Q: What is Billion Dollar Beach?
Q: Why is there construction and new development occurring on Clearwater Beach? And why now?
Q: Who or what is responsible for Billion Dollar Beach?
Q: Why is Beach Walk so important?
Q: How much is Beach Walk going to cost?
Q: When is Billion Dollar Beach happening? Is there a start and end date to construction associated with Billion Dollar Beach?
Q: Where is Billion Dollar Beach construction happening?
Q: What will be the impact of construction on the beach? Will I have to deal with construction equipment?
Q: Will construction in Clearwater Beach be noisy and at what times? Where exactly will it be noisy?
Q: Is Clearwater Beach still accessible?
Q: Is there public access to the beach itself?
Q: Can visitors still get to the Municipal Marina?
Q: Are Pier 60 Park and the pier affected? Will Sunsets at Pier 60 still take place?
Q: Are traffic and parking affected by the construction? Where should visitors park on Clearwater Beach?
Q: Are hotels, attractions and restaurants open?
Q: Is it the intent of the City of Clearwater to drive visitors away from the market?
Q: Will Clearwater Beach lose everything we like about it now?
Q: What is the impact of Billion Dollar Beach on small business owners and hospitality workers in Clearwater Beach?
Q. What sorts of new projects are private developers bringing to Clearwater Beach?
Q. What is a condo-hotel?
Q: Are most of Clearwater Beach’s older hotels and motels being demolished to make way for newer, high-end properties?
Q: Why is my favorite small motel gone? Is the city driving out all the small businesses?
Q: Are there affordable places to stay?
Q: Will my favorite motel/hotel still be there next year?
Q: Can the city re-zone the beach so that it remains heavily commercial vs. residential in order to stem condo development?
Q: What is Billion Dollar Beach?
Billion Dollar Beach is the future of Clearwater Beach, one of the world’s most desirable vacation destinations.
Billion Dollar Beach is the term we use to describe Clearwater Beach’s dramatic renaissance, which includes over one billion dollars in private development – a mix of hotel accommodations and residential condominiums – and Beach Walk, the City of Clearwater’s $30 million beautification program.
Billion Dollar Beach is the most exciting and significant improvement to Clearwater Beach’s tourism economy in decades.
Q: Why is there construction and new development occurring on Clearwater Beach? And why now?
Billion Dollar Beach is the result of many years’ worth of careful planning to ensure that Clearwater Beach remains one of the world’s most popular vacation destinations.
Tourism is Clearwater’s most important industry. Many older, smaller properties in the community had begun to deteriorate, and increasing competition from other destinations led to a discussion about the future of Clearwater Beach. This led to the development of a long-range plan called Beach by Design, intended to guide the revitalization of Clearwater Beach. Beach Walk is a key component in the plan.
While private developers have been eager to take advantage of the demand for condominiums on Clearwater Beach, the incentives provided through Beach by Design have helped to ensure that overnight accommodations remain a cornerstone of beachside redevelopment. These new properties will offer new amenities and a visitor experience consistent with the spectacular natural surroundings of Clearwater Beach.
Private hotel developments have also agreed to contribute funding toward the construction of Beach Walk.
Q: Who or what is responsible for Billion Dollar Beach?
Beach Walk, and incentives offered to private developers to maintain quality accommodations on the beach, is part of Beach by Design. The City of Clearwater, through Beach by Design, has been diligent about involving residents and the business community in the process.
Private developers, in cooperation with the City of Clearwater, and spurred by Beach Walk, are responding to this dynamic market by bringing new hotel and residential properties – valued at over one billion dollars – to the area. These developments are expected to attract even more amenities and favorably impact other businesses, Clearwater residents and the tourism economy overall by ensuring that the area exceeds visitors’ expectations now and well into the future.
Q: Why is Beach Walk so important?
Beach Walk is part of a long-term revitalization plan for Clearwater Beach and is directly responsible for developers’ interest in building new hotel rooms on the beach, which are vital to the future of Clearwater’s visitor industry.
Q: How much is Beach Walk going to cost?
The total estimated cost for the construction of Beach Walk is $30 million, which is higher than the original estimate. This is due to numerous factors, especially increases in material costs and the high cost of leasing property on and around the beach for construction staging areas.
The city’s priority is on ensuring that the project gets done, gets done well and gets done on time with the least amount of inconvenience to residents, business owners and visitors.
Q: When is Billion Dollar Beach happening? Is there a start and end date to construction associated with Billion Dollar Beach?
Beach Walk, the City of Clearwater’s project, is expected to move forward in four distinct phases over 3.5 years. Phase One of Beach Walk began in January 2006 and should last for approximately 12 months. The entire project should be complete by spring/summer 2009. For more information about Beach Walk, visit www.myclearwater.com/beachwalk.
Several private projects have been completed or are underway – including three major hotel properties. Others are in the proposal or planning stages, but because a host of factors impact private development, it’s difficult to pinpoint precise construction schedules. For more information about private tourism development in Clearwater Beach, click here.
Q: Where is Billion Dollar Beach construction happening?
Currently, the majority of private development is occurring along S. Gulfview Blvd., Coronado Drive and Bayway Blvd. Click here for private development construction locations.
Phase One of Beach Walk will provide roadway and pedestrian improvements to Coronado Drive, one road east of the beach. Wide sidewalks will be added and Coronado Drive will be converted into three lanes. Other phases of Beach Walk will occur on the north and south ends of S. Gulfview Blvd. For more details about Beach Walk’s construction phases and more precise locations, visit www.myclearwater.com/beachwalk.
Q: What will be the impact of construction on the beach? Will I have to deal with construction equipment?
Construction equipment on S. Gulfview Boulevard will be contained within a fenced area. On Coronado Drive, there will be one lane of traffic open in each direction at all times. For more details about Beach Walk’s construction phases and more precise locations, visit www.myclearwater.com/beachwalk. Click here for locations of private development construction.
Q: Will construction in Clearwater Beach be noisy and at what times? Where exactly will it be noisy?
It is hard to predict when construction noise will be at its peak. Due to restrictions, most of the noise will occur between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. unless special permits are issued. For example, it may be necessary to work past 7 p.m. when a concrete pour is scheduled. We ask for patience during construction.
Most construction noise will be south of the roundabout and west of Hamden.
Q: Is Clearwater Beach still accessible?
The main artery onto Clearwater Beach, State Road 60, will be completely unaffected by construction associated with Billion Dollar Beach.
Q: Is there public access to the beach itself?
Most definitely. The beach itself will be untouched by construction projects. The city is committed to doing everything possible to minimize effects on access to the beach.
Q: Can visitors still get to the Municipal Marina?
The Clearwater Municipal Marina, one of the best-equipped and most attractive marinas in the state, is open to the public seven days a week, 365 days a year, and will operate as usual during construction of Beach Walk.
Q: Are Pier 60 Park and the pier affected? Will Sunsets at Pier 60 still take place?
The park and pier are expected to continue to operate as always. Sunsets at Pier 60, a daily festival featuring artisans, crafters and live musical entertainment, begins two hours before sunset and ends two hours after sunset. For more information, visit www.sunsetsatpier60.com.
Q: Are traffic and parking affected by the construction? Where should visitors park on Clearwater Beach?
Clearwater is working closely with private developers to minimize adverse effects on traffic and parking. There will be periods during construction where sections of beachside parking will be unavailable. During these phases, additional shuttling options from downtown and Sand Key will be provided for those interested in day trips to the beach. Parking lots at Sand Key Park, Pier 60 and north Clearwater Beach will remain open throughout construction.
During peak Spring Break and holiday weekends, traffic delays can be expected, although not as a result of construction. Throughout the project, contractors will maintain at least one lane of traffic both north and south between the roundabout and Sand Key Bridge.
When complete, 400 new public parking spaces will be available at the Hyatt Aqualea on S. Gulfview Blvd. Clearwater continues to work with hotel developments and private partners to provide additional public parking.
Q: Are hotels, attractions and restaurants open?
During this exciting transition, Clearwater’s valued attractions – such as the Clearwater Marine Aquarium , the Municipal Marina, its network of nature trails and parks, world-class performing arts organizations and golf courses – remain open and eager to welcome visitors. All the activities that make Clearwater Beach the “number one activity beach in America” are still available.
Most importantly, the award-winning, internationally renowned beach itself – Clearwater’s most prized asset – remains open and as beautiful as ever.
Click here for a list of Clearwater accommodations available to serve you.
Q: Is it the intent of the City of Clearwater to drive visitors away from the market?
On the contrary, Beach Walk is a vital component for the future of the tourism industry in both Pinellas County and Clearwater. The tourism industry creates more than 80,000 jobs and generates $5 billion for the county's economy. These improvements are designed to enhance Clearwater’s reputation as a top-tier beach destination and have been critical in attracting new hotel development to the beach.
Clearwater has been working to maintain quality hotel rooms on Clearwater Beach for several years now. Development pressures for residential units on the beach are strong and in order to ensure that hotels remain a part of the Clearwater Beach landscape, the city offered incentives for their development.
Q: Will Clearwater Beach lose everything we like about it now?
Beach Walk is designed to revitalize the community that surrounds Clearwater's popular south beach destination. Generations of visitors from all over the world have enjoyed the beach and there will be even more to offer when construction of Beach Walk is finished.
Learn more details about Beach Walk and private hotel development.
Q: What is the impact of Billion Dollar Beach on small business owners and hospitality workers in Clearwater Beach?
Clearwater continues to work closely with local businesses to ensure they have the information and tools to help them through the construction of Beach Walk. While some hospitality employees may lose their jobs because older motels and hotels are being replaced, it is anticipated that the new properties – primarily due to their size and extensive amenities - will employ far more workers than the smaller properties they are replacing. Additionally, it is anticipated that as Billion Dollar Beach continues to take shape, the associated development of retail establishments, restaurants and other services and attractions will create a very strong demand for experienced hospitality employees.
Q. What sorts of new projects are private developers bringing to Clearwater Beach?
Developers are bringing in a mix of upscale hotels, residential condominiums, resort condominiums and boutique-size condo-hotels. Click here to learn more about private development on Clearwater Beach.
Q. What is a condo-hotel?
A condo-hotel, sometimes called a resort condominium, is a hybrid of a traditional hotel and condominium.
Typically, at a hotel, one entity (e.g. a hotel chain or other company) owns the entire property including all of the individual hotel rooms. The units in a resort condominium are owned by individuals but managed and rented as hotel rooms for tourists.
Owners of resort condominium units are free to use their units for a defined period of time (usually 30 to 60 days). During the remainder of the year, the units are placed in a “rental pool” and marketed and rented by an experienced resort management team, like Hyatt.
Q: Are most of Clearwater Beach’s older hotels and motels being demolished to make way for newer, high-end properties?
While some smaller properties are being replaced by larger projects, accommodations to suit every taste and fit every budget are expected to remain on Clearwater Beach. However, the private marketplace will continue to lead Clearwater Beach’s economy, and escalating land prices have led many small properties to sell.
Clearwater officials are currently reviewing possible incentives for the construction and operation of mid-range hotels on the beach. These new guidelines could be in place before the end of the year.
Q: Why is my favorite small motel gone? Is the city driving out all the small businesses?
Developers have been courting beach property owners for a long time. Their offers have increased, and many of the small business and hotel owners have responded to the market, accepting millions for relatively small properties.
This market trend, which includes a strong demand for residential development, was a driving force in the development of Beach by Design. This program is designed to maintain the tourist base on which small beach businesses depend. We recognize, though, that construction can be tough on business and have worked closely with local businesses to provide access, signage and other tools to help them through the process. When complete, more than 1,000 new hotel rooms will be added to the beach.
Q: Are there affordable places to stay?
With more and more permanent residences going up on the beach, Clearwater recognizes the importance of preserving overnight accommodations for visitors of every economic bracket. Visitors will find many new and familiar places to stay in a variety of price ranges. In addition, the greater Clearwater area, including downtown Clearwater and other off-beach areas, boasts large numbers of mid-level and economy accommodations.
Q: Will my favorite motel/hotel still be there next year?
It’s not possible for us to know whether a particular, favorite motel or hotel will be here
next year so we suggest you contact the properties directly. Click here for a
comprehensive list of Clearwater area accommodations.
Q: Can the city re-zone the beach so that it remains heavily commercial vs. residential in order to stem condo development?
Current zoning permits both commercial and residential uses. In many cases market conditions and high property values along the beach make it more lucrative for developers to construct residential units. The City Council is continually examining incentives and zoning as a means to encourage mid-range hotel development while respecting the rights of property owners on the beach.