EVO Entertainment pitched as anchor of Cleveland Street redevelopment; developers outline scope and projected impacts

Mitch Roberts, founder and CEO of Evo Entertainment, told the Clearwater City Council at a May 28 special work session that his company plans a family-entertainment destination on Cleveland Street combining a world‑class cinema and entertainment attractions and that the facility will serve as the eastern anchor for broader downtown redevelopment. "This is a next generation entertainment destination," Roberts said, describing 16 bowling lanes, arcades and immersive attractions on the first floor and a seven‑screen cinema above, with every auditorium equipped with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos systems.

The presentation included technical detail and renderings from TK Architects and RDC. TK Architects’ Nilsa Miller noted the project’s heavy acoustic isolation requirements, including floating floor assemblies and multilayer walls to prevent sound transfer. RDC’s Mitra Esfandiari described a two‑story grand atrium, outdoor plaza and landscaping designed to connect the venue to the street.

Roberts highlighted the project’s flagship auditorium, an "EBX" screen he described as roughly seven stories tall and about 131 feet wide, and said the facility is engineered to meet new studio‑grade audio and visual standards. "This is the first cinema in the world where every single auditorium is that premium feature," he said while describing the EBX auditorium and Dolby coordination.

Developers and the Cleveland Street Alliance also gave district‑level figures. Scott Dobbins, who leads tenant recruitment for the Cleveland Street Alliance, said more than 72,000 square feet are under active restoration and cited approximately $31 million in historic renovation spending to date. He said current renovation and redevelopment across the district represents about $50 million, that additional planned phases are expected to add roughly $50 million more, and that "collectively what you have just seen represents approximately $200,000,000 in privately financed investment into Downtown Clearwater."

Roberts offered estimates of local economic impact tied to the Evo venue: up to 650,000 annual visits, "over 300 jobs" and "over 2,000,000 in ongoing annual wages," and he said the venue would generate property tax revenue "north of half $1,000,000" for the city. Those figures were presented as operator projections and were attributed to Roberts and his team during the session; council members did not formally verify the estimates at the meeting.

City staff framed the regulatory context: the economic development director said many of the permits discussed are administrative and being processed under existing zoning and the city’s adopted plans (Clearwater 2045, the downtown redevelopment plan and the city strategic plan). Staff said, as of May 25, no public funding had been requested or used and that some future redevelopment activity could require additional city review depending on applications submitted.

Councilmembers praised the design and said they welcomed investment, while several asked detailed follow‑up questions about tenant timing and sequencing. Developers said they have announced Evo and a modern Asian restaurant and that other tenant announcements and lease finalizations are pending confidentiality and negotiation. The session ended as an informational briefing; no votes or formal approvals were taken. The council adjourned the special work session with staff to continue normal review processes.