Here’s some good news for anyone cruising along the Gulf coast of Florida or even on the Great Loop. The City Council of Clearwater just voted to replace the aging Clearwater Beach Marina with a new one with about 165 slips, modern amenities and a waterfront promenade.
For the Clearwater Beach Marina, location is everything. It’s on Clearwater Bay, just south of the Memorial Causeway leading to the mainland and with no bridges between it and the Gulf, basically just around the corner. The ICW is on one side, and the iconic Clearwater beach is just three blocks away on the other. Hotels and restaurants are all around.
The marina is also central to the Clearwater Beach economy, with fishing and sailing charters, dolphin cruises, dinner cruises, PWC rentals and other water-sports activities. It has 165 slips for boats up to 125 feet, including 20 for transients, gas and diesel fuel docks, pump-outs, 24-hour security and a fishing pier.
But the infrastructure hasn’t changed in the past 59 years. Indeed, David Margolis, the city attorney, said the marina is in a state of “catastrophic disrepair.” The utilities have to be turned off at high tide so the old cables and wiring won’t come in contact with the water; the fixed wooden docks are deteriorating, and the seawall is failing.
The City Council just voted to spend $43.5 million to rebuild the marina; it had approved $18 million for the project in 2021, but costs have gone up. “Yes, it’s a lot of money, but it’s an investment we have to make,” said Mayor Bruce Rector. The council has to make another vote on July 15 for final approval.
The project can start in October, with the marina finished by May, 2026. The seawall will be higher, to guard against rising sea levels. The new marina will have the same number of slips, with 58 commercial operators on fixed docks along the marina perimeter. The recreational boat fleet will be on three floating aluminum docks. A new Marina Walk promenade will be along the shoreline, with shade trees, art work and ticket kiosks replacing the booths now in front of individual charter boat slips.
Read more: at http://myclearwater.com
