Cleveland Street Streetscape Updateprovided by the City of Clearwater
Residents and employees of downtown businesses were eager to see downtown's newest amenities at Cleveland Street Streetscape's second block celebration last Friday. The sunny weather was in sharp contrast to the rainy skies that dampened the opening ceremonies for the first block last March. Substantial crowds filled the streets in the late afternoon sun and sampled cool treats provided by Working Cow Ice Cream, and pizza from Tony's Pizzeria & Ristorante. Bargain hunters snapped up custom designed chocolate bars with coupons on the wrappers good at downtown restaurants in minutes. Nature's Rose Florist was giving away free roses. Many in the crowd sipped from specially designed water bottles, enjoyed the tropical steel drum entertainment, or just enjoyed sitting on the newly installed benches along the sidewalks. While the second block is complete, intersection work is still underway at the Garden Avenue, and the street will open to traffic from Garden Avenue to the bluff when the work is completed next week. Construction crews are now concentrating on the block from Garden to East avenues. Final adjustments to fire hydrant lines are being made and forms for curbing will soon define the sidewalks and street of the block from Garden to East avenues. Pedestrians may use sidewalks on the south side of the street near the Station Square Condominium construction site as the north sidewalk there remains closed, however crews are expected to begin construction of a pedestrian tunnel in front of the tower when new sidewalks on the north side of the street are also installed sometime in July. Patrons may take advantage of two hours of free parking in the Garden Avenue Garage, additional parking along Osceola Avenue between the Main Library and Cleveland Street, and designated parking spaces on Cleveland Street from Osceola to Ft. Harrison avenues. For further updates on construction, check out the city's website at www.myclearwater.com/downtown, or call the Streetscape construction office at 462 6126. The next Hard Hat meeting is 8 a.m., Thursday, June 28, at Cleveland Street Café, 615 Cleveland St. Free coffee will be available, and officials will be on hand to answer the public's questions regarding the project. |