Lake Wales water plant undergoes renovation

Well, a building left battered by Hurricane Charlie more than two decades ago is finally getting a second life in Lake Wales. The Market Street water plant is undergoing a massive transformation here, giving city workers a permanent home. Fox 13's Carla Byron got a look at the renovations. After it's renovated, the Market Street water plant will be upgraded to a state-of-the-art facility. This is the remnant of the old office building that was damaged during Hurricane Charlie in 2004. Since then, employees have relocated to a couple of different buildings. But once renovations are complete, they'll have a permanent new home. There will be new offices, a kitchen, and a conference room. Jose Perez used to work in the building back in the 1990s, and he's excited about the changes that will make employees eager to come to work. Business leaders of our city, their commitment is to beautify the city so that it's more inviting. And as people drive through, they go, wow, we want to go there. That's the same commitment the new owners of the Wellsville have to bring them up to a new code, a new standard, a new look. And so this building is just an addition to that to make the city and the garden the most beautiful place that can be within the central part of the state. The reason the remodel is happening now is because back in the early 2000s, the city was waiting for FEMA funds, but they never kicked in. City commissioners approved $1.3 million for the renovation of the facility paid for through the general fund. The new facility is expected to open either end of April or early May. In Lake Wales, Carla Byron, Fox 13 News.