CLEARWATER, Fla. — The future of downtown Clearwater was the topic of discussion Thursday, as city council held a special public meeting with some of the top developers and architects in the world to find out what a group, led by the Church of Scientology, has planned.
“We understand as a leadership team we are in an unbelievable place of momentum that our city hasn’t been maybe before,” said City Councilman Mike Mannino.
WATCH: Developers update city on future of downtown Clearwater
“You know the term, ‘ghost town,’ nobody walking downtown, it’s finally to that precipice of things are happening, I just don’t want to enjoy the beach, I want to enjoy our downtown,” said Councilman Ryan Cotton.
Clearwater City Council members had abundant praise for the Cleveland Street Alliance, a partner of the Church of Scientology, as they unveiled their plan to renovate more than 40 storefronts along Cleveland Street, creating space for restaurants, retail, and entertainment. Hundreds of community members were in attendance to take it all in.
“And I’ve heard from so many people, ‘have you seen what’s coming,’ and I’m like, ‘yeah, I’ve seen it,’ I’m really happy that it’s coming,” said Councilman David Albritton.
However, what’s yet to be announced is who exactly will be moving into all these newly restored buildings. So far, only a few tenants have been named. Mayor Bruce Rector questioned why these private investors are hiding behind LLCs.
“I think it would help the public feel more comfortable about the activity and intended activity if they knew who are the people, the individuals who own these properties,” said Rector.
“There’s an inferred desire to keep individual investors' names out of the public record, and that’s why we have special purpose LLCs. It’s a standard provision that happens,” said Scott Dobbins, who manages Cleveland Street Alliance.
The meeting also included a special presentation of the new Evo Family Entertainment Center, which will anchor the entire development and house the world's largest movie screen, measuring 131 feet long and seven stories high.
“It represents far more than an entertainment venue; this is a precedent setting state of the art destination,” said Evo representation.
“When you put on a screen in front of us, and it says like, ‘number one firm in the world, largest on earth,' these are moments of gravity,” said Mannino.
However, Councilwoman Lina Teixeira said she was disappointed the alliance started marketing the theater before it was officially approved.
“The best way I can say it is being invited to a premiere before the movie was even cast,” said Teixeira. “We will be following the process, and the process has not really be done in full force, so nothing has been decided.”
The Cleveland Street Alliance said they were satisfied with the overall meeting and plan to have more updates on new developments and tenants in the weeks and months ahead.
“The spirit of transparency is what we are also aspiring to be. We are not working to duck any questions about the project, the ownership, and the vision, so I think this is a very positive step,” said Dobbins.
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