Have you ever driven by the site off the old Turtle Lane Playhouse in Auburndale and wondered why development there has stalled? I was curious, talked with several city officials and found out that nothing is going on.
Until it closed in 2013, Turtle Lane was the site of live musical performances. In 2016, the City Council approved a proposal for a new 200-seat theater, 16 units of housing and office space.
Since then, the developer, Stephen Vona, has made exceedingly slow progress. He did arrange for two modular units to be constructed an installed, but the city imposed a work order on October 1, 2021 for safety reasons and since then, nothing has been happening.
Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and the three Ward 4 councilors, Chris Markiewicz, Lenny Gentile, and Josh Krintzman, are aware of the situation, but city government doesn’t appear to be doing anything to resolve this impasse.
It’s about time the city acted. The first step would be to determine the extent of the problem and whether Vona has the ability to complete the project.
The City Council is now engaged in a process of rezoning village centers to enhance their vitality. Turtle Lane is an important part of Auburndale center, but as it stands now, it is a blight on the neighborhood. The city needs to get this project moving.
Tom Gagen