Clearwater Approves Street Closures for $50M Entertainment Center

The Clearwater City Council voted 3-2 Thursday night to vacate Grove Street, portions of Laura Street and a 15-foot alleyway. These street closures are required for the development of a proposed $50 million EVO Family Entertainment Center. Myrtle Development LLC, an entity affiliated with the Church of Scientology, is pursuing the project.

Council members David Allbritton, Ryan Cotton and Mike Mannino voted in favor of the closures. Mayor Bruce Rector and Council member Lina Teixeira voted against the proposal.

The 83,000-square-foot entertainment center is planned for the intersection of Cleveland Street and Myrtle Avenue. Myrtle Development stated the center will feature what it claims is the world's largest cinema screen, measuring over 130 feet wide and 70 feet high.

EVO Entertainment CEO Mitch Roberts said the developer needs the street vacations to prevent patrons from crossing public roadways to access the facility. "We cannot have our guests exposed to unsafe conditions when they come to our facilities. We unequivocally cannot have a public street separating our parking lot and our venue," Roberts said, according to the St. Pete Catalyst.

Robert Potter, an attorney representing the Church of Scientology, said vacating the streets is essential for the project. He called it a way to "support and facilitate the construction of what we think will be a world-class family entertainment center."

Council member Mannino described the vacation as a strategic economic development tool. "I don’t view this as the City of Clearwater giving away a street. I view it as Clearwater strategically leveraging a public asset to help unlock a much larger private investment in our downtown," Mannino said.

Council member Teixeira, who supports the entertainment center itself, opposed the site plan because it eliminates an east-west connection through downtown. Mayor Rector questioned the necessity of the closures, noting the site plan includes approximately 400 surface parking spaces and that the streets are within the planned parking lot area.

The council heard public feedback, with most speakers supporting the street vacations for the project. Brooks Gibbs, campaign director for Save the Garden, urged the council to delay the vote, citing a circulating charter amendment petition that would require voter approval for such land transfers and right-of-way vacations in the downtown area.

The approval on Thursday moves the street vacation process forward, but it requires another City Council vote and separate approval from the Community Redevelopment Agency.