Clearwater hopes to revitalize North Ward School while preserving its 111-year history

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Clearwater leaders say they’re in the middle of a downtown renaissance, with several projects happening or starting soon.

They want a building that’s more than 100 years old to be a part of that renaissance. It’s not just any building, though. It’s a school that has served generations in the city.

The backstory:

The North Ward School was built in 1915, with a 1926 addition.

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"We've had many residents reach out, sharing about the special meaning that this school holds in their heart," Audra Aja, Economic Development Division Manager for the City of Clearwater, said. "People have gone to school here or they've taught at this school. So, we know it has a lot of cultural and historical significance for our community."

It was one of Pinellas County’s first public schools. The school closed in 2009, and the city bought it in 2019. Now, it’s looking to sell.

"The city's long-term goal is to reactivate the North Ward School while preserving the three historically designated buildings. We're looking to incorporate new uses that support the community as well as to help revitalize the surrounding neighborhood," Aja said.

Dig deeper:

Rowe Architects, LLC, performed a Building Assessment and proposed several adaptive reuse concepts for the property.

"They proposed three hypothetical scenarios of what could be developed on the property," Aja said. "Those included a community wellness center as well as a mixed-use concept with residential. It also included an office."

What they're saying:

"We're in the middle of sort of a downtown renaissance. We have many development projects that are underway or about to be brought online very soon. So, now is the time with all of this momentum building to have another property that we can add to our community and to revitalize the area," she said.

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The nearly two acres sit right along North Fort Harrison Avenue, about one mile from that development. No matter what it’s transformed into, Aja says they’ll honor the history of the site.

"It's been an important cornerstone of the community," she said.

The city is currently giving interested developers tours of the property.

What's next:

In the spring, they’ll start accepting development proposals.

You can contact the city to talk about ideas for the Historic North Ward School. There’s also a page on the city’s website dedicated to the project.