I took her to the airport this morning at 3 30.

So she's coming around.

No.

Oh, okay.

She really doesn't like it.

This time we'll call to order the May 4, 2026 meeting of the City of Clearwater Downtown Development Board.

This time we'll move to item two point one on the agenda.

Approve a date to uh date change to June 6, 2026 for the Florida Orchestra Symphony by the C concert.

Good afternoon.

Brian Albricks, CRA coordinator for the record, Chair, members of the board.

This item is to approve a date change to June 6th for the previously awarded high impact grant awarded to the Florida Orchestra for a symphony by the sea.

Uh Baker Sound.

The event was originally scheduled for May 8th, but due to a scheduling conflict with Country Thunder Florida, there's been a request to change.

The new date remains within the current fiscal year and complies with current grant requirements.

Correction.

Okay.

If not, is there any more discussion?

Councilmanino.

Mayor, thank you.

Just wanted to um thank the Florida Orchestra Symphony for their flexibility and any inconvenience on moving their date.

It's uh it's appreciated, and uh look forward to June 6th.

Thank you.

Okay, any further board discussion?

If not, is there a motion?

Move to approve agenda 2.1.

Second.

All those in favor?

Opposed nanos.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, board.

Marilyn Brown CRA specialist.

This item is a request to approve the location change for May 9th, 2026, Margaret Marie event.

Per the DDB agreement, Market Marie was approved for a high impact special event grant to host its monthly market at Coachman Park.

Any changes require board approval.

Due to Country Thunder music festival taking place that weekend, special event staff has worked with Market Marie to relocate the May 9th event Cleveland Street to Cleveland Street from Fort Harrison Avenue to East Avenue.

All other event details remain the same.

The market continues to be free, open to the public, and consistent in scope.

If not, it's through a motion.

Second.

All those in favor?

Opposed, unanimous.

The event took place on March 15th, 2026.

This is an informational item, and the Atempo Ecologist Study staff is here to present.

We're very proud to have been in a small but an early contributor to things that are happening in the downtown, and obviously we uh want to continue to do that.

At the urging a couple of years ago of uh Chris Cook, uh he suggested we think about using the green in the park, which we did this year.

So between having the early part of the day, 12 to 3 up on the 400 block, and then the uh the large tent in the park.

We kind of were able to join both the the downtown with the with the park, two of the we think the most salient features.

Uh we did a lot of uh of new things this year.

Uh firsts, if you might one first I have to point out is when I talked to Vicky about two weeks ago, she said it's always good to hear your voice.

I can assure you that's the first time in my 80 years that I've ever that I've ever heard that.

So I was happy to hear it.

Um let me move this along.

There we go.

I noticed you had Symphony uh by the sea.

Our event we called this year was Yukes in the Park.

Uh first time that we did a tented affair, uh, and it looked marvelous.

Uh Mayor Richler, thank you for being there.

As he noted, and uh we did not hire the yacht, but as he was speaking, a yacht was going by in the background.

It was a gorgeous day.

It poured rain in clear water, but it was gorgeous here.

And you couldn't help but think uh when they were building that park.

I don't think anyone realized what an amazing addition, and it's probably the best 85 million dollars ever spent uh to have that, and uh that's kind of the uh one of the most salient features.

One thing that was pointed out was uh a large number of the attendees were from out of outside of Pinellas County, and a large number, it was the first time that they'd ever been downtown, let alone into the park.

So anytime you can create that uh uh that many new people, it spreads, and we think it just adds to uh to the event.

Uh we had about 325 attendees, uh, and it underscored without question uh the slogan the the the city slogan of the bay to the beach.

I think I missed one here.

No, we want to uh yeah, we want to build on this, obviously.

Uh we have some great support from Achieva Credit Union, uh shorty's the restaurants down in the in the uh on the 400 block.

But the ukulele world is uh pretty widespread but very close knit.

And an event like that, uh the artists particularly enjoy coming here.

We go out of our way to take really good care of them.

So right after the concert the next day, we we we got a call from Hawaii, one of their great stars said we want to play in the park.

That's become the uh the mantra.

Uh we have people from Belgium, England, they they really want to come and play, and uh we're happy to hear that.

And it gives us a real great choice of of talent in the future.

As I said, the uh the the optics were really really strong.

We'll probably move it a little closer to the um to the stairs this time.

So some of the people who um uh were older or use walkers, they've had uh they couldn't walk on the on the grass, so we'll probably move a little closer.

We may have either a van or a trolley to maybe take some people down the hill so we can accommodate that um that that audience.

We were very happy with the results, particularly from social media, and as I said, uh Achieva made a very big buy with the the Dove, the most popular station in uh probably the Southeast.

Uh and they'll continue to do that.

So the um uh the identity uh is very very strong.

Uh they were extremely happy, and we're gonna build on that as well.

Obviously, uh we couldn't do it, couldn't even dream of doing it without your assistance.

Uh so without um uh Brown nosing too much, we want to thank you for that continuing support.

This will be our sixth year coming up, and uh uh it it just continues to grow.

We get good feedback from uh from the merchants on the 400 block, and the people who attend are always uh extremely pleased and actually surprised if they haven't been down to see what's uh what's happening and more and more obviously each day.

So we'll be coming back to you pretty shortly, hopefully in the next couple of months.

We definitely want to do it again.

We're in the process of booking our artists, and we'll probably uh add a morning event uh to go along with it, uh maybe a brunch uh at one of the establishments.

But the object is obviously to try to enhance uh the business to the uh to the to the restaurants, particularly in the district, and also to enhance the uh the image and the uh uh the viability of the ukulele as a as a major uh entertainment tool.

So again, thank you.

Uh willing to entertain any questions that you may have.

Just out of curiosity, and I think the staff would be actually better be able to answer this question.

I see that the placer data shows uh 295 attendees from 12 to 4, and then another 257 from four to six.

Does the AI are are they able to differentiate unique visits or are they considering overlap since the two time blocks are so are like overlapping?

Or does AI actually are is it able to identify unique visits and and be able to differentiate between people who go from four to six?

Oh, you mean the ones that are uh from the that are on the street, 12 to 3 that come back?

12 to 4, right?

And then from four to six, there's the coachman park.

So I'm just wondering if AI has that capability to see if the people from uh two to four, twelve to four go to the to the next uh time block.

Just wondering if if we're if it's not specificated.

I'll get this one for you.

Okay, I got um I'll have to go back look back to look at the report we actually pulled because I only looked at the numbers, but let me get that information to you if that's okay to later.

Just curiosity.

Okay, how advanced that AI is.

It's pretty advanced, it does different like demographics and how long and if this person it does, but I'd have to go back and look to see which type of report we pulled.

Okay, because there's multiple reports you can't pull.

Right.

Okay, thank you.

Yeah, just the timing.

This this uh year can be 12 to 3, and then we're gonna move the concert back maybe a half hour uh just to take advantage of as much uh sunlight as we can.

April 4th is the date that we're looking at because the uh the city is restricted in that March period because of the um spring training and the uh spring break.

So April 4th is the first available Saturday out of the March window.

So it's March 4th, and we've reserved it have our application into the city already for that day.

But it'll be 12 to 3 on the 400 block, and then probably like 330 to 53 down in the uh uh on the on the green.

Okay.

Anybody else?

Um so I attended.

I'd say that number's not you know way off.

It you it wasn't a hard large crowd, and he's acknowledged that.

But uh you know, I I'd say the place or ID is probably fairly accurate for how many attended.

I will say that the music was outstanding.

Um the the bands were really, really good, high level, and and to your point.

Um I spoke with a number of the folks who were there and you know from Massachusetts from from all over.

Some of them snowbirds who lived in that region, and you know, but uh to also to your point uh for a number of the folks I spoke with, it was the first time to downtown Clearwater Coaching Park, and they were very impressed with both.

So uh it did draw folks from from who weren't familiar with downtown Clearwater, so that was that was good, and the music was fantastic, got a chance to meet the bands too.

So they were from Missouri and Nebraska, yeah, and both uh outstanding and uh but this year we you have to keep rotating them, unfortunately.

But we have a couple now that we think will uh uh will match that this coming year.

And I would say this too, you know, the like the one this weekend is a huge event, but uh what I did learn from their event was you can put a lot of people under a tent facing you know, right there on the water, and it makes a spectacular backdrop for smaller music events.

I mean, we don't we're always thinking big, and we got jazz holiday and other things down there, but uh you in your group showed that you know, even for smaller music events, probably wouldn't have them tinted to give cover to folks, either shade for for the sun or cover in case it rains.

But um I really like the way you set it up with the band closest to the water and the view of the water in the backdrop.

The tent will take about 400.

Uh the only comment we got was some of the people couldn't make it across, then maybe we can put out something that they can walk on.

People had walkers or had trouble walking, but I did like closer to the water as well.

We'll we'll decide that.

Okay.

Anything else?

Thank you.

Goodbye.

Thank you for your support and continuing.

We'll continue to do the best we can to uh uh enhance the downtown.

Thank you.

Then we'll move to item 3.1, the May D D B director's report.

Good afternoon.

Hey, Susan Nino, CRA executive director.

This is your May 2026 director's report.

Uh the report basically I'll provide you status updates for what's going on in the DDB area.

As you're aware, we scheduled a special meeting for May the 18th, 2026 at 1 p.m.

here to council chambers, so you can hear the deliverables and where RBOA is at as far as what they're supposed to be providing you.

They're also be presenting to you some branding concepts, and hopefully that meeting is fruitful for you, and you can give them direction to continue to move forward.

Next, I'll give you a little brief event recap.

So Taste of Clearwater.

This event took place on April 18th, 2026 at Station Square and the 600 block of Cleveland Street.

Uh, this was presented to you by the Rotary Club of Clearwater.

And once we do have the place area data, we'll bring that back to you in a future report.

Uh Cinco the Mayo event, the taste, the Taco Fest.

That event took place yesterday.

Uh, that was brought to you by UNIMAX.

So I really thank the mayor and councilwoman Tishera for their wonderful words there.

I was able to see the councilwoman, but I unfortunately I didn't get an opportunity to speak to you there.

But you did a fantastic job talking to the community.

I did hear individuals say that we're happy that you showed up.

And by the time that I left around 4:30, 5 o'clock, it was just getting bigger and bigger as a crowds and walking to the parking lot.

I just saw more and more people coming in.

So they usually underestimate their numbers, so it's going to be curious to see what their place or AI numbers are going to be at the end of the day.

As far as upcoming events, Sharka Palooza, we're looking forward to that particular event, and we're spreading the word as much as possible on our social media.

That event is going to take place on Saturday, May 16th from 10 a.m.

to 4 p.m.

at Coachman Park.

And that's brought to you by Fuzzy Sharks.

Feels weird saying that, but as staff already indicated, we do have Symphony by the Sea.

That event is going to take place on June 6, 2026 at the Bay Care Sound.

That's brought to you by the Florida Orchestra.

Then Market Marie again as staff presented.

That's going to take place instead of at the usual location Saturday, May the 9th, at uh basically from Fort Harrison to East Avenue.

That concludes uh whoops, another one.

This just keeps going.

That concludes a regular presentation, but I do have a few flyers here.

We can bring it up, Miss Lopez.

Let's see what I can do here.

Not calling some reasonable force.

Okay.

Well, we do have it up on the other monitor here.

This is just a reminder to the public of country thunder that's coming to the public on May the 8th through the tenth, and that's going to be a hopefully a fantastic event for our downtown.

Hopefully, staff is continuing to have communication with the merchants down the street.

If they're not, then I think they are because I sent them out there.

But we'll continue our efforts to communicate and just to make sure that everyone is connected as far as uh the patrons to the country thunder.

They're gonna be allowed to leave the concert and hopefully go and dine and have a good time with the merchants.

And this one is just an FYI to the public.

We do have I'm going this one is Tacos El Carnal or Tacos El Carnal.

So this is a new Mexican restaurant, it's located on Cleveland Street at 1310 Cleveland Street for the public if you're interested.

Then this one is coming soon.

Staff is reaching out to them for the last few weeks to make sure they're doing okay.

Planning department is working with them.

Hopefully, we can get them to the finish line.

They have two locations.

This is Glazed Donuts.

Two locations open up in Clearwater.

One is here in the downtown, the DDB boundary at Court and Myrtle.

Their address for that particular location is 411 South Myrtle Avenue, right there where the old subway location is at across the street from Clearwater Beach Fitness.

And their other location is outside of our boundary, but we can still kind of advertise their business a little bit here.

That one is located at 2006 Drew Street.

That's also a former subway location.

So that concludes my presentation.

I'm open for questions.

Okay, any comments, questions?

Councilman Ralburn.

It's good to have a donut place right across from our workout center.

Just an observation.

I think that's good.

Yeah.

More musically.

I have a question about the uh the country events.

Uh what is the plan on parking?

Or is there any plan on parking?

Because events in that volume uh sometimes can affect the merchants having issue for the irregular diners to come in and dine in.

And we've seen that with multiple sound events, so I was wondering if it's definitely.

And if I can't answer the question adequately, we do have Mr.

Slaughter and Mr.

Battle here to also kind of jump in.

But this is a group effort as far as city departments, public works, the parking division to make sure that we're identifying all the parking areas.

In addition, we do have our properties look as owned by the CRA that's down at uh the Washington MLK area.

It's a big vacant lot that's gonna be an additional parking there as well.

Uh but yeah, we're working all together to make sure that we point people to the right locations, and when they leave, they can also kind of leave comfortably.

I'm not sure if any of you want to say anything about that.

Do you want to?

Uh the parking plan essentially mirrors what we do for large events at the sound.

Uh we are advertising essentially on their website, linking to ours with our free public.

We're trying to push it obviously away from private lots to support the restaurants, uh, but to the free parking of the pre-parking garages, and we anticipate the uh private lots like they often do, open up with like the Boy Scouts selling it and taking advantage of some of that open space as well.

So that's the that's the plan.

Uh we are um optimistic though that the the venue does allow the patrons to leave at one point and come back so that ticketed people can leave, come up and take advantage of the restaurants between the multiple acts.

They may like enjoy this one, want to go up, get some dinner and then go back for the other acts.

So we're hoping that helps uh support your your operations down there as well.

That's important.

And I don't I don't think the expected maximum attendance is anything larger than the largest show we've had that yeah, we're projected.

Uh they projected the other day to 8,000 was the last rate uh information I got.

Um I don't know if that's for each day, but they were expecting an average of the largest we've had sound has been close to nine, so shouldn't be different than that.

Good question.

Our emergence here, and sometimes with events like this where you have multiple acts spread out between 2 and 9 p.m.

Some people come for a couple in the beginning, they leave, and so you have a little bit of turnover too, so you don't necessarily always see all eight at the same time.

So we're hopefully it'll be a good event for you soon.

Okay.

Any other questions for Greg?

No questions, just a comment.

I after I saw you at around four o'clock.

Um we did the contest, that was great.

And then I returned around nine o'clock and it was packed, and everyone was dancing.

So and I believe it had more of a turnout than last year, so it's improved.

So I thought it was a really great event.

Yes, tell it telemundo was there.

Uh I guess they were to sponsor, and so that definitely their coverage brought out a lot of people.

So thank them for that.

Okay, nothing else.

Then um, we'll move on to item four, board members to be heard.

Um see approval of last month's minutes as we're not doing that, or was it left off intentionally, or question?

Um we will have minutes for you at the May eighteenth.

So there'll be two sets of minutes for you at the eighteenth meeting.