After years of work, the Clearwater portion of U.S. 19 construction is nearly done. However, in the wake of construction are a lot of empty storefronts.
Tim Brooker has worked at the A & N Italian Deli south of Belleair road for six years, and in that time has seen the new road go in and the businesses go away.
"The Sign Guy are over on Gulf to Bay now. We lost the Nail place a few years ago. There used to be an Entenmann's Bakery in here, a Sass Shoes, an AT&T I believe, the Kayak Place," he said.
Lauren Matzke with the City of Clearwater is part of a team working on revising the U.S. 19 corridor. She has heard the concerns of businesses like the deli.
"These businesses, the properties have really been on hold for a long time because of the construction of the U.S. 19 Corridor,” Matzke said.
The city hopes to make changes to the current zoning laws to allow a larger variety of businesses to move in. The city is also going to change the way those new businesses are constructed.
"So, pulling buildings up to the street at specific corners. Moving parking to the side or to the rear of buildings in certain areas. Looking at more of the area where people are walking, where they're making transfers from the buses,” said Matzke.
The city wants input on its proposal for U.S. 19. The property owners and residents along the road will be included in the process, ending with a vote from the city council on the changes in zoning ordinances.