Here's What Clearwater Imagines It Will Get For $84 Million

CLEARWATER, FL — It's taken longer and is costing more than city officials ever imagined when they set out to create Imagine Clearwater, transforming Coachman Park into a destination that would be the envy of other Florida cities.

But a unanimous vote by the Clearwater City Council this month has given contractors the go-ahead to break ground on the project, despite a higher price tag than previously estimated.

The city council has unanimously approved a $55.37 million contract with Skanska Inc. to construct Imagine Clearwater, transforming the 24-acre Coachman Park into a recreation and entertainment venue including an amphitheater with seating for 4,000 people.

The project was originally estimated to cost $64.5 million. However, a shortage of lumber, concrete, metal and other construction materials has pushed the price up to $84 million.

Concerns about rising construction costs prompted the city council to delay a planned groundbreaking ceremony in May so it could get final cost estimates from construction contractor Skanska.

"We thought the cost would go down during COVID, but clearly that's not been the case," Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard said. "I would like to get the numbers from Skanska first. I think it is the right order of things."

Whether to move ahead with Imagine Clearwater has been debated at city council and public meetings for more than five years. It's been a long road to this point with two citywide referendums, countless public meetings, surveys and animated discussions.

In a referendum in 2017, 75.8 percent of voters approved spending $55 million to redesign the park to have more walkable access, gardens, a larger concert green, a gateway plaza and a winding bluff walk with terraces, paths and views of the Intracoastal Waterway.

“Yes, this is the biggest ticket item the city has ever endeavored into, and I have every confidence in the world it’s going to turn out the way we want it to,” council member Hoyt Hamilton during the July 15 city council meeting.

The council is hoping it can make up the $7 million funding gap by using hotel tax funds and obtaining state grants. The city is also considering selling naming rights and using revenue from the sale of three city-owned parcels abutting the park to make up the difference.

“I think we will get money from the state and the TDC [Tourist Development Council],” Hibbard said, noting that Clearwater is the biggest contributor to Pinellas County's hotel tax fund.

He said he fears if the council doesn't act now, it will regret it later.

“This is the next step and we should not compromise on quality," Hibbard said. "That will be something we will regret.”

Currently, tourists drive through the city on their way to Clearwater Beach but few stop and explore downtown Clearwater. The city council hopes the project will entice more visitors to the downtown area, which is undergoing a revitalization with new restaurants and shops leasing space.

At the same time, the city has begun a street enhancement project to make the downtown area better suited to pedestrian traffic and is seeking private partners in a revitalization project that will bring new housing and retail spaces to downtown Clearwater and fill now-empty storefronts.

Imagine Clearwater is a critical piece of the revitalization plan, Hibbard said, calling "the most underutilized waterfront of any community in Florida."

"Folks, we need an economic driver downtown if we're going to grow," he said. "If we don't do that with Coachman Park, we're losing an opportunity. This ought to be a gem."

Coachman Park is currently fenced off while construction takes place. The project is expected to be completed in July 2023.

In addition to the amphitheater, Imagine Clearwater will include a bluff walk, garden, lake area, gateway plaza, retail plaza, shade structures, dog park, children's playground with water features, and a parking lot with 100 spaces for park guests and boaters.

At the same time, the council plans to integrate the neighboring 90,000-square-foot Main Clearwater Library at 100 N. Osceola Ave., into the project, adding an art gallery, cafe and shops.

See related stories:

• City Council To Vote On Imagine Clearwater Plan Thursday Night
• City Council Postpones Imagine Clearwater Groundbreaking
• Skanska Awarded Contract For $57M Imagine Clearwater Project
• Video: City Invites Public To View Imagine Clearwater Designs
• Clearwater Residents Invited to 'Imagine' Downtown Waterfront's Future
• Clearwater Officials Want To Tap Into Residents' Imaginations