The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority’s new bus and trolley station began its long journey Friday.
After more than 10 years of planning, PSTA broke ground on the facility in partnership with the City of Clearwater.
According to the organization, it will be a “multimodal hub” for riders. The project will be tentatively complete by late 2026 or early 2027.
Located at the corner of Court Street and Myrtle Avenue, the station will eventually replace PSTA’s Park Street Terminal, which opened in the 1980s.
“Our current facility here in Clearwater is really not adequate for the services we provide,” PSTA CEO Brad Miller told the Catalyst. “It needs to be replaced and the City of Clearwater has really emphasized having a more vibrant downtown.”
The new station, which will be built on two acres donated by the City, will be twice the size of Park Street and include an enclosed, air-conditioned waiting area. It will be compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) directives, and able to serve over 2,300 passengers daily.
A retail space and coffee shop are also planned.
The facility will be “environmentally compatible,” according to PSTA. It was designed to support an electric vehicle fleet and will feature EV charging stations and solar roof panels.
Selecting downtown Clearwater was a strategic move, Miller explained. Being able to support local employees played a key role in designing the facility.
“There was a lot of effort in picking this spot,” he said. “Many of our riders, thousands of workers, every morning and every night go to jobs at the hotels and restaurants on the beach and they connect from all around the county to here.”
For Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector, the project is an investment in the city’s future. At the event, he said the station joins other recent initiatives including a new City Hall and the BayCare Sound amphitheater.
“This beautiful new hub will not only connect people to jobs, services and opportunities, but also make Clearwater an even stronger destination for residents, businesses and visitors alike,” he said in a prepared statement.
Miller said that construction should begin within the next week or two.
It will be funded through a $20 million U.S. Department of Transportation RAISE grant as well as contributions from the City, Florida Department of Transportation, Forward Pinellas and PSTA.
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