06/17/2024 Community Redevelopment Agency Action Summary June 17, 2024
City of Clearwater
Main Library- Council Chambers
100 N. Osceola Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33755
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Action Summary
Monday, June 17, 2024
1 :00 PM
Main Library - Council Chambers
Community Redevelopment Agency
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City of Clearwater
Community Redevelopment Agency Action Summary June 17, 2024
Roll Call
Present 5 - Chair Bruce Rector, Trustee Ryan Cotton, Trustee Michael Mannino,
Trustee David Allbritton, and Trustee Lina Teixeira
Also Present: Jennifer Poirrier— City Manager, Michael Delk—Assistant City
Manager, David Margolis — City Attorney, Rosemarie Call — City Clerk,
Nicole Sprague — Deputy City Clerk, and Jesus Nino — CRA Executive
Director
To provide continuity for research, items are listed in agenda order although not
necessarily discussed in that order.
1. Call to Order— Chair Rector
The meeting was called to order at 1:00 p.m.
2. Approval of Minutes
2.1 Approve the minutes of the April 15, 2024 CRA Meeting as submitted in written
summation by the City Clerk.
Trustee Cotton moved to approve the minutes of the April 15, 2024
CRA meeting as submitted in written summation by the City Clerk.
The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
3. Citizens to be Heard Regarding Items Not on the Agenda — None.
4. New Business Items
4.1 Approve the 2023 Annual Financial Statement.
Presentation of the fiscal year 2023 Annual Financial Report by external
auditors.
Carr, Riggs and Ingram Partner John Brielmaier provided a PowerPoint
presentation.
Trustee Teixeira moved to approve the 2023 Annual Financial
Statement. The motion was duly seconded and carried
unanimously.
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City of Clearwater
Community Redevelopment Agency Action Summary June 17, 2024
4.2 Presentation on Art Oasis Mural Fest 2024.
Arts and Cultural Affairs Manager Amber Brice provided a PowerPoint
presentation.
Discussion ensued with comments made that the mural fest attracted
diverse participants and received a lot of positive feedback.
4.3 Approve the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Business Spotlight
program that will provide exposure to businesses within the Downtown
Clearwater CRA and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same.
The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) recommends approving the
CRA Business Spotlight Program to support its goals of attracting residents,
visitors, businesses, and employees to downtown. Over six months, CRA staff
has engaged with business owners and community stakeholders to develop
partnerships that foster meaningful connections within the community.
The purpose of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Business
Spotlight program is to promote local businesses within the community. It
provides exposure and support to these businesses, helping them thrive and
contribute to the economic growth and vitality of the area. The program involves
showcasing different businesses through marketing efforts or other initiatives to
attract customers and increase awareness of the products and services offered
by local establishments. It will foster a sense of community pride and
engagement by highlighting the unique offerings of businesses in the area.
The Business Spotlight Program directly promotes goals and objectives of
the 2018 Clearwater Downtown Redevelopment Plan, specifically:
People Goals: Downtown shall be a place that attracts residents,
visitors, businesses, and their employees and enable the development
of community. The City shall encourage a vibrant and active public
realm, recreation and entertainment opportunities and support the
community and neighborhoods.
Objective 1D: Encourage a variety of office-intensive businesses,
including finance and insurance, IT/Software, professional services, data
management, analytics and services, and medical to relocate and
expand in Downtown to provide a stable employment center.
This program is intended for local business owners who meets specific criteria,
including location within designated Downtown Clearwater redevelopment
boundaries, legal compliance, active operational status, and a commitment to
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City of Clearwater
Community Redevelopment Agency Action Summary June 17, 2024
community involvement. Eligible businesses surrounding various sectors,
including retail and restaurant businesses, personal services industries,
galleries, theaters, and other cultural and community gathering spaces.
Upon approval, the Business Spotlight will follow a marketing and
communications plan. The application window will be open for four weeks to
allow businesses to submit their applications. Once the application window has
closed, committee members will carefully review and assess all received
applications. Upon completion of the review process, approved businesses will
be notified, and meetings will be scheduled to discuss timelines, expectations,
and other pertinent details. At a future CRA meeting, a presentation of the final
recipients of the Business Spotlight Program will be recognized.
The proposed program meets the goals of the downtown redevelopment plan
and provides a partnership opportunity for business owners who wish to
establish a sense of community in our redevelopment area.
Funding for this program in an amount not to exceed $5,000 will be used for
printing flyers and other marketing to help administer this program as authorized
by Florida Statute 163.387(6)(c)l.
APPROPRIATION CODE AND AMOUNT:
Funding for this program in an amount not to exceed $5,000 are available in
R2002 Community Engagement.
In response to questions, CRA Specialist Julia Baltas said the program
will spotlight businesses that do not have any code violations or liens
issued against the property. Mr. Nino said staff will work with business
owners who have code violations or liens in an effort to mitigate the problem
and in hopes of having them qualify for the program in the future. CRA
Senior Div. Manager Anne Lopez said staff will create an application that will
be reviewed by an internal committee. The intent is to spotlight businesses
that have a large impact in the Downtown area.
One individual questioned how the businesses will be spotlighted and
how much money will it cost to implement the program.
Mr. Nino said, if the program is approved, staff anticipates having the
application available within 30 days. There is no monetary incentive for
businesses receiving the spotlight recognition, the program will highlight a
business on the CRA and City's social media accounts.
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City of Clearwater
Community Redevelopment Agency Action Summary June 17, 2024
Trustee Allbritton moved to approve the Community
Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Business Spotlight program that will
provide exposure to businesses within the Downtown Clearwater
CRA and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same. The
motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
4.4 Provide direction on Cleveland Street Shipping Container/Mobile Vendors.
CRA staff met with city departments to discuss the feasibility of shipping
containers and mobile vendors on the pedestrian corridor of Cleveland Street,
with the goal of creating new commercial activity not within traditional
storefronts. Shipping container businesses will not be allowed on the public right
of way, but mobile vendors can be granted access to operate within this area as
a new form of commercial activity. This commercial activity could be
Airstreams, food trucks, and other businesses operating on wheels.
The following three ideas could bring new commercial activity to the Cleveland
Street corridor:
1. Dedicated Commercial Activity
The road closure on the 400 block of Cleveland Street provides an
opportunity for new commercial activity within the center turn lanes. This
currently empty and unused space could potentially accommodate two
vendors at Fort Harrison Avenue and one vendor at Osceola Avenue,
creating up to three new business locations. Businesses operating from
these locations could operate as their primary place of business.
Although technically mobile, these businesses would remain within their
designated location. The addition of parklets in nearby unused parking
spaces could help further enhance these new business locations with
outdoor seating and other public amenities.
2. Event Commercial Activity
Mobile vendors could be utilized during special events, such as food
truck festivals. These special event vendors could operate out of the
unused parking spaces and open areas along both the 400 and 500
blocks of Cleveland Street. This type of activity would generate an influx
of activity during special event times, and it could become a monthly or
seasonal event.
3. Hybrid Commercial Activity
A hybrid could be utilized with mobile vendors to establish regular
dedicated ongoing new businesses. Plus, special events could be
created to bring an influx of new commercial activity during those
events.
These plans to enliven the Cleveland Street corridor do meet the following CRA
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City of Clearwater
Community Redevelopment Agency Action Summary June 17, 2024
goals and objectives:
Goal 1 - People
- Objective 1 E:
Maintain Cleveland Street as Downtown's Main Street which is valued
for its historic character and pedestrian scale.
- Objective 1 H:
Maintain, activate, and program parks, plazas, and recreational areas.
Goal 2 -Accessibility
- Objective 2B:
Strengthen Cleveland Street, Osceola, and Fort Harrison Avenues as
local, pedestrian-oriented streets. Identify other local streets to be
reinvigorated with active ground-floor uses.
- Objective 2H:
Support temporary techniques that improve the street environment,
such as murals, temporary planters, sharrows, bike lanes, and painted
intersections until permanent improvements are made.
Goal 3 -Amenity
- Objective 3G:
Create and activate space to work as signature destinations, including
civic plazas, markets, and retail gathering places that promote
economic growth for Downtown.
Goal 4 - Urban Design
- Objective 4A:
Encourage redevelopment that contains a variety of building forms
Staff Recommends a hybrid model to provide a mixture of opportunities for
consumers and enliven the Cleveland Street corridor.
Mr. Nino provided a PowerPoint presentation.
In response to questions, Mr. Nino said, if approved, the mobile
vendors will be semi-permanent, as long as the street remains closed.
Staff envisions the mobile vendors will be there at least three times a
week.
Discussion ensued with comments made that the commercial activity
must be diverse, include a retail component, and cannot be a monthly
driven activity to be successful. There was consensus to pursue Option 3.
In response to comments, Mr. Nino said Florida Statutes require
community redevelopment agencies to have a community
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City of Clearwater
Community Redevelopment Agency
Action Summary June 17, 2024
redevelopment area plan and staff is working the current Clearwater CRA
plan. If the current plan is not making sense or working, then the
plan should be reviewed and amended. He said the Clearwater CRA
area plan was last updated in 2018. The City Manager said the CRA area
plan is one component of the City's efforts to improve Downtown. Staff
continues to meet with the Downtown stakeholders, which includes
Pinellas County and the Church of Scientology.
Staff was directed to pursue Option 3.
5. Director's Report
5.1 Directors Report - June 2024
Mr. Nino provided a PowerPoint presentation.
In response to a question, Ms. Lopez said there is one Economic
Recovery Grant remaining; the applicant is still submitting the required
documentation. She said staff will be reallocating the balance as part of
an upcoming budget amendment. Mr. Nino said staff is in the process
of consolidating all of the CRA grants and will implement a
communications plan to target and educate prospective grant applicants.
6. Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 2:10 p.m.
Attest
City Clerk
City of Clearwater
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