Future Blast Friday to Close Fort Harrison Avenue

Blast Friday needs more flow.

City council member Jay Polglaze has seen the event grow since its start a few years ago and watched recently as thousands of visitors crammed Cleveland Street for the street festival on the fourth Friday each month.

“There’s no movement,” he said. “They’re so successful, they’re jammed up.”

The event has grown since Ruth Eckerd Hall took over management of the event, moving it from the 600 block to the 400 block and upgrading the performances, city officials have said.

Now is the time to try to expand it further along Cleveland Street, Polglaze said.

However, to do that, it calls for the closing of Fort Harrison Avenue at Cleveland Street and power upgrades at the intersection.

The City Council, acting as the Community Redevelopment Agency, unanimously agreed to pay those costs between now and the end of the year and to leave the performer and vendor placements to Ruth Eckerd Hall.

The plan would be to have the March 29 Blast Friday along the 400 block of Cleveland Street. Garden Street would be the center for the April 26 event, and Fort Harrison would be closed for the May 31 event.

“Closing Fort Harrison’s a big deal on a Friday,” council member Paul Gibson said. “It’s a big deal. Bigger than I think we’re giving it.”

The changes come with some costs including for police and electrical upgrading. 

Cost would be about $1,000 for police and detour signs to close the intersection for each event. Power upgrades at Fort Harrison would be a one-time cost of $5,000. Money from the Community Redevelopment Agency budget would pay for these costs.

Jeff Hartzog, operational director with Ruth Eckerd Hall, said the budget for Blast Friday is thin and they would not be able to take on the costs to close the intersection. Hartzog said that over the course of a year the cost could be $9,000 for traffic control.

He said the group spends “good money to bring in top quality artists.” The next three list Pure Prairie League, Firefall performs April 26 and the Fixx plays May 31.

The last Blast Friday event featuring Dave Mason, which attracted almost 6,000 people, galvanized discussion of expanding the event, Hartzog said.

They also could use more street space for vendors, he said. With Fort Harrison closed, it could call for creating a "fun zone" along the 600 block, he said.

Hartzog said moving the event to Garden Street would call for the power upgrades. They needed to have a generator at that location in the past, he said.

The Capitol Theatre was a benefit to having the event on the 400 block because of its dressing rooms, ice machines and storage space.

Council member Doreen Hock-Dipolito said the group should try closing Fort Harrison for the last event in May. 

“We have a good problem here, we’re growing” Dipolito said, also suggesting projecting the event onto a screen at Pier 60 on Clearwater Beach. “The event is growing and it's an exciting thing and I'd hate to not see us test it this year.”

Cretekos was concerned about changing the expectations for Ruth Eckerd Hall and closing Fort Harrison Avenue.

“What is more important to me is that they keep being successful," Cretekos said. "Give them an opportunity to plan for that growth and plan for that expansion not just because it’s a good problem to have.”

If you go:

What: Blast Friday/ Pure Prairie League

When: 5:30-10 p.m. Friday, March 29

Where: near the 400 block of Cleveland Street

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