Clearwater business incubator aims to spark revival in once thriving North Greenwood neighborhood

CLEARWATER, Fla. - A once economically-thriving North Clearwater community could be on the brink of a comeback, as local leaders launch a business incubator designed to create opportunity and support entrepreneurs.

What we know:

After years marked by economic struggles, abandoned buildings and limited access to fresh food, community leaders are investing in a new effort to rebuild the historic North Greenwood neighborhood in northwest Clearwater.

The Clearwater Urban Leadership Coalition, which established the area’s community redevelopment agency in 2023, is spearheading the project with a focus on economic empowerment.

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One of its first major initiatives, nearly five years in the making, is The Grove @ 1105. 

It's a refurbished storage container village located off North Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.

 The CRA allocated $500,000 for project costs. 

The space is designed to serve as a hub to help small businesses get off the ground by offering affordable rent along with assistance in financing, marketing, staffing and employment.

The backstory:

Gloria Campbell, the executive director of the Clearwater Urban Leadership Coalition, says the neighborhood was once "the economic engine of the African American community," with residents able to find nearly everything they needed close to home. 

"You had stores, you had shops, you had music, you had all types of things. Churches, everything along that corridor," she said.

Over time, however, buildings were torn down in efforts to curb crime and drug activity, leaving little infrastructure for business owners hoping to return.

What they're saying:

"It gives them an affordable space," Campbell said. "We provide financing, we’re helping them with marketing, we’re helping with employment and staffing."

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One future tenant is already signed on. 

Kimberly Brown and her business partner plan to open "The Wine Down Blue," paying homage to the former Blue Chip club that once served as a neighborhood gathering place. 

"Thank goodness for the coalition for providing the opportunity. I mean, there would never have been a chance for us to even be able to start this business," she said.

What's next:

The coalition is inviting aspiring entrepreneurs to learn more about the opportunity during a meeting on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Pinellas County African American Museum.