Downtown Clearwater Celebrates
Murals Coming to Downtown Buildings
In January, there will be five Downtown Clearwater buildings whose exteriors
will be decorated with large-scale murals. The murals will bring a hip appeal to
Downtown Clearwater and the five selected buildings.
The city of Clearwater’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) announced
this summer a call to artists to attract muralists interested in reshaping the
artistic landscape of Downtown Clearwater. The CRA received 144 applications
from muralists who reside all over the world. Some candidates were from Tampa
Bay. Some artists were from elsewhere in the United States, and others were
from Taiwan, Uruguay and Canada.
“It’s an exciting response from a number of accomplished artists,” said Amanda
Thompson, the city’s CRA director. “It’s an exciting time for Downtown
Clearwater where we will soon see some of its blank downtown canvasses turned
into masterpieces.”
The murals will be painted at the following sites:
• Garden Street Parking Garage - 28 N. Garden Ave.
• The Flag Company (AKA Vet’s Flags) - 1360 Cleveland St.
• Creative Contractors (trail side) - 620 Drew St.
• Commercial Building - 512 Cleveland St.
• Clearwater Tower Parking Garage (the portion facing Station Square Park) -
33 N. Garden Ave.
In the near future, the final artists will be selected. The exact size of the
mural, the artwork and the location on the building will be determined in
collaboration with the CRA staff, the artist and the property owner. The murals
must be completed by Jan. 31, 2019.
The Future of Second Century Studios
Second Century Studios has hosted a number of art exhibits and events
since opening in September 2017. The space serves as a location to introduce
the public to future Downtown Clearwater initiatives, including planned
enhancements to Coachman Park, Cleveland Street and the Downtown
Gateway.
In the future, Second Century Studios could host an art gallery, pop-up
retail business, live performances or community events that will draw traffic
downtown. It would be run by an individual or organization that reaches
an agreement with the city’s CRA. The city has received 42 applications
from people and organizations who want to take over the Second Century
Studios space, located at 331 Cleveland St. The CRA hopes to make an
announcement soon on potential tenants at Second Century Studios. Visit
downtownclearwater.com to stay in touch.
Downtown Façade
Program
The city of Clearwater's Community
Redevelopment Agency recently
amended its Facade Improvement
Program making business and property
owners eligible to receive a $25,000
grant or more to improve the facade
of their commercial property. The
CRA can match dollar for dollar up
to 50 percent of the total construction
cost for façade improvements. Grants
$25,000 or less can be approved by the
CRA director for a quicker application
and approval process than the previous
program. Additionally, property owners
along Cleveland Street and Gulf-to-Bay
Boulevard in the Downtown Gateway
who apply to the Facade Improvement
Program can receive a $4,000 grant for
architectural design assistance.
To apply for the Facade Improvement
Program or to learn more, visit
downtownclearwater.com/doingbusiness/
incentives-grants or contact
Anne Fogarty France, the city's
downtown manager, at anne.fogartyfrance@
myclearwater.com or 562-4044.
58 MyClearwater
/downtownclearwater.com