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Summer 63 Q: What about referendums and state Special Act? A: We can accomplish probably most everything that we want with no more than three referendums and a (state) Special Act. The (state) Special Act is an act from the 1920s from the state Legislature that limits where carnivals and shows can occur in the park, so we need to adjust that. There are a number of things that we can do in the near term and short term. Hopefully, we will be well positioned to move forward with some of those things, even as we prepare for the referendums and (state) Special Act. Q: How long will it take and cost? A: This range can vary as much from the low $30 millions to low-tomid $50 millions. You have a wide range, depending on a whole host of things that we will start to sort out as we move into the implementation phase and get started with design. The plan envisions that it’s as much a 10-year plan of implementation. If we stay focused on the outcome and stay true to our process and our plan, I think that’s a doable thing. Q: How about the funding for Imagine Clearwater? A: You don’t have one budget item of X dollars and build the whole thing. You look for funding over a period of years. You look for funding from different sources and different funds. You have to keep in mind that you don’t buy it all at one time out of one fund. There are tools and opportunities for various funding, staging and phasing that break that down into a much more manageable process. And that’s true with almost any large project. My Clearwater Q: Explain the role of the private sector in Imagine Clearwater? A: The mixed-use activation would be a partnership between the public and the private sector with regard to the development along Osceola Avenue – the development that would overlook the park. We’ll define as we go through the process exactly what that looks like — it’s key to the success of the activation of our park and our waterfront. We want to make sure that we are well prepared with regard to what we would want to see there, and make sure that we define that in a way that our community is comfortable with how we are implementing the plan. Q: How does Imagine Clearwater compare to Beach Walk? A: Beach Walk is probably one of the most spectacular undertakings that the city of Clearwater has ever done, in some respect, from the standpoint of its economic development and its sense of place. Beach Walk is probably barely a quarter of a mile in length. I think the city probably expended somewhere in the $30 to $40 million range for the reconstruction of Beach Walk. The results have been spectacular. Q: What does the Imagine Clearwater project mean to Clearwater and its residents? A: It truly is a Second Century Clearwater kind of project. This really has the potential of repositioning the city of Clearwater for its next hundred years. This is a waterfront that will be timeless in that regard. It’s a very important project for the city.


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