Pinellas County commissioners considered a recommended $137,000 sale of surplus land in Palm Harbor at their Tuesday, Oct. 27, meeting in Clearwater.

The meeting agenda recommended the seven-member Board of County Commissioners approve a purchase and sale agreement with Juan Cremades and Timera Marie Cremades-Bastarreche for a parcel between Belcher Road and Garland Circle. The land is a portion of Lot 5 of The Garlands subdivision.


County staff recommended Chair Dave Eggers sign a county deed and authorize the Real Property Division to handle the closing.

Palm Harbor sale terms

The county acquired the parcel in January 1992 for transportation purposes and built an access road, known as Garland Way, across part of it. The board declared the entire lot surplus in January 2023. Staff described the buyers as the sole adjoining property owners.

The $137,000 in sale proceeds would go to the General Fund. That revenue was not included in the current or upcoming fiscal year budgets.


Joe's Creek deadline extended

Joe’s Creek scope, funding and timeline


Commissioners also considered extending the agreement for the Joe's Creek Restoration and Greenway Trail, a project in central Pinellas County. The Oct. 27 agenda lists an approximate total project cost of $66.03 million, while the county's project page lists $50.35 million in total funding. The amendment would extend the agreement with the Florida Department of Commerce from Nov. 28, 2026, to May 31, 2027. The county said it would consider a further time extension in the new year.

The project carries a $17.1 million federal Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) award. That amount stays the same under the amendment, with no change to the county's share.

Joe's Creek runs along the main channel from 37th Street North to 66th Street North, within the Lealman Community Redevelopment Area and Kenneth City. According to the county's project page, the 9.8-mile creek drains a 9,256-acre watershed that includes parts of Pinellas Park, St. Petersburg, Kenneth City and unincorporated Pinellas County.

The project aims to reduce flood risk, improve water quality and add a greenway trail. Design and permitting are ongoing through late 2027, with construction planned from early 2028 to late 2030. Funding sources include Penny for Pinellas, the countywide sales surtax, along with grants from the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the state's Resilient Florida Program.

Housing bonds for St. Petersburg project

A third item on the agenda called for up to $20.5 million in Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds through the Housing Finance Authority of Pinellas County (HFA). The bonds would help finance JR Tower, a 150-unit rental housing project at 1850 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg, for moderate- and lower-income residents.

The developer, Blue Central Ave, LLC, would receive the loan proceeds. No county general funds are involved. The agenda states that the bonds pledge neither the HFA's nor the county's credit. The county's Legistar page listed final actions as unavailable and the meeting minutes as still in draft when checked Oct. 29.