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At the request of the City of Clearwater, the Urban Land Institute conducted an independent advisory study to evaluate the future of downtown.
The study established a clear framework for revitalization—centered on coordination, alignment and shared investment in the city’s core.
What is now underway reflects that framework.
“PARTNERSHIP AND TRUST BUILDING CANNOT HAPPEN ALL AT ONCE. IT MUST START WITH THE LARGEST AND MOST INFLUENTIAL PLAYERS, WHO MUST FIND IN THEMSELVES THE COURAGE TO LEAD.
“SPECIFICALLY, THIS MEANS THE CITY OF CLEARWATER AND THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY.
“THESE TWO ORGANIZATIONS MUST BECOME PARTNERS IN THE FUTURE OF THE CITY. IF THEY CANNOT, NO ONE ELSE WILL.”
Advisory Panel Report
Cleveland Street is being transformed through a coordinated series of redevelopment and historic restoration projects—reestablishing downtown Clearwater as an active, connected and economically viable urban center.
This is not a collection of isolated projects.
It is a deliberate, building-by-building transformation of Cleveland Street—restoring historic landmarks, reactivating underutilized properties and introducing new architectural identity across the corridor.
The work is defined by two parallel strategies.
Landmark structures are being meticulously restored—preserving original materials, reconstructing lost architectural elements and integrating modern systems to ensure long-term viability.
At the same time, adjacent properties are being reimagined—opened to the street, reconfigured for modern use and redesigned to create visibility, access and engagement.
Each project—whether restored or redeveloped—is designed to meet modern performance standards while contributing to a unified urban vision.
Historic structures are reinforced and preserved.
New interventions prioritize transparency, accessibility and usability.
What was once a collection of aging and underutilized properties is becoming a cohesive, active and architecturally distinct corridor.
The transformation is already underway.
At the intersection of Cleveland Street and Myrtle Avenue—where downtown begins—a new destination is taking shape.
This is not just a movie theater.
It is a full-scale, two-level entertainment experience designed to draw people in, keep them here and bring Cleveland Street to life—day and night.
A coordinated, building-by-building effort is restoring Cleveland Street’s most significant historic structures—bringing them back into active use as part of a unified district.
Originally constructed in 1914, the Telephone Building stands as one of downtown Clearwater’s most recognizable landmarks.
Today, it has undergone a complete structural reconstruction—restoring its historic exterior while rebuilding the entire building behind it.
Built in 1910 and transformed in the 1920s into one of downtown Clearwater’s most prominent Mediterranean Revival structures, the Peoples Bank Building stands at one of the most important intersections in the city.
Originally constructed in 1910, the F.W. Woolworth building stands as one of downtown Clearwater’s most recognizable commercial landmarks—once home to the iconic “Great Five Cent Store” that served the community for more than half a century.
The Brown Brothers Building stands as one of downtown Clearwater’s enduring commercial landmarks—its presence rooted in the early development of Cleveland Street and the growth of the city itself.
Existing properties are being redeveloped across the corridor—introducing retail, dining and entertainment as part of a coordinated district-wide transformation.
Positioned at a key point along the corridor, 635 Cleveland Street is being transformed into a more open, functional and visually engaging commercial space.
639 Cleveland Street is being reimagined to better serve modern retail needs while enhancing its connection to the surrounding streetscape.
Once defined by a continuous, inward-facing façade, this building is being transformed into a series of open, accessible storefronts.
Previously fragmented and inefficient, this building is being transformed into a cohesive and functional retail destination.
Positioned where Cleveland Street meets the Pinellas Trail, 645 Cleveland Street is being transformed into a gateway between downtown and one of the region’s most active pedestrian and cycling corridors.
What is taking shape along Cleveland Street is not speculative.
It is already visible—building by building, block by block.
Historic landmarks have been restored.
New destinations are taking shape.
A full city block is under construction as a continuous retail corridor.
And at the entrance to downtown, a destination-scale entertainment anchor
establishes a new level of activity within the district.
