Clearwater Beach Marina Is Getting A $43 Million Rebuild
The Clearwater Beach Marina is one of Pinellas County’s oldest tourist hotspots and it’s about to get a huge facelift. The Clearwater City Council just approved a $43 Million rebuild of the Clearwater Beach Marina.
For the last few years, city officials have been debating and seeking approval for the highly anticipated project. After doubling the initial funding and watching the Clearwater Beach Marina wither away, the city voted.
If you’re a Lethal Weapon fan, you’ll want to take this as one of your last opportunities to visit the spot where they filmed the legendary Riggs V Murtaugh fight. In a unanimous vote on Monday, city officials agreed to approve the long-awaited deal. Kokolakis Contracting will start rebuilding the Clearwater Beach Marina this October.
What Will The New Clearwater Beach Marina Project Entail?
With construction set to begin in October 2024, there are going to be two different phases of construction. The first phase is going to be a complete demolition and rebuild of the western side of the marina. Then, they will move onto the east side of the marina to begin phase two.
By rebuilding the Clearwater Beach Marina, officials are going to be focusing on rebuilding the withering docks, modernizing/replacing the marina utilities, and reducing the congestion alongside Coronado Drive.
Michael MacDonald, marine and aviation director for the City of Clearwater says, “Everything needs to be updated — it’s obsolete. The slips are going to be wider. It’s going to be more power for all of them. When the marina was designed back in the 60s, there were smaller vessels. Today, they have big powerboats that draw a lot of electricity, air conditioners, TVs, computers, and sound systems.”
For non-commercial users, the Clearwater Beach Marina will implement floating docks as well as the Marina Walk. The Marina Walk will also extend the beach walk to include shaded areas and seating.
The designs also include raising the fixed docks from 15 inches to 24 inches. Throughout the marina, there will be EV charging stations as well as electric boat charging stations.
The full rebuilding project for the Clearwater Beach Marina is set to be completed in April of 2026. Learn more at MyClearwater.com.
Underrated Florida Beaches That Are Filled with Beauty
Fort Myers Beach
Fort Myers Beach still has a good amount of damage from the hurricane, but Margaritaville is open, so you’ll find plenty to do there. Situated on Estero Island, Fort Myers Beach is one of the state’s most underrated beaches. At Fort Myers Beach, you’ll find beautiful, white-sand beaches and gorgeous sunsets.
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Sarasota
Make sure to visit Siesta Key here, as well as Sarasota Gay Beach and Crescent Beach. Just south of Tampa Bay, Sarasota is a lovely beach town that is especially popular during the holidays. You’ll find lots of local shopping opportunities here.
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St. George Island State Park
St. George Island State Park is located on a barrier island fronting the legendary Apalachicola Bay. It’s a great place to gaze at the stars. Note that starting March 1, 2025, the campground at Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park will be closed for an expansion project.
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Santa Rosa Beach
If you head to Santa Rosa Beach and want to find some really special, and secret, beaches, try Blue Mountain Beach and Grayton Beach State Park. This beach town is less crowded than most, which makes it a low-key getaway.
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Pensacola Beach
Pensacola Beach is located on a 40-mile barrier island, Pensacola Beach, and has beautiful, translucent waters. It’s a really small town, so it’s much less crowded than other beaches. It’s a hidden gem.
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Discover Your Own New Favorite
If you don’t want to go too far, do some digging and visit one of the closest beaches to you, that you haven’t visited yet. This is one of my favorite things to do. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite beach super close to home.
Getty Images / Sergey Dementyev
