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Paul “Andy” Stewart
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Tab 11
Ledger, The (Lakeland, FL)
February 9, 2013
Dundee Commission to Approve Vision Plan Outline
Author: Phil Attinger
DUNDEE City officials want Dundee residents and business owners to get excited about
revitalizing the downtown area. A draft vision plan is being presented to the Town Commission
for approval Tuesday.
If approved, it would serve as a blueprint for gather- ing ideas on improving the town and then
folding those into the town's capital improvement plan, Town Manager Andy Stewart said last
week. Then the capital improvement plan could help direct downtown improvements and
economic development, he said.
In the coming weeks, Stewart said, he would like as many residents as possible to help find
ways to attract business to Dundee. He said Dundee has a unique name and history — named
after Dundee, Scotland — has beautiful lakes and is close to Legoland, which could make it a
good family destination. He said in the draft plan that the town's 3,372 people share a citrusgrowing
heritage that is alive today.
Although some former landmarks have disappeared, such as the Highlands Hotel and a large
archway at the entrance to the town, Dundee still has the Margaret Kampsen Historic Dundee
Depot Museum and several historic houses, Stewart said, which could become bed and breakfast
inns.
When Stewart first presented the draft plan to the Town Commission on Jan. 22, he said many
small towns have seen economic success after revitalizing their downtowns. Helen, Ga., for
example, was a logging town in decline before it resurrected itself as a replica of a Bavarian
town in the Appalachians instead of the Alps, he said. Auburndale has seen a similar rebirth after
improving its downtown park.
So far, Dundee has spent $2.8 million on the library and town center, has refurbished the Dundee
office of the Polk County Sheriff's Office and resurfaced Dundee Road and State Road 17,
according to the draft plan. The city also planted oak trees in the downtown area, installed
antique-style lighting around Lake Menzie and placed restroom facilities at Lake Menzie and
Lake Marie. Old buildings were sold off. The Dundee Citrus Growers Association bought the old
Public Works building, while resident Frank Gioscia bought the town's dilapidated police station.
The plan states that Polk Government Television has a historical marketing video on Dundee in
production right now.
Three of the town's challenges, however, include not enough transportation, water or sewer
infrastructure to sustain growth, the plan states.
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