Florida Construction News staff writer
A Jan. 6 topping out ceremony will include placement of a canopy which will be placed on the bandshell auditorium, the highest piece of structure at the Coachman Park redevelopment in Clearwater.
Imagine Clearwater is an $84 million project. The bandshell auditorium will be fitted with 4,000 seats and an additional space for 5,000 spectators on the surrounding lawn.
The project was designed by Stantec and construction team is Skanska. Watch a livestream of construction here.
Thursday’s ceremony will take place on the north bluff walk of the construction site, adjacent to the Clearwater Main Library, which overlooks the bandshell.
Beginning at 11:30 a.m. (EST), attendees will have the chance to sign the canopy piece before it is placed on the highest point of the structure, honoring construction workers who have logged more than 150,000 work hours on the project.
“We’re proud to work collectively with the city of Clearwater and Stantec to bring Imagine Clearwater to life. Our dedicated tradesmen and women are ecstatic to support shaping the future of our community through transformative public spaces such as this incredible project,” said Chuck Jablon, Skanska’s senior vice president of construction.
Construction is expected to be completed in July on 7.6-ha (19-acres) of redeveloped park, including 1.6-ha (four-acres) of flexible event space, new bathrooms, a splash pad, a playground, lake with a pedestrian bridge and picnic pavilions.
The Stantec team is providing architecture, landscape architecture, civil engineering, structural and MEP engineering, and management services to project, which will connect the park to downtown Clearwater.
Since nearly all the utility services for Clearwater Beach—power, gas, sewer, water, wastewater, and communication lines—run right through the park and then under the harbor, “our infrastructure capabilities and extensive design experience proved vital in designing this world-class facility,” the company said on the project website.
Just a couple of corrections, the lawn will hold an additional 5,000 people not 500 and the ceremony is Friday the 6th not today.
Mayor Frank Hibbard
The story has been updated/corrected