Clearwater Florida June 15–20, 2014 A ULI Advisory ServicesReport Panel A ULI Clearwater Florida A New Vision for Downtown June 15–20, 2014 A ULI Advisory Services Panel Report About the Urban Land Institute THE MISSION OF THE URBAN LAND INSTITUTE is O Sharing knowledge through education, applied research, to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in publishing, and electronic media; and creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. O Sustaining a diverse global network of local practice ULI is committed to and advisory efforts that address current and future O Bringing together leaders from across the fields of real challenges. estate and land use policy to exchange best practices Established in 1936, the Institute today has more than and serve community needs; 32,000 members worldwide, representing the entire O Fostering collaboration within and beyond ULI’s spectrum of the land use and development disciplines. membership through mentoring, dialogue, and problem ULI relies heavily on the experience of its members. It is solving; through member involvement and information resources that ULI has been able to set standards of excellence in Exploring issues of urbanization, conservation, regen- O development practice. The Institute has long been rec- eration, land use, capital formation, and sustainable ognized as one of the world’s most respected and widely development; quoted sources of objective information on urban planning, O Advancing land use policies and design practices growth, and development. that respect the uniqueness of both built and natural environments; Cover photo: City of Clearwater © 2014 by the Urban Land Institute 1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW Suite 500 West Washington, DC 20007-5201 All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission of the copy- right holder is prohibited. 2 An Advisory Services Panel Report About ULI Advisory Services THE GOAL OF ULI’S ADVISORY SERVICES program A major strength of the program is ULI’s unique ability is to bring the finest expertise in the real estate field to to draw on the knowledge and expertise of its members, bear on complex land use planning and development proj- including land developers and owners, public officials, ects, programs, and policies. Since 1947, this program academics, representatives of financial institutions, and has assembled well over 400 ULI-member teams to help others. In fulfillment of the mission of the Urban Land sponsors find creative, practical solutions for issues such Institute, this Advisory Services panel report is intended to as downtown redevelopment, land management strate- provide objective advice that will promote the responsible gies, evaluation of development potential, growth manage- use of land to enhance the environment. ment, community revitalization, brownfield redevelopment, military base reuse, provision of low-cost and affordable ULI Program Staff housing, and asset management strategies, among other Gayle Berens matters. A wide variety of public, private, and nonprofit or- Senior Vice President, Education and Advisory Group ganizations have contracted for ULI’s advisory services. Thomas W. Eitler Each panel team is composed of highly qualified profession- Vice President, Advisory Services als who volunteer their time to ULI. They are chosen for their Beth Silverman knowledge of the panel topic and screened to ensure their Director, Education and Advisory Group objectivity. ULI’s interdisciplinary panel teams provide a holis- tic look at development problems. A respected ULI member Caroline Dietrich who has previous panel experience chairs each panel. Panel Associate, Education and Advisory Group The agenda for a five-day panel assignment is intensive. Kathryn Craig It includes an in-depth briefing day composed of a tour of Associate, Education and Advisory Group the site and meetings with sponsor representatives; a day Natasha Hilton of hour-long interviews of typically 50 to 75 key commu- Associate, Education and Advisory Group nity representatives; and two days of formulating recom- mendations. Long nights of discussion precede the panel’s James A. Mulligan conclusions. On the final day on site, the panel makes an Senior Editor oral presentation of its findings and conclusions to the sponsor. A written report is prepared and published. Laura Glassman, Publications Professionals LLC Manuscript Editor Because the sponsoring entities are responsible for signifi- cant preparation before the panel’s visit, including sending Betsy VanBuskirk extensive briefing materials to each member and arranging Creative Director for the panel to meet with key local community members Deanna Pineda, Muse Advertising Design and stakeholders in the project under consideration, partici- Graphic Designer pants in ULI’s five-day panel assignments are able to make accurate assessments of a sponsor’s issues and to provide Craig Chapman recommendations in a compressed amount of time. Senior Director, Publishing Operations Clearwater, Florida, June 15–20, 2014 3 Acknowledgments ULI WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE CITY of Clearwater The panel also recognizes the Clearwater Downtown for inviting this Advisory Services panel. Special thanks go Partnership and its membership. Their vision for down- to Mayor George Cretekos and the rest of the City Coun- town Clearwater as an urban setting with an amenity of cil for their participation and interest in this panel exer- a marina and a place where a diverse group of people cise. The panel also thanks the many city staff members feel comfortable living, working, and playing provided this who made this panel possible, especially City Manager Bill panel with an excellent point of departure. Horne, Assistant City Manager Rod Irwin, and Economic Finally, the panel would like to thank the more than 90 com- Development Director Geri Lopez. In addition, the assis- munity stakeholders who gave their valuable time to attend tance of Michael Delk and Gina Clayton from the Planning the interview sessions, presentations, and receptions. and Development Department, who prepared the briefing materials and coordinated the tours, receptions, and inter- views, was invaluable. Their dedication to the city and its well-being made this panel possible. 4 An Advisory Services Panel Report Contents ULI Panel and Project Staff ...............................................................................................................................6 Foreword: The Panel’s Assignment ...................................................................................................................7 The Vision .......................................................................................................................................................9 Market Potential ............................................................................................................................................13 Planning, Development, and Design Strategies ...............................................................................................18 Organizational Capacity and Implementation ...................................................................................................31 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................................35 About the Panel .............................................................................................................................................36 Clearwater, Florida, June 15–20, 2014 5 ULI Panel and Project Staff Panel Chair Sonali Soneji Principal/Transportation Planner Bill Kistler Simple Solutions Planning & Design LLC Managing Partner Arlington, Virginia Kistler & Company London, United Kingdom Doug Wrenn Principal Panel Members Rodgers Consulting Inc. Germantown, Maryland Jordan Block Urban Designer/Planner RNL Denver ULI Project Staff Denver, Colorado Thomas W. Eitler Vice President Charles Johnson IV Advisory Services President C.H. Johnson Consulting Inc. Caroline Dietrich Chicago, Illinois Logistics Manager Education and Advisory Group Pamela Minich President Minich Strategic Services Houston, Texas Brad Rogers Principal, Advanced Placemaking Baltimore, Maryland 6 An Advisory Services Panel Report Foreword: The Panel’s Assignment CLEARWATER, FLORIDA, IS A CITY of approximately New Port Richey PASCO 110,000 located in the Tampa Bay region on the Gulf of Mexico. As the county seat for Pinellas County, it is an Tarpon Springs administrative, financial, and business center for the west- Plant City Clearwater ern portion of the Tampa region. Clearwater Beach is part PINELLAS of the city and is a well-known tourist destination with Largo Tampa almost 1 million visitors every year. Clearwater’s downtown St. Petersburg HILLSBOROUGH is the location of many city facilities, including City Hall, TAMPA BAY the central library, and Pinellas County offices. The down- 275 town is located on a bluff that rises 30 feet above Clear- Bradenton MANATEE 75 water Harbor. Bayshore Gardens Sarasota The downtown serves as the gateway to Clearwater Beach Sarasota Springs and is a focal point for the community along Clearwater Regional map. Harbor whose centerpiece is Coachman Park and more and is largely coterminous with an area designated as a recently the downtown Clearwater marina. Although the Community Redevelopment Area (CRA). The redevelop- commercial prominence of downtown Clearwater has ment plan area covers