DOWNTOWN CLEARWATER REDEVELOPMENT
With a strategic regional geographic location within the larger Tampa Bay Region, the City of Clearwater’s residents enjoy a vibrant economy which includes 4.7 million annual tourists to Pinellas County; a high quality residential base; an established regional inventory of manufacturing, information technology, marine science, medical technology and financial service industries; and a stable and growing retail service sector ranging from small boutiques to major shopping centers.
Clearwater, similar to other urban cities within the Tampa Bay Region, has reached capacity development with few available tracts of vacant land.
Fortunately, however, a substantial portion of the city’s downtown and beach properties were built during an era of low-intensity development, which, when combined with their structural age and current nonfunctional land uses, provide unique opportunities for site assemblage, adaptive-reu se, and new development options.
The emergence of the city’s downtown and beachfront as quality redevelopment areas is due in no small part to the city’s commitment to participate within the framework of public-private partnerships.
This is evidenced by the city’s commitment to over $100 million in new capital infrastructure improvements:
• Downtown Streetscape –
The city has completed construction of a $8.9 million Cleveland Street Streetscape
between Osceola and Myrtle Avenues.
• Memorial Causeway Bridge
– This
new $64.2 million bridge links
the city’s downtown and commercial corridor to the beaches. The bridge is
now completed and operational!
• Main Public Library –
A new 90,000 square foot, $20.2 million Robert A.M. Stern designed main library on the waterfront IS NOW COMPLETED. The new Clearwater Main Library has opened! Check out their official Construction pages for month-by-month coverage of the construction of this great building!
•
Waterfront
Park –
The city is fortunate to own 18 acres of waterfront property lying along the
downtown waterfront. Once the redevelopment plans for the “Bluff ” sites have
been identified it is the intention of the city to develop plans to improve this
area as a destination waterfront park and public entertainment venue.
•
Bayfront Marina
As part of this bayfront revitalization, the city is currently starting the project of a $5 million, 138 slip public marina and 2 water taxi from/to the Beach.
•
Clearwater Beach –
The
beach is recognized as one of the truly great beaches in the United States, if
not the world. Adjacent to these beaches, which are accessible to over 2.5
million people within a one-hour drive, are neighborhoods that contain an
inventory of older residential, retail and motel structures that are ideally
suited for parcel assemblage and redevelopment of new hotels, motels, retail and
residential projects.This redevelopment is already evident with multiple new mid and high-rise condominium projects that are achieving phenomenal pre-construction sales rates. Click for an interactive tour of ten large projects
• Beach Walk 
The city has almost completed the development of a broad pedestrian beach promenade with adjacent sidewalk cafes and boutiques along a reconfigured pedestrian oriented alignment of Gulfview Boulevard in the South Beach area. If you haven't been to the Beach lately, you have to go and check out this gorgeous beach walk!
DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT PARCELS/PROJECTS
Regional and national developers have discovered downtown Clearwater’s strategic
location as the County’s governmental center, and its physical time-distance
relationship to the beaches.
The Downtown Core offers multiple prime redevelopment parcels within an
investment environment, free of deteriorating buildings or crumbling
infrastructure. Leading the infill and redevelopment market is a strong consumer
demand for new market-rate urban housing units (condominiums, town homes, city
homes, flats and apartments) and associated quality retail and entertainment
support venues.
Click here to see a graphic by The St Pete Times of HOT DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENTS
A selection of projects may be summarized as follows:
(WATER'S EDGE)Strategically located west of Osceola Avenue, and overlooking the city’s pristine waterfront and proposed park, these two parcels have been bought by Opus South, who built one, and maybe will built a second, high-rise luxury condos.
These two parcels have been in church ownership for nearly eighty years and their availability offered a unique development opportunity for a major mixed land use complex (high-rise residential condominiums, retail, restaurants, entertainment and hotel) on one of the few remaining waterfront sites in the State of Florida. This wonderful waterfront project, called Water's Edge, has been very well received by both local and international Buyers and it is almost sold-out - Many residents already moved-in. This is a must-see project, absolutely gorgeous - retailing for lease and/or for sale at ground level.
Parcel C: City Hall
Recognizing the importance of
a vibrant downtown and the need for a modern City Hall, the City Commission and
city management are open to discussions on the potential of making available
this approximate three (3) acre City Hall site, if the site is combined with the
adjoining Parcels A and B owned by the Calvary Baptist Church. Opus South is now
negotiating on getting this parcel as part of their project.
Future acquisition of City Hall would require a citywide referendum, and the
receipt of fair market value for the property, either by purchase or replacement
in-kind of a new City Hall facility. A tentative replacement site has been
identified.
The Harborview Conference Center is a city-owned meeting and exhibit hall facility, which also accommodates a highly successful Stein Mart Department Store.
Situated west of Osceola Avenue, and lying adjacent to the new Main Public Library, this facility offers a panoramic view over Coachman Park and the Bayfront.
This property has been identified by the city as a long-term potential redevelopment site after the current lease with Stein Mart expires in 2009, with preferred future land uses being a mixed retail/hotel/meeting/ entertainment venue. Such a redevelopment would have to address the successful relocation of the Stein Mart Department store within downtown.
Parcel E: Downtown Super Block
This superbly located downtown block, consisting of several redevelopment parcels containing upwards of 3.73 acres, was purchased in 2003 by a large out of state investment development group. Adjacent to this redevelopment parcel is a 1.61 acre planned condominium site that is owned by a local investor/developer.
Lying just east of the Harborview Center and the new Main Library, the development potential for these parcels has been previously identified for high-rise condominium residential, office, retail, mixed-use entertainment (including a Multi Movie theatre!!), and a parking garage.
Information on these redevelopment parcels may be obtained from the city’s Economic Development & Housing Department.
NG
TO CONTRACT AT PRE-CONSTRUCTION PRICES!