Stantec, a global design company, has completed the design and construction documents for Imagine Clearwater—a 24-acre urban waterfront park development in downtown Clearwater, Florida which will work to mitigate flood risk and the impacts of climate change and sea level rise.
Also known as Coachman Park, the $64.5 million project will transform the area into a high-amenity environment that will support community engagement and reinvestment from local residents, visitors, and developers. Stantec is providing architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, civil engineering, structural and MEP engineering, coastal resiliency analysis, and construction administration services for the project. Skanska will lead the construction of the project.
Designed to connect the waterfront and the Downtown Clearwater community, Imagine Clearwater includes an expansive park and recreational spaces, a gateway plaza and bluff walk that connects the park to downtown, a bay walk promenade overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, and a lake area with picnic shelters. Families with children will be able to enjoy an ocean-themed play area with an interactive pop-jet water feature. The reduced parking area and addition of ride share drop-off areas aim to reduce vehicular traffic and promote walkability and the use of public transportation. The Stantec team also incorporated spaces throughout the park that will provide the city with a blank canvas to feature art installations that showcase the community and its culture.
Stantec Principal and Project Manager for Imagine Clearwater, Hamid Sahebkar said: “The Imagine Clearwater project illustrates how important parks like this are to our communities. Our team is proud to have designed a space that the City of Clearwater and its residents can take pride in and enjoy for many generations to come. We look forward to our continued work with the city in seeing this vision for Coachman Park come to fruition.”
To mitigate flood risk and the impacts of climate change and sea level rise, the park’s buildings were designed to exceed the current and proposed Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requirements. This creates a more resilient site solution to protect the public’s investment for future generations. Stantec has also incorporated sustainable features into the design, such as solar panels, a native landscape palette, bioswales for stormwater conveyance, and EV charging stations. All buildings throughout the park will employ continuous insulation, including insulated glass, to reduce energy use for cooling. The team selected interior finishes and materials based on the amount of recycled content.
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