Victory for Lake Wales: Historic Walesbilt Hotel Set to Return to City Ownership After Court Ruling
LAKE WALES, Fla. – Lake Wales is set to regain ownership of the historic Walesbilt Hotel, a long-vacant downtown landmark, following a recent court ruling. The city had filed a lawsuit in January 2022 against the property’s owner, Dixie-Walesbilt LLC, alleging false claims made by the company’s manager, Raymond E. Brown, in order to win a contract for renovating the 10-story structure. The city claimed that Brown’s company had made limited progress in restoring the hotel and had not fulfilled its promise to convert it into private residences. Circuit Judge William D. Sites recently issued … Read more