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Finally, work on Cleveland will start

Years in the making, the streetscaping project could begin as early as next month. It is key to revamping downtown Clearwater.

By NICOLE JOHNSON
Published April 22, 2006

CLEARWATER - After almost five years of planning, construction will finally begin to remake downtown's Cleveland Street into a more pedestrian-friendly urban corridor.

The City Council on Thursday night awarded an $8.9-million contract to Gibbs and Register of Winter Garden to complete the streetscaping project. Work could begin as soon as next month.

The project was slated to be approved months ago, but a hefty price tag kept the final approval on hold. In that time, city staffers worked to trim the project's budget by postponing certain elements.

"We did a lot of work in a short period of time to stay close to being on schedule," said Mahshid Arasteh, the city's public works administrator.

In March, developers said the project could cost as much as $11.3-million - more than $5-million more than the city's proposed budget.

In response, city staff members suggested cutting costs by taking improvements to Station Square Park and two directory kiosk signs out of the initial construction plan. They also proposed replacing real bricks with stamped, colored concrete.

In all, reductions to the Cleveland Street project totaled $2.3-million. The delayed components likely will be paid for later with funding from the Florida Department of Transportation. The city expects to receive almost $2-million during the next two years from the state.

"Factoring in (that) costs of construction (are) increasing, we felt this was a good bid," Arasteh said. "And we wanted to get started."

Construction is expected to take about 18 months. The work will happen on Cleveland Street between Osceola Avenue east to Myrtle Avenue. During construction, one lane in each direction will remain open for traffic.

The streetscaping will mean repaved roads, sidewalk improvements and landscaping additions.

Businesses can remain open during construction, said Geraldine Campos, the city's director of economic development and housing.

The Cleveland Street project is a main component to the city's ultimate vision for downtown. In addition to a better-looking street, city officials want to help business thrive and encourage new business to locate to the street through various economic development programs, Campos said.

In coming weeks, Campos said, the city will meet with businesses and residents to brief them on what to expect in the next year.

"I think about what makes a downtown destination and it needs to be pedestrian-friendly, so we're doing that," Campos said. "Usually, when the public sector begins to improve, the private sector follows."

Nicole Johnson can be reached at njohnson@sptimes.com or 727 445-4162.

[Last modified April 22, 2006, 01:38:14]