Written by Jordan Randall

Photographed by Kenzie Riegel

Six/Ten is on a mission to cultivate a community that welcomes both work and play while preserving Winter Haven’s authentic character and beautiful natural resources.

Six/Ten, a real estate development and leasing company that currently owns and manages 675,000 square feet of commercial property in Winter Haven. Its leadership team, Bud Strang, Kerry Wilson, and Joseph Bogdan, are all Winter Haven residents with a deep-seeded passion for a thriving downtown community.

“All of our employers and investors have deep roots in Winter Haven and realized that the revival of a vibrant, walkable downtown would not only contribute to everyone’s quality of life but also increase the value of property and businesses throughout the city,” said Kerry Wilson, president of Six/Ten LLC. “Once we paid downtown a little love, those results were even more evident.”

On a mission to continue building a thriving downtown community, Six/Ten has transformed multiple streets and buildings. Take the RainGarden Apartment complex, for example, it is the first residential development project downtown that Winter Haven has seen in over 20 years. The complex was designed by award-winning modernist architect, Max Strang, and the apartments feature 1,600 square feet of open plan living space, a private courtyard, and an enclosed two-car garage.

In addition, Six/Ten helped develop Grove Roots, Winter Haven’s first craft brewery; The Lodge, Winter Haven’s first community-centric workspace; and First Street North/Bond Clinic, new medical offices near the core of downtown that spans 36,000 square feet. These projects, amongst many others, made possible by Six/Ten LLC, continue to contribute to the downtown life of Winter Haven.

…Six/Ten certainly believes in reinventing and restoring historic buildings that already exist in Winter Haven’s downtown space…

While Six/Ten certainly believes in reinventing and restoring historic buildings that already exist in Winter Haven’s downtown space, they also love to bring new, beautiful, lasting buildings to the city’s ever growing landscape. “We believe strongly in doing quality renovations of existing buildings whenever possible, and have done a lot of that kind of work,” says Wilson. “But a thriving downtown needs all kinds of businesses and service providers, as well as residents, so we also have to build new occasionally.

For instance, there are very few downtown residential options at this point and that’s why we are co-developing the RainDance apartment project and planning to build over 400 new apartments during the next few years. And we hope to build buildings that are enduringly beautiful.”

Recently, both Adler’s and Honeycomb Bread Bakers have partnered with Six/Ten LLC and opened permanent locations in downtown Winter Haven, located at At 542 Avenue B SW. Both businesses are a part of the growing effort to expand downtown.

The goal for Six/Ten is to make Winter Haven “the best small city in Florida.”

The goal for Six/Ten is to make Winter Haven “the best small city in Florida.” And they’ve kept that focus throughout 30 years of business and over 42 properties developed. “We want to help create a place that people love. And, oh yeah, we want a lot of live music,” says Wilson.

Another interest of Six/Ten’s projects is to give business owners and entrepreneurs a place where they can create sustainable career jobs, resulting in a thriving and vibrant community that lasts. By partnering with entrepreneurs and local business owners, this becomes a reality.

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ADLER’S

Adler’s approach to burgers is simple: a classic burger recipe made with fresh ingredients. Each burger is cooked to order and made from scratch daily. From locally sourced buns to fresh local produce, Adler’s ingredients are a part of their secret. sauce, along with their popular house-made pineapple chutney.

LOCATION

543 Ave B SW, Winter Haven, FL 33880 adlersburgers.com  

 

 

When asked to speak on some of his favorite projects completed with Six/Ten, Wilson had this to say: “There are quite a few favorites. Certainly, working closely with Joe Dunham and building the Grove Roots Brewery and its outdoor area resulted in a new cultural dynamic in the city, as well as the work we did to help re-birth Gram Parsons Derry Down. The extensive renovations that we just completed with respect to Haven Coffee Roasters, Adler’s, and Honeycomb Bakery added a dimension. In addition, the apartments we are planning will also be very cool.”

To Six/Ten, Winter Haven isn’t a project; it’s home. And that idea is seen through the fact that their team is made up of local residents. These are people who have chosen to raise families and create lives of their own in the city that they are investing in. Winter Haven is their home, and the city’s vibrant success is something they are always focused on. As long as they are able, Six/Ten LLC will be a driving force behind the growth of the city of Winter Haven.