Northpinellas: Leaders part ways on Largo's road to redevelopment

Jackson and his fellow city commissioners had signed off on spending $4.2-million last year to widen and beautify a stretch of West Bay Drive, the business-heavy thoroughfare seen by many as the key to Largo's downtown redevelopment.

But here was Ric Goss at a recent work session, explaining that he would like city commissioners to "abandon" that idea and look to First Avenue NW and SW, the roads just north and south of West Bay Drive, as the keys to downtown.

"You're abandoning the north side of West Bay Drive, which is a concern to me," Jackson said.

Some community leaders and merchants along West Bay Drive share his concerns.

But city officials point out there have been discussions about featuring the two avenues in Largo's redevelopment plans for more than a year. Besides, they say, the lack of parking spaces along West Bay Drive between Seminole Boulevard and Clearwater-Largo Road prevents the road from being a place where people would stroll -- which they think is key to economic rejuvenation of downtown Largo.

If commissioners eventually agree to refocus their downtown efforts around First Avenues NW and SW, what will become of the businesses along West Bay Drive?

City officials think those shopkeepers will not go under. In his plan, Goss, the city's community development director, recommends maintaining a program where loans are given to business owners in the West Bay Drive Redevelopment Plan district. City commissioners also think the beautification efforts on West Bay Drive will make the road a more attractive route to motorists, who will pull over and shop in the businesses on West Bay Drive.

Jack Brannen, who recently opened Flap's Downtown BBQ, is hoping the commissioners are correct.

"Maybe it will bring a lot more people out here," he said.

People are certainly talking about downtown Largo. But are those conversations wasting valuable time better spent coming up with a plan to bring a developer into the area before a much-talked about recession hits?

City officials and community leaders disagree.

"If you rush down and build and you have a recession, then you are not going to have anyone to fill it," said Leon Floyd, president of the Downtown Largo Main Street Association, who isn't sure that a recession is imminent.

"I think time is a friend and not a foe," said City Manager Steven Stanton.

Goss, however, has mixed feelings.

"We could be late," he said. "But I think there is a window of opportunity, but (city commissioners) need to start moving."

After commissioners were criticized for an unsuccessful effort to work with Simpson Limited Housing Partnership to develop 8 acres off First Avenue SW last fall, city officials are just glad people are talking about downtown again.

"I don't think (commissioners) have talked about (downtown) as much as they have in the last year," said Goss, who has been with the city more than 15 years.

His report was titled Investing in the Downtown Area: A Shared Vision and a Call to Action. The presentation, made by Goss at a work session two weeks ago, portrayed a pedestrian-friendly downtown of outdoor cafes on brick streets, townhouses, possibly an upscale restaurant at the soon-to-be vacated library and a bridge linking Largo Central Park to the downtown corridor.

On First Avenue NW, Goss envisioned selling land the city owns on the street to a developer, making the asphalt road brick, converting homes with interesting characteristics along the street into restaurants, like Pastino's on Clearwater-Largo Road, and possibly moving activities from the Community Center and using the site for commercial activity.

First Avenue SW, which encompasses about 8 vacant acres, would be the center of a retail-residential-commercial anchor for the area.

"It was really exciting," Commissioner Pat Gerard said of the presentation. "It made a lot of sense."

"I absolutely loved the plan," said Commissioner Pat Burke. "It was so close to my vision."

Burke would like to see a multiscreen movie theater in the area. Gerard said there might not be enough parking for that kind of movie theater, but a smaller one may work.

Sidewalk cafes. Retail stores. Restaurants. Goss' vision for downtown represented much of what West Bay Drive merchant LaNell Rubenbauer thinks it should be. But Rubenbauer thought city officials wanted those kinds of businesses along West Bay Drive, not First Avenue NW or SW.

Before moving to Largo six years ago, Rubenbauer lived in Dunedin. She saw how that city successfully redeveloped its downtown by enveloping its plan around Main Street. Rubenbauer thinks Largo can do the same thing, but it must be done on one street, not two. And that street should be West Bay Drive.

"I don't think these other streets are going to pull off what they hope," said Rubenbauer, showroom manager of Suncoast Tile & Marble Design Inc. "They are looking for another downtown Dunedin."

"This is it," she said, referring to West Bay Drive. "This is how you get to Belleair. This is how you get to Sand Key."

Jack and Carrie Brannen also thought the city plan was to feature West Bay Drive. The couple saw opportunity when they noticed that the box-shaped building at 600 West Bay Drive was for sale last June. They are leasing the space and have turned it into a four-table restaurant called Flap's Downtown BBQ. They opened the restaurant in December.

"I called it downtown because I wanted to coincide with the downtown" efforts by the city, Brannen explained.

The couple saw great potential in the restaurant. With the widening and beautification efforts on West Bay Drive, the Brannens thought people would flock to their establishment once the road was done.

"Why do all the work here when the work is going to be focused back there?" Mrs. Brannen said of First Avenues NW and SW. "I don't know."

City officials think it is not possible to have people walking about an area traveled by about 40,000 cars a day, especially if there are not many parking spaces along the road. Stanton said staff members talked to West Bay Drive business owners along the road about more on-street parking. Many owners, however, were reluctant to do so, preferring to have curb cuts.

Gerard agrees with Goss' thinking about West Bay Drive.

"Traffic just goes too fast through there," she said.

Floyd is optimistic that the city can find ways to promote West Bay Drive and the roads immediately to the north and south.

"You can have commercial on West Bay Drive and continue to develop along First," he said. "There's no reason you can't have both. It just creates a larger area for people to congregate and shop."

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