CLEARWATER, Fl. -- Blessed with what many experts consider the best oceanfront beaches in America, this city is now coming to grips with the impact of the loss of thousands of beach hotel rooms to condominium projects.

Many of Clearwater's smaller hotels were torn down when they were gobbled up by major condo developers during the past few years, resulting in fewer hotel rooms and, consequently, a drop-off in tourist numbers.

Clearwater Beach alone has lost 1,100 hotel rooms in the last two years. Pinellas County overall has lost 5,000 of its 40,000 hotel/motel units since 2001, many to condo conversion fever.

Now that the condo building craze has slowed considerably, developers are starting to look at putting hotels back on Clearwater's beach. Several new hotels are being built and more are on the way.

The city is pitching in to do its part, too, announcing plans to build a mile-long multimillion dollar boardwalk along the oceanfront's most popular section of beach.

Called "Beachwalk," the $30 million boardwalk is being officially regarded as "the future of Clearwater Beach" and will be developed in four phases, with completion in 2009. The boardwalk and associated improvements will include wide sidewalks, a central plaza, unique turtle design boardwalk showers, decorative brick, relocation of one street, wide promenades and restoration of sand dunes.

The site will front perhaps the deepest beach in Florida, with the sugary white sand stretching as far as 300 feet from the ocean to the boardwalk in some areas. As some put it: "It's a two-martini walk to the ocean in that area."

The area is dubbed "The Billion Dollar Beach" by Chamber officials because there has been more than a billion dollars spent on private development along the one-mile stretch.

The Clearwater area is undisputedly the home of Florida's most beautiful beaches, so deemed by an influential impartial source. Dr. Stephen Leatherman of Florida International University has been rating America's beaches for years and has come to be known as "Dr. Beach."

He rates Caladesi Island State Park Beach (just across the bay from Clearwater) as the No. 2 nature beach in America (number one is in Hawaii). Word is out that Caladesi will become No. 1 in the new ratings in June 2007. Clearwater Beach as the No. 1 city beach. "Dr, Beach" evaluates more than 650 American beaches each year.

Parking has also been a bit of a problem along the city's magnificent beach, but some relief is coming in that area, too.

"The new Hyatt Hotel now under construction on the beach will have 400 public parking spaces on its property," said Doug Matthews, Clearwater communications director. "That was part of the deal. We had to have that public parking." The Hyatt will have 250 rooms. The hotel is expected to be ready for business next year.

Another major beach project is the Sandpearl Resort, Clearwater Beach’s first luxury property in 25 years. The facility is due to open in August.

Featuring 253 luxurious guest rooms - including 50 suites - each with a private balcony and Old Florida casual elegance, and located on a 700-foot expanse of Gulf of Mexico beachfront, the property will offer numerous amenities, including a lagoon-style beachfront pool with private cabanas, a variety of fine and casual dining options, a total of nine meeting rooms, event space, a business center, a world-class spa and fitness center, valet parking, concierge services and signature “life-enrichment” programs.
The Sandpearl’s enrichment programs will be reflective of the surrounding community. Guests will be able to visit birding hotspots with the Clearwater Audubon Society and venture out on marine life excursions with Clearwater Marine Aquarium biologists. Other enrichment programs include an Artist-in-Residence Program, Astronomy Nights, Cooking Classes with the Chef, Wine Education and Tasting, and Cigar Rolling and Cognac Tasting Programs. Camp Ridley, the resort’s children’s club, will feature a wide variety of programs and activities.

City planners are also working with developers who need to amend their building plans to adjust to the changing market. And in Clearwater, officials are looking at the idea of asking owners of vacant properties to allow their use as temporary parking lots for day visitors to the beach.

Another major hotel on the beachfront is the 390-room Sheraton Sand Key Resort, located right on the beach at the popular Sand Key Park. The hotel and separate condo facility is a huge complex covering about 10 acres and has its own guest parking facilities.

The city is placing a 150-foot height restrictions on beachfront construction. "The community has a real sensitivity to construction height . . . they don't want a high-rise concrete canyon on the beach," said Matthews.

Clearwater obviously has a tremendous product in its wonderful beaches, but it has a lot of other areas of interest. too.

The city and Pinellas County are big on all things nature related.

Its barrier islands such as Caladesi and Honeymoon Island are great locations for getting back to nature and immersing yourself in the natural beauty of Florida. Caladesi is normally accessible by private boat or ferry service only, but it is possible to reach by walking north from Clearwater Beach. The park offers boating, fishing, picnicking, swimming, shelling and extensive nature study along the unspoiled island trails. Private boaters may use the 99-slip bayside marina or anchor offshore. Overnight primitive boat camping/docking with marine pump out station is available. Overnight visitors must register before sundown. Ferry service is available from the mainland, weather permitting.

Honeymoon Island was once called Hog Island, but it became Honeymoon Isle in 1939 when a New York developer built 50 palm - thatched bungalows for honeymooners and won national fame by offering free honeymoon trips to contest winners. Today, visitors can drive across Dunedin Causeway to visit sun - drenched Gulf beaches, mangrove swamps, and tidal flats. Nature lovers will find osprey nests, a wide variety of shorebirds, and one of the few remaining virgin slash pine forests in South Florida. The park includes several nature trails and bird observation areas. Visitors can swim, fish, and snorkel in the warm waters of the Gulf or picnic. Shelling is particularly good here, as the Gulf currents deposit an incredible variety of seashells on the shore. Showers are available and the park´s concession has a gift shop and snack bar. Located at the extreme west end of State Road 586.

Other "Natural Clearwater" points of interest include The Clearwater Marine Aquarium, a research-based nonprofit facility designed to rescue and rehab sick or injured sealife. They have assisted dolphins, sea turtles, stingrays, otters, pelicans, etc., and offer "behind-the-scenes" tours to the public. One of the treats of such a tour is to watch a tailless dolphin, dubbed "Winter" (because she was rescued in winter) at play in her tank. The dolphin lost its tail when it became entangled in a net. Additionally, the aquarium offers programs such as Marine Life Adventures (sightseeing excursions and field research), sea turtle study (rehabbing injured sea turtles), and a marine mammal program.

Clearwater has a magnificent natural area called Moccasin Lake Nature Park, an area covering several miles and including a five-acre lake, 1.25 miles of nature trails, interactive displays. This is a haven for birdwatchers and anyone who likes to totally immerse themselves in nature while exploring surroundings devoid of crowds.

Flower and plant lovers can find 182 acres of beauty in Clearwater's Florida Botanical Gardens, with native plants and exotic tropicals displayed in both natural and formal gardens. The site also includes the Pinellas County Extension program, part of a nationwide network of land grant university research.

The Big Cat Rescue area is one of the world's largest sanctuaries for wild cats and is home for more than 100 lions, tigers, leopards, cougars, etc. Walking tours are offered for visitors.

The Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary is dedicated to the rescue and rehab and release of indigenous wild birds. It is considered one of the top avian rehab centers in the world. The sanctuary receives up to 30 injured birds daily. At any given time visitors can view more than 600 birds.

If you want to get right out into the bay or the Gulf to view sealife up close and personal, several firms offer excursion trips daily, including The Little Toot, a boat which regularly has numerous dolphins race along in the boat's wake, jumping. twisting and turning only a few feet from the boat passengers.

For information on any aspect of Clearwater, contact the city's web site at www.visitclearwaterflorida.com or call toll-free at 888-425-3279.
























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This story was published on 22 May 2007.