Clearwater Beach
A "New" Clearwater Beach
Over the past couple of years, Clearwater Beach - the star of Pinellas County’s visitor industry - has undergone an extraordinary transformation. Beach Walk, the city of Clearwater’s multi-million dollar, half-mile long beachside promenade, has led the renewal. It winds along south Clearwater Beach to Pier 60 Park, home of the famed 1,080-foot fishing pier and observation deck, and the nightly Sunsets at Pier 60 Festival. Another important part of the renewal is the Sandpearl Resort, Clearwater Beach's first new beachfront resort in over 25 years and a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts and Associated Luxury Hotels International. The Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa will open this December, and two developments are still in planning phases.
A progressive school system, soon to implement a "school choice" plan; beautiful beaches, a central location, and a variety of employment opportunities make Clearwater an ideal place to relocate personally or as a business.The city, conveniently located in mid-Pinellas County, provides the best of both worlds - a high tech work environment with a relaxed, tropical quality of life. Changes are under way to revitalize the downtown core and create an even better beach destination.
Business Relocation
Business is booming in Clearwater. Traditionally known as a resort city, Clearwater is also home to wide range of industries including computer components, surgical instruments, data communication and many other quality high technology companies. But the economy is diverse, composed largely of small business and driven by the largest industry - tourism. Florida has established its own high-tech corridor of which Pinellas County is the anchor. Among the 13 counties that make up Florida's high-tech growth corridor, Pinellas leads the way with nearly one-fifth (17.7 %) of all the 1,651 high-tech companies in the corridor.
Redevelopment Incentives
The greater downtown area is part of the Community Redevelopment Area. This designation provides significant incentives businesses moving to the area such as funding for Brownfields environmental studies, Enterprise Zone businesses, HUBZone qualifiers and more. This business-friendly community works together with the city's Economic Development Team, Pinellas County Economic Development and the Tampa Bay Partnership to ensure a positive business climate.
Recent successes of corporate recruitment for Clearwater include IMRglobal's world headquarters in downtown Clearwater, Hercules Hydraulics' 72,000 sq.ft. building in the center of the city, and Hewlett Packard subsidiary Verifone's corporate headquarters. One of the most important resources economic development organizations provide is access to up-to-date demographic information. A new interactive mapping system allows web users to access information for the county, a municipality, zip code, or specific radius.
Establishing Residency
For individuals moving to the area, residency is easily established through legal proof of intention. This can be accomplished through a transfer of bank account or securities to Florida; ownership or lease with occupancy of dwelling; voter registration; automobile registration; or filing federal tax returns with a Florida address. Clearwater's location provides for an ideal place to live in the Tampa Bay area. Within 30 minutes of downtown Tampa, downtown St. Petersburg, and the Gulf Beaches, Clearwater is home to a variety of neighborhoods. From the subtropical and Mediterranean looks of the beach to the more modern homes in the Countryside area, there is definitely a place for everyone. Back to top
Schools
Consistently ranked first in the state, Pinellas County Schools offer a variety of quality education experiences. With a new school choice plan, parents and students will soon be able to choose a neighborhood school or a magnet school, rather than being assigned or zoned to a particular school. Although this plan won't officially go into effect until 2003, the forward-thinking attitude of the School Board is apparent in this plan. Offering several four year programs, St. Petersburg College is located in the middle of the city and it is a short drive to the University of South Florida.
During this year, Fodor’s Travel Publications named Clearwater Beach one of “America’s Top Family Beaches” and more recently the Orlando Sentinel identified Clearwater Beach on the list of the “Top Five Singles Beaches in Florida,” being second only to Miami’s South Beach. Other recent accolades include “Best City Beach” by both Conde Nast Traveler and Dr. Beach (coastal geologist Dr. Stephen Leatherman) and readers of USAToday.com identified Clearwater Beach on their top ten list of “The Best Beaches from Maine to Hawaii.”
Why is Clearwater such a popular vacation spot? The magnificent soft, white, sandy beaches and breathtaking sunsets provide an ideal backdrop for activities and events year round.
