Winter Haven Community Health Clinic Opens Its Doors 

WINTER HAVEN – Romero Medical Plaza opened the doors of its new location at 111 Avenue A S.E. over the weekend with mission of serving the community.

And it’s doing that with a wide variety of unique services that go far beyond the normal medical services, including offering a free a hair salon, massages, car washes, diabetic supplies, and transportation.

Administrator Jorge Fonseca says the facility is meant to be a one-stop shop” for clients.

“Everything that we offer our patients is free,” he said. “We dedicate a lot to our patients.”

Fonseca says they reinvest 40 percent of all profits back into the Plaza, defraying the costs of these free services. They also help patients when they can’t afford their insurance co-pays, and work with those who need financial assistance, partnering with local agencies to secure access to indigent care.

“We never turn anyone away from this office just because they can’t pay,” he says.

Dr. Carlos Romero says the new facility stacks up well against others in the region, with a full lab and x-ray capabilities.

The new location is the second one for the family-owned business, the other located at 3655 Innovation Drive in Lakeland. Romero says it won’t be the last in Polk County, with others being planned.

They can be found online at www.romeromedicalplaza.com

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Photo: Dr. Carlos Romero, center, cuts a Chamber of Commerce ribbon to open the Romero Medical Plaza’s new Winter Haven location, flanked by County Commissioner Todd Dantzler, left, and Winter Haven Mayor Steven Hunnicut, at right.

City Nearing Deal To Lease Nora Mayo Hall From The State

WINTER HAVEN – Interim City Manager T. Michael Stavres says the city is on the verge of acquiring Nora Mayo Hall for civic events, and it will likely be ready for rentals by groups by this fall.

Stavres, speaking at a city commission meeting Monday said the city is reviewing a draft lease agreement for the building, which lies just to the east of city hall annex on Third Street and Ave. E, Northwest.

The facility is owned by the state Dept. of Agriculture and managed by the Dept. of Transportation. Stavres praised the state for how well the state has maintained the long-abandoned building.

“You could rent it today, “he said. “They’ve done a great job of maintaining that facility. It’s still a very viable and desirable facility.”

Nearly a half dozen community groups have approached Stravres with interest in renting rooms in the building in recent days, he said.

City staff members toured the building recently and found the building in “rentable” shape, he said, with only painting of walls and upgrading some lighting required. He suggested to commissioners that the city also upgrade the facility for better access for the disabled, even though the building was constructed before the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act, and is therefore exempt from mandatory Federal upgrades.

The building’s Event Hall could be ready for use by this Fall, if negotiations with the state are successful, he said.

He told the Daily Ridge that the provisional lease for the building, which is now being negotiated, calls for a $300 per year payment with a term of 50 years.

Acquiring use of the facility, also known as the Florida Citrus Building, has long been a priority for city commissioners, even when the price was far higher.

In March, 2015, commissioners passed a resolution to make an offer on the building, for upwards of one million dollars. That followed a March, 2014 resolution to seek to purchase the property from the Agriculture Department when it sought to sell the property.