S. Florida Ave, just north of Southgate Shopping Center.
"It's a poor location. It has been for years and years and years," said Chad Reid, a Lakeland resident of 30 years. "Now the road diet ends just before it and driving is crazy at that location."
The roughly one-acre site was previously a Bank of America branch. It has been vacant for several years. Chick-fil-A seeks to use the site to build its new model restaurant. In almost a complete reversal from COVID-era policies, the franchised chain wants to build a sit-down restaurant without the drive thru that Chick-fil-A's model is well known for.
Bohler Engineering staff representing a Chick-fil-A franchise owner declined to speak with The Ledger any further about their new concept restaurant.
"The concept is still new. There's not a lot of data available on what traffic would be like," said Abby Rowzee, a West Palm Drive resident who attended Thursday night's meeting.
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Traffic and safety of local residents, students and parents traveling to Southwest Elementary School are the main concerns of residents if the proposal moves forward, Rowzee said.
The property is adjacent to residential homes on West Poinsettia Street, which loops south turning into West Oak Drive and connecting to Southgate Shopping Center. Residents say there is also an existing driveway that connects a parking lot alongside the former bank building to Play It Again Sports, potentially allowing motorists to cut north to West Palm Street.
Reid, who's son attends Lakeland School of Music on West Oak Drive, said there are already traffic problems on the residential streets.
"It's murderous traffic to get in and out of the schools every single day," he said.
Rowzee said dozens of vehicles back up on West Oak Drive and West Poinsettia daily during Southwest Elementary School's pickup and dropoff hours. This essentially limits the already narrow street to one-way travel for safety's sake.
Large sections of the neighborhood also lack sidewalks, Rowzee said, causing residents and students alike to run, walk and bike on the streets. She said she fears traffic from Chick-fil-A could lead to an increase in pedestrian accidents.
Reid and Rowzee said they both are Chick-fil-A customers who visit the South Lakeland franchise, located approximately 2.5 miles to the south. A key difference is that restaurant is located amid other businesses, not immediately adjacent to a residential neighborhood.
Southwest residents asked Bohler Engineering and Chick-fil-A representatives if they would consider other locations that would not back up against residential homes.
To move forward, Bohler Engineering and Chick-a-Fil would need to request a change of zoning from Lakeland's Planning and Zoning Board. The request would go through a hearing process before going to the City Commission for final approval.
Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at [email protected] or 863-802-7545. Follow on Twitter @SaraWalshFl.
Iconic Southgate arch to get its glow back
Sara-Megan Walshhttps://www.theledger.com/story/news/2020/02/19/iconic-southgate-arch-to-get-its-glow-back/1672370007/
CORRECTION: An earlier online version had the incorrect spelling of Faye Doppelheuer’s last name.LAKELAND — A flash of neon-style lights over Southgate Shopping Center has sparked renewed hope for the future of the Lakeland landmark.The shopping center’s retro arch is being retrofitted with new LED lighting according to Stephanie Carten, marketing manager for Cr...
CORRECTION: An earlier online version had the incorrect spelling of Faye Doppelheuer’s last name.
LAKELAND — A flash of neon-style lights over Southgate Shopping Center has sparked renewed hope for the future of the Lakeland landmark.
The shopping center’s retro arch is being retrofitted with new LED lighting according to Stephanie Carten, marketing manager for Crossman & Company, a retail leasing firm that manages the property.
“We know it’s an icon and we definitely want to make sure it’s done right,” she said.
The 70-foot-tall sign with stylized script has been dark for decades after the original neon sign was damaged. Carten could not provide an exact shut-off date, but restoration efforts began in November.
“We are upgrading it and moving away from neon,” she said. “We are looking to get away from the issues with neon including fire risks, which is why we had to shut it down years ago.”
The sign will be lit using FloppyFlex LED neon lighting designed by Australia-based Firefly Lighting, according to documents submitted to the City of Lakeland. It is marketed as “the perfect replacement for traditional neon,” produces a variety of colors and can be programmed to produce a custom light show.
The FloppyFlex lighting and its installation will cost approximately $58,700, according to an electrical permit application filed in November with the city’s building inspection division.
Many Lakeland residents are already familiar with how FloppyFlex’s LED rope lighting looks. One of the product’s biggest customers is Disney, according to Jeffrey Crisp, branch manager for Sesco Lighting, in a November letter to Crossman & Company.
Faye Doppelheuer, owner of Babe’s Shoes & Apparel, was one of several people who witnessed a test run of the sign’s new lighting on Tuesday. Doppeheuer published a few photos on Babe’s Facebook page.
“I was just teasing people,” she said.
Doppelheuer could barely contain her excitement to see the sign restored and she’s not alone. Photos of the test run were shared by several residents to overwhelmingly positive reviews.
“It is going to be so awesome for the shopping center and the Lakeland community,” she said. “The arch is iconic and is known worldwide.”
The retro arch of Southgate Shopping Center has become a pop-culture icon since it was built in 1957. It has appeared in several Hollywood movies, perhaps most famously in director Tim Burton’s 1990 hit “Edward Scissorhands” featuring actor Johnny Depp.
More recently, Disney took over the shopping center in June 2018 to shoot scenes for its upcoming movie “The One and Only Ivan,” an adaptation of the Newberry-medal winning novel by Katherine Applegate. It is scheduled to be released in August 2020 and lists actress Angelina Jolie as a producer.
Carten said there is no date set for when Southgate’s iconic sign will regularly light the skies over South Florida Avenue again, but plans for a grand celebration are in the works. The owners declined to comment to The Ledger on why they’ve waited until now to restore the sign.
Whether the wait is a few more weeks or months, it can’t dampen Doppelheuer’s spirit.
“It’s been pushed forward so many times,” she said. “The past 12 months Southgate Shopping Center has come back alive and I’m so excited to see it finished.”
Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at [email protected] or 863-802-7545.
Not Just Any Shopping Center
Staff Writerhttps://www.theledger.com/story/news/2009/06/28/lakelands-southgate-shopping-center-is-rich-in-history/26190042007/
Its Original Anchor Store Being Rebuilt, Lakeland's Southgate Is Rich in History0:000:39These days, the complex looks more like a throwback than a trend setter.The soaring parabolic arch. The stylized script. The gigantic parking lot. Nearly 860 feet of window-shopping pleasure.But when it opened in 1957, Lakeland's Southgate Shopping Center at 2515 S. Florida Ave. was a modern marvel, pioneering the fledgling shopping center concept and permanently changing the face of Lakeland."The elaborat...
Its Original Anchor Store Being Rebuilt, Lakeland's Southgate Is Rich in History
These days, the complex looks more like a throwback than a trend setter.
The soaring parabolic arch. The stylized script. The gigantic parking lot. Nearly 860 feet of window-shopping pleasure.
But when it opened in 1957, Lakeland's Southgate Shopping Center at 2515 S. Florida Ave. was a modern marvel, pioneering the fledgling shopping center concept and permanently changing the face of Lakeland.
"The elaborate Southgate Shopping Center ... becomes another substantial advance for this entire area," a Ledger editorial proclaimed when the center opened in November 1957. "The great crowd of visitors certain to go there tomorrow will find that the center has unity, wholeness and shining quality reflecting the best in American merchandising enterprise."
Now undergoing rebuilding of its main anchor store, Southgate's development 52 years ago hinged on one man, George Jenkins, and his innovative grocery store called Publix.
PIONEERING CONCEPT
Jenkins didn't invent the shopping center - but he recognized its incredible potential.
"George Jenkins had the genius to realize that, if he located in a shopping center, it would boost his business," said Homer Hooks, who became director of the Florida Citrus Commission the same year Southgate opened. "The shopping center concept was ready-made for Publix, and vice-versa."
The first shopping center debuted in Kansas City, Mo., in 1922, Tabea Sollner wrote in "The History of Shopping Center Development." Although open-air markets featuring clusters of different merchants have existed for more than 1,000 years, what set this new concept apart was its focus on the automobile. Parking was a rare commodity in downtowns, most of which were built before cars came along. Shopping centers, however, grouped a variety of stores around a spacious parking lot, making parking - and shopping - more convenient.
Jenkins saw his first shopping center in 1947 while visiting St. Louis, Pat Watters wrote in "Fifty Years of Pleasure: The Illustrated History of Publix Super Markets Inc." When Florida's first shopping center opened in St. Petersburg seven years later, Jenkins made sure Publix was one of the tenants.
"Competitors ... such as A&P and Winn-Dixie were reluctant to do that in the early days of the centers," Watters wrote. "Back then ... Publix had a larger percentage of space in the centers than any other company in the state."
Publix then went a step further, developing and building its own shopping centers rather than just occupying them. Jenkins built his first center in Largo in 1956, followed soon after by Sarasota, Winter Haven (Northgate Shopping Center on Northwest Sixth Street) and eventually Lakeland.
Building Southgate in Lakeland, Publix's headquarters, fell right in line with Jenkins' vision for the centers and his stores.
"We just felt like making a downtown area on the edge of town with plenty of parking space was a logical thing to do," Joe Blanton, who helped Jenkins pick store locations, told Watters in 1980.
GROWTH SPURT
Lakeland in the mid-1950s didn't extend much farther south along South Florida Avenue than the Dixieland subdivision. "The road to Mulberry," in fact, was just two lanes, and the land now occupied by Southgate held little more than an orange grove and a couple of houses, said longtime area resident Shirley Boyett.
Most of Lakeland's shopping choices were still concentrated downtown, she said. She remembers shopping at the small art-deco-styled Publix just south of the Dixieland Post Office. A similar Publix stood near Lake Morton where the Polk Museum of Art stands today.
So when the 67-ton arch rose over the southern edge of town, residents were abuzz.
"We just thought we had come to town - it was such a plus for Lakeland," she said. "It really made this area."
The $1 million shopping center opened Nov. 19, 1957, with 16 stores, including a department store, a hardware store, a shoe store, a Woolworth's and a "Beauteria." Occupying the anchor spot on the center's north side was a giant new Publix with Jenkins' latest innovation, "The Danish Bakery," next door. Seven hundred cars filled the parking lot for the grand opening, which featured aerial bombs and an appearance by Jenkins himself.
"It was always excitement if he was there," Boyett said, adding that she waited a few days before visiting the store herself. "It never did hurt for business after it opened the first day."
The new center didn't hurt Lakeland's prospects, either.
"The completion of this modern shopping center is another giant stride in the continued growth and progress of Lakeland," the city of Lakeland proclaimed in a congratulatory newspaper ad on opening day.
In fact, Southgate's opening marked a major shift for Lakeland's business community, Hooks said. Other stores and businesses spread south down Florida Avenue until the entire route between Lakeland and Mulberry had nearly become a continuous business corridor.
"That was the crown jewel of Lakeland in those days," Hooks said of Southgate. "It caused the buildup of the whole area."
One perspective is that Publix fed the growth. Another way to look at it, however, is that Jenkins knew where growth was going to be - and built his stores accordingly.
"He could predict when an area would catch fire and people would move in," Hooks said. "Back then there was very little traffic, very few houses on South Florida Avenue. Now you could argue the center of Lakeland has moved south."
ARCH-ITECTURE
These days Southgate is part of Lakeland's identity: A landmark. An icon. A shopping necessity. After a cameo appearance in the 1990 film "Edward Scissorhands," it's even a great trivia question.
Search for "Southgate Shopping Center Lakeland" images on Google and you'll find dozens of pictures of the complex's 70-foot arch photographed from every conceivable angle. It has become beloved for its retro styling.
In fact, when Publix announced late last year that it would be tearing down its 51-year-old Publix at Southgate, many residents immediately wondered about the arch's fate. But while the Publix is closed for several months for extensive renovations - including the addition of 7,000 more square feet and an in-store pharmacy - the arch remains.
"We all want it to stay there," said Boyett, whose son worked as a bag boy at Southgate when he turned 16.
But Boyett and Hooks also want their Southgate Publix back. Their families have shopped there for years, and shopping anywhere else - even at another Publix - isn't quite the same.
"My husband was with Publix for 30 years. I worked there for 10 years reconciling bank statements. We just felt Southgate was part ours," Boyett said. "I can't wait for it to open again."
[ Cinnamon Bair, a Polk County native, can be reached at [email protected]. ]
Built: 1957 Cost: $1 million Arch: 70 feet tall, 67 tons of steel Length: 859 feet of storefront Original stores: 16. Publix is the last original tenant. Of note: It is the oldest Publix in Lakeland still in its original location.
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