A public mosaic sculpture called "Ketch" will be unveiled at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, along Clearwater Beach's new Marina Walk at 25 Causeway Blvd. Two weeks later, the Clearwater Free Clinic will cut the ribbon on its Ruth and J.O. Stone Wellness Center at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, at 1212 Court St.

Both projects cap years of multimillion-dollar investment in the city's waterfront and its safety net for uninsured residents.

$46 million marina project nears completion

The Marina Walk is part of the roughly $46 million Clearwater Beach Marina replacement project, which rebuilt the facility while keeping about 165 boat slips in service. The project added new fixed and floating docks, more than 1,300 linear feet of elevated seawall and new public spaces, according to Tampa Bay Beacons.

Phase one is complete. Crews are finishing the remaining seawall, docks, utilities and landscaping, and the city expects substantial completion by the end of September.

Funding came from multiple sources, including $7.85 million in Pinellas County tourist tax dollars for the commercial area, $4 million from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for resiliency work and $1.7 million from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, according to the city's project page. Kokolakis Contracting is the construction manager at risk, with Moffatt and Nichol as engineer of record.

Nevada artist Eileen Gay designed "Ketch" to celebrate the marina's setting and Clearwater's resident dolphins. "My vision for 'Ketch' was to create a sculptural mosaic to celebrate the Clearwater Beach Marina location while also including imagery of Clearwater's iconic dolphin inhabitants," Gay said.

Wellness center at Free Clinic opens Oct. 8

The Ruth and J.O. Stone Wellness Center will focus on behavioral health, rehabilitation, nutrition and preventive care. The Ruth and J.O. Stone Foundation provided seed money for the project.

The wellness center anchors the clinic's Keep Them Well Comprehensive Campaign, a $7 million effort covering the purchase, renovation and outfitting of the building along with expanded programs. As of Sept. 14, the campaign had raised more than $6.8 million, according to Tampa Bay Beacons. In June, the clinic reported that about $500,000 remained to reach the goal.

Under CEO Anthony Degina, the clinic plans to more than double its behavioral health program and expand its partnership with Nova Southeastern University to broaden access to physical and occupational therapy, according to an April clinic update. The BayCare Food Clinic was the first program to move into the wellness center space, starting in May.

The expansion comes as demand grows. In the clinic's most recently reported budget year, it treated 1,113 patients, up 18% from the prior year, and enrolled 428 new patients, a 91% increase. Behavioral health visits reached 1,879, up 18%.

Jamar, an uninsured Pinellas County resident and clinic patient, said in an August patient-story feature on the clinic's website: "If you're a Pinellas County resident, come up here ... Put all your health concerns on the table, and they'll take care of it."

The wellness center vision was championed by former CEO Jeannie Shapiro, who led the Clearwater Free Clinic for 26 years.

Two ceremonies open to the public this fall

The "Ketch" unveiling is open to the public at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 24 at 25 Causeway Blvd. The wellness center ribbon-cutting is at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 8 at 1212 Court St.