SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION:
Title
Approve the conceptual plan for Cleveland Streetscape Phase III and the Festival Plaza.
Body
SUMMARY:
This is the final phase of the Cleveland Streetscape and will extend from Missouri Avenue to San Remo Avenue to the East. In addition, the streetscape will also include Gulf to Bay Boulevard from its intersection with Cleveland Street up to the Downtown Gateway at Court Street to the South (i.e. Five Points). Once completed, Cleveland Street will provide a unified cohesive pedestrian-friendly corridor from the Gateway to Downtown. This project will also include the Festival Core, which was identified by the 2nd Century Clearwater (ULI) as a priority project. The Festival Core will be located at the intersection of Cleveland Street and Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard that will provide a much-needed local activity center.
The consultant for Phase III is Frank Bellomo of Community Solution Group. Frank began development of the Master Streetscape and Wayfinding Programs for Downtown in 2002, and continued to help the City implement that vision through the design and implementation of Cleveland Streetscape Phases I and II, Station Square Park and the Downtown Wayfinding project.
The design of the Cleveland Streetscape Phase III will provide a more “Complete Streets” approach to the right-of-way by reducing the vehicular travel lanes from five down to two lanes, one in each direction with a center lane dedicated to left turns, passing and temporary staging by delivery and service vehicles.
The reconfiguration of the roadways will also include realignment of many of the angled intersections into perpendicular intersections, which are safer for pedestrians and motorist alike. This will allow elimination of the two signalized intersections at Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard and Cleveland Street, as well at Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard and Hillcrest Avenue.
There will be an overall increase in on street parking throughout the corridor, including 45
back-in parking on Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard.
Sidewalks will be replaced and widened as much as practical throughout the project, and designated pedestrian crosswalks will be located at each intersection to provide for interconnected pedestrian ways.
The corridor will also include separate dedicated bike lanes or bikeways in each direction, between the roadway and the pedestrian ways. Specific bike way crossing, separate from the pedestrian crosswalks will be at each intersection.
Green space, including Rain Gardens, will be incorporated along the roadway and throughout the project to add trees, landscaping and will also serve as part of the stormwater treatment of the project.
Bus stations, some with shelters, will be located throughout the project in areas that provide free access to pedestrians while providing safe separation from vehicular traffic.
The existing streetlights will be replaced by a new decorative streetlight system that will be more consistent with the lighting in Phases I and II. In addition, the existing power lines for the streetlights will be relocated underground.
Although the design pallet for Phase III will be somewhat simplified from that of phases I and II, it will still carry the same general character and feel. The Festival Core will be the exception. Because this area will be a pedestrian area, there will be a significant use of decorative paving and other site amenities.
A small pocket park will be created at the intersection of Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard and De Leon Street.
The estimated budget for the conceptual design as proposed is approximately $9,500,000.
Available funding at this time is $6,000,000 from Pennies for Pinellas and approximately $1,000,000 from CRA.