PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Pinellas County’s Tourist Development Council voted in favor of allocating just shy of $25 million toward five tourism-based expansion or renovation projects, but three proposals hit a roadblock.

The Tourist Development Council, along with Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, makes recommendations to the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners on projects related to the county’s tourism development tax dollars.

During this round, leaders submitted eight projects for consideration under the Capital Improvement Projects Program.

Project Funding Approved for Recommendation by the Tourist Development Council: 

  • Eddie C. Moore Complex renovation

  • The Morean Arts Center and Chihuly Collection expansion

  • Palladium Theater renovation

  • Clearwater Marine Aquarium expansion
  • Clearwater Beach Municipal Marina upgrades

For the first time, the county hired consulting firm Crossroads Consulting Services to assess the eight applications and if they hit the criteria needed in order to obtain the requested funding. While Pinellas County’s Tourist Development Council votes on making recommendations, the county commission has the final approval.

The criteria that each of the eight proposals were evaluated on were the annual tourism economic benefits over a 10-year period, the number of projected tourist room nights, tourist attendance, total marketing and sponsorship benefits, and the contribution of the project to the county’s strategic plan.

Using the newly-created algorithm for scoring the proposals, consultants and county staff found that a $9.5 million request from the Florida Orchestra for a new music education and innovation center, and a $24,500 request from the Dunedin Museum for a clock tower repair did not meet the criteria needed to move forward in the process.

A $10 million proposal from the Woodson African American Museum of Florida for renovation and relocation didn’t meet one of the thresholds needed to advance.

During a meeting of the Tourist Development Council last week, Brian Lowack with Visit St. Pete Clearwater said the Woodson Museum fell just short of the "annual room night" threshold.

“They did meet the annual attendance, but they fell just shy of the annual room nights,” Lowack explained. “One of the provisions within the capital guidelines is if you fall short of those thresholds that we’re required to take that to the Board of County Commissioners and ask them if that project can be considered for inclusion in the program.”

The Woodson Museum proposal is scheduled to go before the Pinellas County Commission Tuesday. If they chose to green light the project funding, then it will go back in front of the Tourist Development Council next month to get added to the funding package, along with the five approved items.