Clearwater Beach has finally struck a deal to build a city parking garage. City council voted unanimously on a 300 space 4 level garage atop ground floor retail space. Vehicles will enter and exit the garage from Coronado Drive.
The site is currently the home of Britt's Laguna Grill, a popular restaurant on the Beachwalk promenade. A new Britt's will be located on the ground floor. Surf Style Retail Management, who owns the site will pay to build the garage itself, with no city tax dollars. It has not yet been determined what the city will charge for parking, but it will likely be similar the agreement the city has with the Hyatt, which will have 400 parking places for the public in its 750-space garage - rates must be "comparable" to the garages of other beachfront resorts.
The Beachwalk project, which was completed last year, eliminated hundreds of waterfront parking spaces on S. Gulfview Blvd, and the city has been scrambling ever since to come up with replacements. The city is currently leasing 2 vacant lots for parking.
The project is expected to to be complete by next fall.
Clearwater's long-awaited $30-million Beach Walk opened officially Saturday,(it had unofficially opened in the spring). Narrow sidewalks have been replaced by two wide, paved promenades for skating, walking and biking — one along the sand and the other in front of the stores, restaurants and hotels on the east side of S Gulfview Boulevard.
While the transformation is wonderful, it's just the beginning. In 2009, the Hyatt Hotel will open, adding 400 public parking spaces. Passers-by will be welcomed into the hotel to enjoy its restaurants and shops. Other hotels, stores and restaurants are expected to open on the east side, where the promenade is 35 feet wide to permit sidewalk cafes and public seating. So while the west side of Beach Walk is unlikely to see many changes other than maintenance and minor tweaking, the east side is still a work in progress in some sections.
Beach Walk was designed to be a beautiful attractor — to attract new hotels and restaurants and to attract visitors who wanted an experience off the sand. Already, it is doing both.
Clearwater officials have good reason to be proud of the result.
The City of Clearwater &bSunsets at Pier 60, will Celebrate Beach Walk on Saturday, July 19. A dedication ceremony will begin at 6 pm at the Sundial Plaza at Beach Walk, with a fireworks display at 9:30 pm.There will be musicians, street entertainers, local mascots and others will perform along the Beach Walk promenade. Many beach businesses will be offering specials during the celebration. Fireworks are at 9:30 p.m. Beach Walk was designed to revitalize the community that surrounds Clearwater’s popular south beach destination. The $30-million project has attracted new hotel development to the beach and will bring new tourism to the area.
Ahead of schedule, the highly anticipated Beach Walk opened this morning. The barricades on South Gulf View Blvd came down in time for the summer crowds. The opening was especially exciting for Frenchy's South Beach Cafe, which was forced to close temporarily as well as other business owners who were affected by the construction. Finishing touches are still being completed, including parking and lighting on Coronado Dr.
Beach Walk is the winding, landscaped, concrete promenade replacing South Gulfview and its old beach parking lots. City leaders say it will offer walkers, skaters and bicyclists a place to socialize, dine or simply enjoy the sun and surf. Beach Walk was designed to improve tourism and spur development of three hotels along the beach, including the Hyatt Aqualea
Phase 2 and 3 of the Beach Walk project will be open to the public months ahead of schedule according to the city public information coordinator.
Phase 2 is the construction of the north end of Beach Walk, relocating Gulfview Boulevard through the existing parking area, and constructing wide promenades on both east and west sides of the new road. Phase 3 is the construction of the south end of Gulfview Boulevard, which will mirror improvements made in Phase 2.
Phase 1, the widening of Coronado Dr was completed last year. Additional lighting and parking will be added later. Phase 4, the final phase, is expected to be finished in time for the Super Bowl in January 2009.
Sand volleyball courts have been replaced and reopened south
of Pier 60 and showers along the promenade are working.
Old and New
Gulfview Boulevard is closed between the south side of the project and Pier 60. New
Gulfview Boulevard is open from Coronado Dr to the Pier 60 parking lot. Construction on two roads is underway with curbing and paving scheduled to begin soon. Trail work at the Pier 60 entrance is complete. Drainage work at the Hess Station has started near
Bayway and
Gulfview. One lane is open for traffic in each direction. Estimated completion of the Beach Walk project is January 2009.
Clearwater Beach has finally struck a deal to build a city parking garage. City council voted unanimously on a 300 space 4 level garage atop ground floor retail space. Vehicles will enter and exit the garage from Coronado Drive.
