The Depot Arts District is scheduled to open this October, bringing new life into a building that has been vacant for three years. The owners of the building, BSD Capital, and the non-profit Lakeland Arts Association (LAA) have partnered on the project.
Construction is underway in the southeast corner of Lakeland Town Center, previously known as Searstown, at the intersection of E. Memorial Boulevard and N. Ingraham Avenue in Lakeland.
The Depot will be a hub for the arts, leasing private studio spaces at $500 a month. Rent includes utilities, wifi, and 24/7 access. Regular maintenance in common areas is also included, and the property will be monitored by security.
Sherry Ross, creative director at the Depot and president of the LAA, says that nearly half of the studios are already claimed. The need for affordable studio spaces in Lakeland has grown since ART/ifact Studios closed in August of 2024.
The Depot has attracted visual artists, ceramicists, and musicians. “We want to make sure we’re bringing everybody in, that it’s collaborative, that it’s really open to the public,” Ross said. Each studio has a floor-to-ceiling window, about the size of a door, so artists can showcase their work and offer visitors a glimpse of the creative process.
After 32 years as an art teacher, “I took a leap of faith,” Ross said. She retired to oversee the project with Mary Correa, Vice President of the LAA.
Vision for community
- 37 artist studios
- 3 adaptable galleries with moving walls
- 2 kitchens
- Kiln room for ceramic artists
- Children’s classroom available for birthday parties
- Spaces for special events like art shows, concerts and yoga
Ross and Correa said that BSD Capitol has been accommodating to their requests to enhance the functionality of the 10,000-square-foot space. Of Sharon Sharaby, founding partner at BSD Capital, Ross said, “He’s just giving back to the community to create the world he wants.”
The renovation will go beyond the inside of the building. Ross said that the tunnel connecting the two sides of the complex will become a “Mural Alley” and the courtyard area in front of the building will be revitalized. The sides of the building will showcase Sharaby’s collection of coin-operated rides.
Ross and Correa are also looking forward to opportunities for collaboration among the artists who will call the Depot home. They’re planning their first art walk for Nov. 1 and a grand opening gala in January.
The opening exhibit will showcase community. “I want to have every member of the Lakeland Arts Association, every Depot artist, every artist from our organizations we’re partnering with to have a piece on the wall — to really show how this is representative of Polk County,” Ross said. “We’re all coming together to create this vision.”
Beyond the Depot
Since purchasing the Searstown site in 2021, BSD Capital has been amenable to restoration and revitalization efforts, including those by Gregory Fancelli to restore historic mosaic work created for Publix by John Garth.
In July they launched Lakeland Workspace, which rents offices at $500 a month. Tenants vary: a mental health counselor, a midwife, a tattoo artist, an insurance provider, a massage therapist.
Correa was one of the first tenants in the workspace. She knew immediately that the room with large windows overlooking the Lakeview Cemetery was perfect for Mary Correa Studios. It is big enough to host art classes and serve as her art studio.
BSD Capital is also in the process of renovating another area in the same shopping center that will become Lakeland Street Market, with space for 16 restaurants and over 140 “mini boutique” retail spaces available for $275 a month.
Anna Toms is a reporter for LkldNow, a nonprofit newsroom providing independent local news for Lakeland. Read at LkldNow.com.
