CLEARWATER, Fla. — Clearwater is known for its amazing beaches but now the city wants to expand that reputation into downtown.
It’s not every day that a city has two major construction projects, years in the making, happening right across the street from one another, but that’s what's happening in downtown Clearwater when it comes to the new PSTA Transit Center and the new Clearwater City Hall.
Watch report from Robert Boyd
You could call the corner of Franklin and Myrtle, the epicenter of change in downtown Clearwater.
“Right now, we are actually working on installing the underground storm water vault and once that is in place we’ll be able to move forward with above ground structures,” said Elizabeth Moscak-Fazio, PSTA project manager.
Moscak-Fazio is referring to the new $49 million PSTA Transit Center set to open in the summer of 2027.
“With the rise of gas prices and the uncertainty of where they will be going next public transit is dependable, reliable and you can get around if you need to,” said Moscak-Fazio.
PSTA says the old transit hub was built in the 80s and is outdated. The new hub will feature an air-conditioned waiting area, retail stores, ADA accessibility, real-time bus information, electric bus access, and a designated location for Uber and Lyft.
“This is PSTA’s way of being innovative, and looking to the future, and helping to improve things for our riders,” said Moscak-Fazio.
Across the street, city engineer Tara Kivett is proud to say the new $32.6 million city hall is on schedule to open this October.
“The new city hall is going to have a beautiful chamber for our council meetings, right now we are operating temporarily out of our main library and there is also some event space on the first floor,” said Kivett.
The city says having the city hall, the police department, the municipal services building, and the transit center all in the same location is a huge benefit for residents.
“So now it’s more of a one stop shop, you can come down here, we have the parking garage, surface parking, on street parking, again you can take mass transit, to really get all your city business done,” said Kivett.
The city says it is excited to shine a new spotlight on downtown.
“It’s really a transformative time for Clearwater, you know in a few years from now when all these projects are done downtown Clearwater will be an amazing place,” said Kivett.
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