Clearwater City Council has finalized agreement terms with developers of The Bluffs, on their $400 million redevelopment project in Florida. Going forward, the project is intended to convert two underutilized waterfront properties into mixed-use towers, offering residential and retail spaces. Gotham and The DeNunzio Group are developers the city council selected for the project.
Although a vote for The Bluffs’ development agreement will still be held in August, council members expressed confidence in the deal. They mentioned that the project could serve in revitalizing the downtown region, which has been struggling for decades. Council Member David was among the project’s supporters, and he stated that Clearwater was far behind its surrounding municipalities.
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Featured amenities for The Bluffs project
The Bluffs focuses on 2 city-owned properties which include the former 1.43-acre Harborview Center and 2.6-acre city hall sites. These are located on Cleveland Street and North Osceola Avenue, and on Pierce Street and South Osceola Avenue, respectively. Besides creating mixed-use towers on these selected sites, the project also links residents to the new amphitheater and Coachman Park.
Upon the completion of the Harborview site’s construction, The Bluffs is expected to feature a 158-room hotel. Development plans for the hotel will include retail and restaurant spaces, a conference center, a rooftop bar, and a pool. Another part of this plan involves building a 2-story commercial building and an underground garage with 169 parking spaces. This underground garage will have 50 parking spaces set aside for the city’s use.
Development plans for the City Hall site of The Bluffs include 2 apartment towers with restaurant and retail spaces. The number of featured apartment units will range between 500 to 600. In addition, an underground garage will be built using a 1:1 ratio that matches the number of available units. According to Katie Cole, an attorney representing the development group, this is the minimum parking required by city code.
Parcel sales for the project depend on voters approval
However, the development plan laid out for The Bluffs is dependent on voters approving the sale of the parcels. This was made public in the form of a ballot question, which will be addressed in November. Under the project’s agreement terms, the sale would close no later than December 2024, if the referendum passes.
The developers have offered $15.4 million and $9.3 million to purchase the City Hall and Harborview parcels respectively. But their plan will require $25.5 million in incentives, with an additional $22 million for two underground parking garages. Another $1.5 million will also be provided by the Community Redevelopment Agency for a pedestrian bridge.
