Downtown is ready to get its first major lodging facility, and many say the 115-room Marriott Residence Inn will help revitalize an area envisioned as the city's core.

The triangular property, between South Prospect and Ewing avenues, currently houses three buildings owned by Senior Citizens Services Inc. Barring a few minor conditional items required by the city, the hotel's developer can now start acquiring building permits.

James Holt, vice president of development and finance for the Clarkson Group, the Jacksonville company building the hotel said that they think Clearwater is underserved for this type of high-quality extended stay.

The Clarkson Group is a Marriott franchisee that has recently built other lodging facilities in the area, including a Hampton Inn in Tampa's Ybor City. It is currently negotiating another hotel site in Tampa's Channelside area. Senior Citizen Services, which has been around for 45 years, provided entertainment and recreational services for the community's elderly population.

From a market standpoint, Downtown Clearwater has great potentials as an asset to the city. This was according to Michael Delk, the city's planning director. He said that currently, there are no comparable lodging options downtown, pointing to a couple of small motels along Cleveland street.

By M. Sese
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