The Clearwater Community Redevelopment Agency voted Jan. 13 to authorize the CRA executive director to enter negotiations with the Clearwater Urban Leadership Coalition (CULC) for a lease and development agreement to create a mini container-village on four adjoining parcels at the northeast corner of North Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Tangerine Drive.
CRA assistant director Anne Lopez told trustees the parcels total 0.347 acres; one parcel is owned by the CRA and three are city‑owned (the city parcels would be declared surplus at a future date if negotiations succeed). The coalition’s proposal envisions five shipping containers configured to host roughly 15 small businesses, with the coalition managing operations under a proposed five‑year lease and responsibility for utilities, property taxes, insurance and maintenance. Staff said the CRA has $500,000 allocated for the project and that eligible costs would include purchasing containers, design, permitting and construction tied to project milestones.