CLEARWATER — Here’s another idea that’s being kicked around for moribund downtown Clearwater: Why not turn the center of it into a pedestrian mall?
Downtown leaders have been debating the possibility of blocking off part of Cleveland Street to vehicular traffic. City staffers have been asked to weigh the potential pros and cons of a pedestrian zone. But officials are pouring cold water on the idea, despite the enthusiasm some have for it.
“Our downtown hasn’t worked for 20 years. Let’s try something crazy,” joked Tony Starova, owner of Tony’s Pizzeria & Ristorante and the adjacent Capitol Beer House on the 400 block of Cleveland. “Every study we’ve done is telling us that we have to change something.”