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City says yes to paying for Beach Walk project

Clearwater officials ask for patience from residents on the redevelopment that will start next month and take 31/2 years. The estimated cost: $30.4-million.

By AARON SHAROCKMAN
Published December 16, 2005

CLEARWATER - Winding between new luxury hotels and an expansive white sand beach, Beach Walk will be the passageway to a much different Clearwater Beach.

A half-mile promenade with plazas, courtyards and sidewalk cafes will teem with life. Lush greenery, bike paths and swaying palms will mark the route.

Beach Walk is the city's commitment to an overhauled waterfront.

On Thursday, City Council members agreed to fund the project. They say the project, estimated to cost up to $30.4-million, is the capstone of a yearslong renaissance. Work will start next month and take 31/2 years.

"We are going to ask for the patience of our citizens, with the knowledge that this is going to make the beach that much more wonderful for our residents," Mayor Frank Hibbard said.

Construction will begin on Coronado Drive, the harborside road that runs north to south along the beach. Workers will widen and repave Coronado, making it the main route for travelers headed to Sand Key and points south.

Work would then move in January 2007 to the main focus of Beach Walk: S Gulfview Boulevard, the waterfront road that follows the beach.

The road will be moved 35 feet west, closer to the water, and turned into a meandering boulevard. The parking lots now there will be eliminated, replaced with a bike path and walking trails. A second, 35-foot-wide pedestrian promenade would be paved with terra cotta-colored concrete.

"This, like the bridge, is a major investment we're making," City Manager Bill Horne said. "We believe it will add to the revitalization of Clearwater Beach and the tourism industry there."

For a while, however, traffic on the beach may be a nightmare to navigate. Council members on Thursday worried about the snarl while the main north-south beach roads are being redrawn.

"My initial reaction is "Oh, no,"' said council member Bill Jonson.

Others said the traffic on peak days is already congested. A few more years, however problematic, would be unavoidable.

"This is going to be the most painful project we ever asked the public to allow us to undertake," council member Hoyt Hamilton said. "But I think the final product is going to be worth it."

Work on Coronado will cost $9.85-million, and city finance director Margie Simmons said the total project could cost $30.4-million.

City officials first expected to spend $15-million on the project, but had to contend with rising construction costs.

The city plans to borrow $14-million on the bond market to pay for the project, using utility taxes to pay off the debt, Simmons said.

The other $16.4-million would be cobbled together from contributions from private developers, Penny for Pinellas dollars, city funds and federal grants.

"I considered it almost a pipe dream to do it without bonding (some money)" Hamilton said. "The plan in place is reasonable. It's time to get this thing going."

What about the parking?

More than three-fourths of on-street parking, 524 spaces, will be eliminated. A 400-car parking garage will be built in a new hotel development along S Gulfview Boulevard.

Will Coronado Drive be closed?

Not entirely. Portions of the road will remain open. S Gulfview, however, will be closed when construction begins there.

Will beach shops and businesses be closed?

No. The city will maintain access for business owners during the entire 42-month construction process.

Will construction affect the beach itself?

None of the construction going on will affect the beach as it exists today.

Where can residents get more information?

The city has built a Web site, www.myclearwater.com/beachwalk

Sources: City of Clearwater, Times files

[Last modified December 16, 2005, 00:54:19]