Loading...
10/13/2003COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY MEETING CITY OF CLEARWATER October 13, 2003 Present: Brian J. Aungst Chair/CRA Trustee Whitney Gray CRA Trustee Hoyt P. Hamilton CRA Trustee William C. Jonson CRA Trustee Frank Hibbard CRA Trustee Dwight Matheny Ex-Officio Member Also present: William B. Horne II City Manager Garry Brumback Assistant City Manager Ralph Stone CRA Executive Director/Asst. City Manager Pamela K. Akin City Attorney Cyndie Goudeau City Clerk Brenda Moses Board Reporter The Chair called the meeting to order at 1:12 p.m. at City Hall. To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. Dwight Matheny was congratulated as the new chair of the DDB (Downtown Development Board). 2. Approval of Minutes: Special meeting of January 27, 2003, and regular meetings of September 2, 2003 and September 15, 2003. Trustee Jonson moved to approve the minutes of the special meeting of January 27, 2003, and the minutes of the regular meeting of September 15, 2003, as submitted in written summation by the City Clerk to each Trustee. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. Trustee Jonson requested that in sentence one, paragraph five, page 3 of the minutes of the regular meeting of September 2, 2003, that the language “planning district” be added after the word “City’s.” Trustee Jonson moved to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of September 2, 2003 as amended. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 3. Recommend the City Commission approve a contract with Bellomo-Herbert and Company, Inc. for the design of the Cleveland Street and Station Square Park Streetscape in the amount of $371,828.61. In April 2002, the Clearwater Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) released a Request for Qualifications for Urban Design, Streetscape and Wayfinding Services. In May 2003, a selection committee consisting of representatives from City Management, Economic Development, Planning, and Public Works selected Bellomo-Herbert as the preferred consultant. In August 2002, the City contracted with Bellomo-Herbert to prepare the conceptual wayfinding and downtown streetscape plans. The CRA approved the conceptual streetscape plans in January 2003. This contract includes complete design, permitting, and construction plans for all streetscape and road work on Cleveland Street from Osceola Avenue to Myrtle Avenue, plus Station Square Park. Streetscape features include: decorative sidewalks, intersection treatments, medians, landscape and hardscape. The project also includes upgrade and replacement of stormwater collection and water distribution systems on Cleveland Street. It is anticipated that construction would begin in a year. The streetscaping project would be funded with Penny for Pinellas funds. Trustee Gray moved to approve a contract with Bellomo-Herbert and Company, Inc. for design of the Cleveland Street and Station Square Park Streetscape, in the amount of $371,828.61 and that the appropriate officials be authorized to execute same. 4. Approve extension of time for Development Agreement for 1180 Cleveland Street, Clearwater, Florida through October 30, 2004. On October 27, 1998, the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) approved a Development Agreement between the CRA and Information Management Resources, Inc (IMR), for the purchase of an approximate 1.23-acre parcel (Site) located on the north side of Cleveland Street at 1180 Cleveland Street for $131,770.00. The Development Agreement acknowledged that the City may in the future adopt a new land development code and rezone the Site, provided, however, such changes in the land development code and such rezoning shall not adversely affect the proposed use or contemplated development of the Site for the project. On March 10, 2000, IMRglobal, formerly known as IMR, sold the Site to Paul Simone or assignees (Buyer) for the proposed development of approximately 55 hotel units with three to four stories, with related landscaping, amenities and parking. On April 12, 2000, the Buyer assigned all of his rights to S & P Properties, LC (S & P), and S & P assumed all of IMRglobal's obligations as developer. On June 19, 2000, the CRA amended the Development Agreement to permit the assignment to S&P and change the project description to a hotel of approximately 55 rooms, and other terms and conditions were assumed by S & P Properties. The Agreement provided that the developer commence construction of the project by October 30, 2003, or the Agency will no longer be obligated to pay impact fees for the project and the developer will be required to pay $35,000 to the CRA. The $35,000 represents the difference between the purchase price of the site payable pursuant to this Agreement and the estimated fair market value for the site. Due to the events of September 11, 2001, and the subsequent lack of available financing for new hotel construction, the proposed hotel project as envisioned has been abandoned, and S & P Properties, LC is currently actively marketing the project site for an alternative land use. S& P is therefore requesting an extension of one year on their amended Development Agreement through October 30, 2004. Any amendment to the existing approved use of the approximately 55 hotel rooms and three or four floors will require an amendment to the Development Agreement and approval by the CRA. In response to a question, Economic Development & Housing Director Reg Owens said the market has been extremely soft for the hotel industry. He said the re-use of the CGI campus is moving forward and a hotel would be beneficial. Trustee Hibbard moved to approve an extension of time for the Development Agreement for 1180 Cleveland Street, Clearwater, Florida, through October 30, 2004, and that the appropriate officials be authorized to execute same. 5. Executive Director (Assistant City Manager) Verbal Reports Executive Director Ralph Stone gave an update on the Station Square negotiations. He said they had been meeting on a biweekly basis and are moving into the business points of a development agreement. 6. Other Business – None. 7. Adjourn The meeting adjourned at 1:22 p.m.