City to discuss Scientology's role in Clearwater's "urban renaissance"
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The groundbreaking of The Bluffs, a 28-story apartment tower going up where City Hall used to be. Photo: Courtesy of Nicholas James
For the first time in recent memory, it's hard to keep up with all the development activity in downtown Clearwater.
Why it matters: City officials have dubbed this moment an "urban renaissance," but questions about the Church of Scientology's role in the momentum prompted City Council members to schedule a special meeting next week, according to recent news reports.
- The church and companies tied to it own around 200 downtown properties that have sat vacant for years, per a 2019 Tampa Bay Times investigation.
- Downtown is also the site of the church's international spiritual headquarters.
State of play: Construction is underway on The Bluffs, a 28-story, 400-unit apartment tower with 10,000 square feet of retail space going up on the site of the old City Hall on South Osceola Avenue.
- Down the street, the 158-room Ballad Hotel is rising on the site of the former Harborview Center, with plans for a rooftop bar and restaurant and retail space.
- A 397-space parking garage with ground-floor retail space and a new Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority transit center are also underway.
- And Pinellas County officials will soon be on the hunt for a partner to redevelop 17 county-owned properties scattered across downtown.
Meantime, a development group affiliated with Scientology recently announced plans for a $50 million, 83,000-square-foot entertainment center in the heart of downtown.
- The Cleveland Street Alliance is also behind the restoration of several historic properties and the renovation of numerous storefronts along Cleveland Street.
- The plan is to bring in restaurants, retail and entertainment tenants that are independent from the church, manager Scott Dobbins told Tampa Bay 28.
What they're saying: "I'm very excited about ... these abandoned buildings being renovated and occupied," City Council member Lina Teixeira told the TV station.
- "But I'm actually waiting for the actual occupation, right? So I'm looking for activation, long-term leases that bring high traffic and commerce to downtown."
Between the lines: The announcement of the entertainment center caught City Council members by surprise and led to confusion in the community, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
What's next: The city scheduled a meeting May 28 to discuss the church's plans for downtown, including the entertainment center, per the Times.
- Its at 5pm at the Clearwater Main Library.