www.appraisaldevelopment.com/articles.php?article=810&P -
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Published on: 1/1/2009
Last Visited: 1/18/2009
Three days each week, Courtney Orr, downtown manager for the Clearwater Redevelopment Agency, shops the Tampa Bay area - for interesting, owner-operated shops and restaurants that would fit in downtown Clearwater.
She is hitting Hyde Park in Tampa, BayWalk in St. Petersburg, downtown Dunedin, Safety Harbor and Dade City.
Each of those districts have staged makeovers.
"People within a 10-, 20-, 30-minute drive would come to downtown Clearwater if given a reason," Orr said.
She's seeing some interest, especially among those who haven't been downtown in several years.
"The beach is an asset," she said.
"They like that."
As an incentive, the city and the Downtown Development Board offer $35,000 to retail stores and $50,000 to restaurants to locate there.
But with the economy uncertain, businesses are holding back.
"They know they'll be pioneers, so it needs to be an established business with a loyal following," Orr said.
Beck, who opened the Rio Grande Mexican Grille, said he always wanted a restaurant, and Clearwater seemed worth the risk.
"Since I took the money out of the stock market to put in here, it's a little less of a gamble," he said.
...
"We need residential to get bodies down here to support retailers," Orr said.
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