On Wednesday, the Pinellas County Tourist Development Council (TDC) approved $24.8 million in funding recommendations for five projects that leaders hope will be a major driver of tourism to the area.

Funding for the Capital Projects Funding Program comes from a 6% tourist development tax, or bed tax, on all overnight tourist accommodations in Pinellas County.

In 2024, Pinellas County saw over 6.4 million hotel nights booked, bringing in more than $96 million in bed taxes.

According to Visit St. Pete Clearwater's website, "Capital Projects are a major driver of tourism to the area for locals and visitors alike, benefiting both Pinellas County and the project owners. To continue promoting tourism and fund new projects, the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners developed this Capital Projects Funding Program, which operates every other year."

The five organizations which received funding recommendations during the current cycle were the Clearwater Beach Marina, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Eddie C. Moore Complex in Dunedin, and two St. Pete organizations -- the Morean Arts Center and the Palladium.

Next, the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) will review the funding recommendations on March 25th. Visit St. Pete Clearwater (VSPC) will then negotiate the funding agreements, which will be brought to the BCC for final approval at a later date.

Projects the TDC unanimously recommended funding for are as follows:

The Eddie C. Moore Complex renovation

Requested funding: $10 million
Recommended funding: $7.75 million

This was the top-scored project, which calls for the construction of a two-story multipurpose building with expanded restrooms, multipurpose areas, an elevator and lobby, a technology interface room, and most notably, a second-floor common area featuring four broadcast and streaming sections as ESPN and other networks stream games at the fields.

The planned renovation for the nine-field Clearwater complex at 3050 Drew Street also includes a variety of new field amenities including hundreds of new seats, improved warm-up areas, new dugouts, scoreboards, LED lighting, and other enhancements.

The Morean Arts Center and Chihuly Collection expansion

Requested funding: $15.2 million
Recommended funding: $1.1 million

The plans call for demolishing the existing 27,000-square-foot facility at 719 Central Avenue to make way for the new 46,541-square-foot building, which would contain more gallery space, offices, parking, and an expanded Chihuly Collection.

Dale Chihuly's whimsical and abstract glass sculptures are currently housed at 720 Central Avenue in an 11,000-square-foot space across the street from the Morean Arts Center.

Palladium Theater renovation

Requested funding: $2.5 million
Recommended funding: $2.5 million

The Palladium Theater, located at 253 5th Avenue North, has been trying to raise funds for a massive overhaul renovation to replace all the seats, add a new ceiling, raise the stage, and install new lighting/acoustical systems. The project has an estimated 17-month renovation timeline anticipated to commence in July and wrap up by December 2026.

The operations of the Palladium may be closed for an extended period during 2026 for the proposed project. The Palladium, which is owned by St. Petersburg College, launched a $10 million fundraising campaign for the project in 2023.

Clearwater Beach Municipal Marina upgrades

Requested funding: $10 million
Recommended funding: $7.35 million

The plan entails the redevelopment and replacement of core marina offerings and infrastructure, while also creating more accessible and welcoming pedestrian spaces at the marina located at 25 Causeway Boulevard. The project construction, which recently kicked off, includes replacing the fixed dock marina with a mix of commercial and floating docks, upgrading overwater utilities to modern, code-compliant systems, and replacing seawall. It also calls for sidewalk improvements with landscaping, hardscaping, and lighting to activate "Marina Walk," a walkway connecting the promenade to nearby restaurants and retail.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium expansion

Requested funding: $9.8 million
Recommended funding: $6.1 million

CMA plans to renovate the Winter Zone, Winter the dolphin's old habitat into a sea lion habitat, and an enhanced river otter habitat with accessible guest viewing areas. The aquarium, located at 249 Windward Passage, would also add broader walkways and stairwells, more accessible bathrooms, and a new elevator for animal transport.

Projects denied and the scoring process

Staff found a $9.5 million ask from the Florida Orchestra for a proposed Center for Music Education and Innovation and a $24,500 request from the Dunedin Museum to restore a clock tower did not meet the guidelines and criteria.

The Orchestra subleases space within the Mahaffey Theater therefore, the city would need to apply on behalf of the Orchestra. The clock tower restoration was ineligible as the project would not drive tourism.

Meanwhile, the Wodson African American Museum of Florida, which was initially listed, is proposing to relocate and build a new two-story, 41,262-square-foot museum. Its $10 million request to partially cover the estimated $38.35 million build will go before the Pinellas County Commissioners next week.

The approved applicants were advised to cap their funding ask at or below the $10 million threshold.  

The requested funding from all of the organizations was just shy of $67 million (including the deemed ineligible projects); however, the TDC recommended providing up to $24.8 million.

Crossroads Consulting Services LLC was engaged by the county to assist Visit St. Pete-Clearwater with their staff review and evaluation of the capital projects and determine the allocations.

Using algorithms and crunching numbers to predict the economic impact of the competing projects, Crossroads rated the projects based on the annual tourism benefits over a 10-year timeline, projected hotel room nights, future attendance, and marketing and sponsorship benefits.