Clearwater Accepts Proposals For Downtown Redevelopment Projects

CLEARWATER, FL — The city of Clearwater has issued a Request for Proposals to redevelop three key downtown waterfront parcels.

Investment in Clearwater’s waterfront presents an opportunity for redevelopment on properties with scenic views of the Gulf. The sites are situated downtown on an elevated bluff along the Intracoastal Waterway, overlooking the Clearwater Harbor and Marina.

The Clearwater City Council is seeking a combination of residential, retail and parking on the sites, with the possibility of a hotel, to complement the bordering redevelopment of the roughly 22-acre Coachman Park.

Completion of the park project – which is part of the city’s $64 million Imagine Clearwater Master Plan – is slated for the fall of 2023. When completed, the park will have a 4,000-seat concert venue, a garden, playground, green space, trails and a gateway plaza.

“The city of Clearwater is looking forward to breaking ground on Imagine Clearwater, a $64 million public investment in downtown Clearwater,” said Mayor Frank Hibbard. “We are now inviting the private sector to invest alongside us on some of the most picturesque property in the state of Florida.”

Downtown Clearwater is experiencing an uptick in investment and is strengthened by an emerging arts scene, a variety of international cuisines and numerous special events.

The city and its Clearwater Community Redevelopment Agency envision these parcels as a major opportunity to create more downtown residential concentration, and to connect Imagine Clearwater’s waterfront amenities with the downtown core.

“With the unanimous support of the mayor and city council, we could not be more excited to offer this unparalleled opportunity for development in downtown Clearwater,” said Assistant City Manager Michael Delk. “Situated just minutes from and in view of the No. 1 beach destination in the country, the development opportunities are unequaled on the Gulf Coast. Each parcel is an opportunity for the right development team to create a signature development in a truly spectacular location.”

All of the sites are located along Osceola Avenue at the following locations:

• 1.43 acres at the former site of the Harborview Center located just north of the intersection of Osceola Avenue and Cleveland Street. It is a vacant site adjacent to the Clearwater Main Library and will be the main entry point from downtown to the revamped Coachman Park.
• 2.60 acres at 112 S. Osceola Ave., at the intersection of Pierce Street and Osceola Avenue, which holds the former City Hall building, which the city is investigating demolishing prior to development.
• 1.23 acres on an empty lot located at the intersection of Osceola Avenue and Pierce Street, across from the former City Hall site.

Proposals are being accepted until noon on April 12.

For more information, contact Delk at 727-562-4053 or email michael.delk@myclearwater.com.

Related story: Clearwater Council Reviews Possible Sites For New City Hall