Clearwater pursues redevelopment of Pinellas Trail property

Apartments, a brewery or new retail could be developed on underutilized property directly on the Pinellas Trail. 

The City of Clearwater and the Community Redevelopment Agency are seeking an interested party to redevelop the city-owned site located at 618-620 Drew St.

The property is comprised of three parcels with a total combined area of 0.751 acres in the Downtown Zoning District, which promotes mixed-use and pedestrian-friendly development. 

An aerial of the developed and undeveloped parcels. Image: City of Clearwater.

The parcel at 618 Drew St. is developed with a vacant warehouse, which is expected to be demolished. One parcel is used for parking and the third L-shaped parcel is undeveloped. 

Dylan Mayeux, Clearwater’s senior real estate coordinator, said the local Creative Contractors Inc. group previously owned the property. The city utilized the existing structure for storage purposes. Over time, the building has become obsolete. 

“This property site is a prime opportunity for redevelopment,” Mayeux said. “Drew Street is one of the main arterial roads of Clearwater. There’s a big push to adjust the roadway to slow the traffic and allow more mixed-use development toward downtown.” 

The parcels are less than a mile from the renovated Coachman Park and The Sound amphitheater, which opened to the public last month. 

The parcels could be redeveloped into: 

• Multifamily
• A bar/brewery 
• Office space
• A bed and breakfast operation (traditional hotel use is not permitted) 
• Retail plazas

According to a report from Tobias Realty Advisors LLC, a 15,693-square-foot building could be built at the site. The building could have up to 25 residential units and a maximum density of 10 rooms for a bed and breakfast business. 

Mayeux said a developer may be able to tap into some of the density bonuses offered from the public amenity’s incentive pool. The incentives are available for groups that add electric charging stations, Class A office space inclusion, commission artwork and streetscape improvements. 

The city is accepting letters of interest (LOIs) until Aug. 10 by 10 a.m. The LOIs should be submitted electronically through the city’s bidding and solicitations portal.

Additionally, the city is accepting LOIs for the lease and operations of the Francis Wilson Playhouse. 

RELATED READING: Clearwater’s Francis Wilson Playhouse re-staging the future

Mayeux said the city and CRA are also evaluating its real estate assets to identify parcels that can be developed into affordable housing. The city is finalizing a list of prospective properties. 

The city’s current inventory of parcels that are available for affordable housing developments: 

• 1408 Monroe Ave.
• 1415 Taft Ave.
• 1002 Grant St.
• 1004 Grant St.
• 1007 Marshall St.
• 1006 Grant St.