Clearwater voters to decide on new developments at old city hall, former Harborview site
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The development of downtown Clearwater is now in the hands of voters. If passed, a referendum would turn the old city hall and a portion of the former Harborview site into apartments, a hotel and retail space.
"My fear is that if this referendum doesn’t pass, we will have 10 more years of nothing occurring," Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard said.
Hibbard said he has been working on revitalizing downtown Clearwater for decades. Now, voters will decide on November 8 whether the city charter can be amended to allow Clearwater to sell the two properties to developers Gotham Property Acquisitions and The DeNunzio Group.
READ: More than 220,000 Floridians cast their ballots since early voting began
According to the mayor, The DeNunzio Group’s Principal Dustin DeNunzio grew up in Clearwater and wants to do something for his hometown. Right now, the city charter says the properties have to be sold to the highest bidder at a public auction.
"We have specific demands that we want and that is activation, and so we are not selling it to the highest bidder," Hibbard said. "We are selling it to the developer that we think has the best opportunity to have a successful project and that has the financial backing necessary to make a $400 million investment work."
If passed, developers would build two 27-story towers with 600 apartment units, a hotel and retail spaces overlooking the water.
According to Hibbard, city leaders want to build an apartment rather than a condominium so more people will live there throughout the year rather than only at certain times of the year.
"Once you have people living in a downtown, they create demand, and you get into a virtuous cycle. We hope to enter into that virtuous cycle," he said.
The city would provide the developers with incentives, Hibbard said, like $22 million for the parking fund. The parking garage would be underground.
He said the city has also made investments in Coachman Park, pouring $84 million into it. The money is going towards a 4,000-seat amphitheater with a roof, playgrounds and a splashpad, among other things, Hibbard said.
Some residents, like Joyce White, said they’re planning on voting yes for Clearwater.
"I moved here in 2005, and I’ve watched it grow, and it’s exciting to see the town I’ve come to love prosper, so yes, I believe in yes, you know, let it grow," White said.
According to Hibbard, the project would generate about $7 million in taxes its first year. If it’s approved, developers would break ground in December 2024, and their goal is to be finished by December 2027.