Clearwater's Community Redevelopment Agency voted 4-1 on Tuesday to sell a city-owned parcel at 103 N. East Ave. to Myrtle Development LLC for $1 million.

The land will become parking for the planned 83,000-square-foot EVO Entertainment center near Cleveland Street and Myrtle Avenue. Myrtle Development is affiliated with the Church of Scientology. Florida corporate records identify Glen Stilo as the company's manager. Stilo is also listed as secretary of the Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization, the church's Clearwater-based entity, WTSP reported.

Mayor casts lone vote, says lease was better

Mayor Bruce Rector cast the only no vote. He said his opposition was not about the EVO project itself but about the city giving up ownership of the land.

"Once we convey it, we convey it," Rector said.

The other four trustees disagreed.

Rector said he would have preferred a lease, arguing it would give the city more control over the property and help ensure it remains open for public use. He acknowledged the development agreement restricts how the parcel can be used but said a lease would provide stronger protection.

The four trustees who voted yes pointed to the $1 million price, the restrictions in the development agreement and the scale of private investment downtown.

City-owned since 1922, parcel comes with conditions

The city had owned the parcel, less than a quarter-acre, for more than a century. Bob Potter, representing the Church of Scientology and Myrtle Development, said Clearwater bought it in 1922 for $3,000. A city waterworks building once stood there before being demolished in 2011.

Clearwater declared the property surplus earlier this year and advertised it for sale with a minimum price of $875,000, matching the appraised value. Myrtle Development was the only respondent, according to St. Pete Catalyst.

Under the development agreement, the parcel is restricted to parking for the EVO project and related city-approved uses for 15 years. Myrtle must obtain building permits within two years of the related street-vacation ordinance being adopted, begin construction within 2.5 years and receive a certificate of occupancy within four years. If those deadlines are missed, the agency retains the right to buy the land back for $1 million.

The sale does not give Myrtle final development approval. Planning staff said at Tuesday's meeting that Myrtle has met with the city since receiving comments from the Development Review Committee but has not yet submitted a revised site plan. Staff raised concerns about street connectivity and whether the project meets downtown development standards.

Street vacation still awaits a second vote

The vote followed the City Council's 3-2 approval on Sept. 18 of the first reading of an ordinance vacating Grove Street, portions of Laura Street and a 15-foot alleyway within the EVO site. That ordinance still requires a second reading. Council Member Mike Mannino, who voted for the street vacation, said at the Sept. 18 meeting that he did not view the city as giving away a street. "I view it as Clearwater strategically leveraging a public asset to help unlock a much larger private investment in our downtown," Mannino said, as WUSF reported.

The EVO complex is the anchor of a broader redevelopment effort known as the Cleveland Street Alliance. Developers have projected the entertainment center alone would create about 300 jobs and generate roughly $50 million in annual local economic impact. Potter described the parking as critical infrastructure and said the $1 million sale would return the land to the tax rolls.

The second reading of the street-vacation ordinance has not been scheduled. Agendas for the agency and the City Council are posted on the city's website.