CLEARWATER, Fla. — After months of delays, the City of Clearwater formally broke ground on the Imagine Clearwater project Friday.
The final price tag for the project that will transform Coachman Park and the surrounding waterfront is roughly $84 million.
What You Need To Know
- City breaks ground on Imagine Clearwater project
- Transformation of Coachman Park to cost roughly $84 million
- A closer look: "Imagine Clearwater"
When the project started to take shape a few years ago it was estimated to cost around $64 million but the price increased substantially due to the rising cost of construction materials and a few last-minute additions to the plans.
“Like building a house you have a lot of decisions you have to make and there’s upgrades that you might want but they cost more money, so the final price is $84 million and what we decided is we were going to keep all the major components of the park and we did not want to compromise the final project,” explained Frank Hibbard, Mayor of Clearwater.
The plans include and outdoor covered amphitheater that can seat 4,000 people, green walkways, a playground, and a plaza. In addition to a promenade overlooking the water. It will all be surrounded by new housing and retail spaces.
The construction will take approximately 2 years and is expected to wrap up in the summer of 2023.