Hundreds of graves buried beneath a Clearwater business despite a $7.5M settlement

CLEARWATER, Fla. - A $7.5 million settlement is bringing a three-year legal battle over a historic Black cemetery in Clearwater closer to an end, while questions remain about hundreds of graves buried beneath a local business.

Clearwater cemetery legal dispute

Big picture view:

The Clearwater Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) unanimously approved the settlement with human resources firm FrankCrum on October 12.

The dispute centers on the historic St. Matthew's Baptist Church Cemetery, located beneath the company's headquarters along South Missouri Avenue.

In 1998, the CRA guaranteed in writing that all human remains had been removed from the property. However, decades later, ground-penetrating radar investigations and excavations revealed evidence of more than 300 graves still buried at the site.

Financial cost of litigation

By the numbers:

In addition to the settlement, the city spent more than $389,000 on legal services and $23,000 on other related expenses.

Despite the financial agreement, descendants are still waiting for answers about what will happen to their ancestors' graves.

Barbara Sorey-Love is the president of the Clearwater African American Historical & Memorial Foundation. She says families want to be included in discussions about the property's future.

Community and city reactions

What they're saying:

"We don’t know when Mr. Crum is going to sit with members of the community and decedents," Sorey-Love said. "He will do his best to remedy what we think is a slap in the face for decedents."

During last week's CRA meeting, Clearwater City Councilmember Mike Mannino said more discussions are needed to address the community's concerns.

"Where we really move forward from here is what are the discussions going forward," he said. "What do they look like. How do we navigate making our community whole."

Property owner and city response

The other side:

FrankCrum says it plans to work with the Clearwater community to find a solution. The company also criticized the city's handling of the lawsuit in a statement.

"Instead of doing the right thing and taking responsibility for this situation, the City and the CRA has spent untold taxpayer dollars on litigation and delaying tactics."

In a statement sent to FOX 13, the City of Clearwater said decisions about the remains ultimately rest with the property's owner, Crum Properties.

"Because the site is privately owned, decisions about the remains rests with Crum Properties, and we hope for a path forward that honors the families connected to this ground."

Next steps in cemetery dispute

What's next:

For now, no formal plan has been announced for the graves, and descendants are seeking a role in deciding how the burial site should be handled.

While the CRA unanimously approved the $7.5 million settlement, a circuit court judge must still sign off before the agreement becomes final.

Clearwater