
The Bluffs in Downtown Clearwater is taking another step forward towards construction. Developers Gotham Organization and the DeNunzio Group recently submitted FAA filings for crane use and building height evaluation, key early steps toward their targeted January 2026 groundbreaking. The move follows land acquisition and City Council approvals earlier this year, and will be an early measure of whether the developers can deliver on their promise to complete the apartments on schedule.
The project is aiming to erect one 400 FT crane for the project. According to the general contractor, Moss Construction, the crane will initially stand at 250 FT before climbing to its full height as the project nears topping out. FAA evaluation of the crane filing is still underway. For a brief period, from June 1, 2026, to December 23, 2027, it will be the tallest structure in Clearwater.


Also filed was a building height evaluation. As per the filing, the structure will rise to 302 FT to its tallest point, or about 337 FT when factoring in the site’s 35-foot elevation. The filing notes that the height comes from a two-floor podium topped by a 28-story residential tower. Touted as the largest investment in Downtown Clearwater to date, the project will span 620,000 SF and include 400 rental units, more than 10,000 SF of retail space, and 440 parking spaces, about half of which will be underground.

The Bluffs in Clearwater did not reach this point without challenges. Last year, the developers scaled the project back from two towers to one and revised several agreements. In fall 2022, voters approved plans for roughly 600 apartments, but the developers later cited rising interest rates and other external factors as reasons to reduce the scope to 400 units in a single tower. Additionally, the original $15.4 million sale price for the lot was reduced to $3.45 million following negotiations.
While the City of Clearwater lost out on certain benefits from the deal, the developer’s steadfast commitment to moving forward on the project, indicated by these recent FAA filings, will hopefully push this investment further to reality. According to TBN Weekly, former council member Mark Bunker was optimistic for the project despite setbacks: “I’m excited that we’re actually getting this done,” “I think it’s an important next step to taking back the downtown”.
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Good news for Clearwater. FYI Bunker is no longer a council member.