The historic Brown Brothers Building, a cornerstone of downtown Clearwater since 1924, is undergoing a meticulous restoration to preserve its architectural heritage and vibrant past.
The Cleveland Street Alliance is driving this project, reinstating the building’s iconic yellow brick façade and distinct storefront. It’s also undoing years of alterations while updating systems for modern use.
Preservation experts are guiding the effort, perfecting details like the cornice, windows and skylights that once lit the interior.
Built in 1924 as the Jackson Building, it housed shops and offices. In 1944, Tom Brown and William Douglas Brown—dairy store operators since 1935—bought and renamed it, making it a go-to for soup, sandwiches and milkshakes.
The 1950s saw metal cladding dim its charm, but removal of the cladding in 2008 revealed the yellow brick and windows. Now the alliance is reviving its glory with a contemporary edge.
Once done, it’ll boast shops below and offices above, merging history with present day. This fits the alliance’s goal to rejuvenate downtown’s historic core.
The building’s original charm is being revived with the removal of plastered bulkheads, making way for historically accurate renditions crafted from modern materials. The brick surrounding the glazing will be uncovered and carefully restored, revealing the intricate detailing that once defined the façade. Complementing these efforts, a metal storefront system will preserve the building’s classic aesthetic.
A sleek new awning will grace the building’s exterior, shielding its retail spaces from direct southern exposure, minimizing heat gain and enhancing energy efficiency. The awning seamlessly blends functionality with design, enriching the building’s character while offering practical benefits. Reusing the existing metal tieback locations preserves a piece of its historic framework.
A previously long-covered storefront window and bulkhead on the west façade will be reintroduced, enhancing interior light and improving street-level visibility. Simultaneously, the entire glass transom will be fully restored, allowing natural light to flood the retail spaces once again and returning a defining architectural feature to its former brilliance.
Storefront windows extend all the way to the floor
Window framing features original ornamentation
Metal details showcase the building’s historic charm
New hurricane-rated insulated windows
Every window will be replaced with state-of-the-art, energy-efficient frames and glazing, seamlessly blending modern performance with timeless design. The front façade will feature carefully crafted single-hung windows, restoring the building’s history and character.
The entire 8,000-square-foot roof will be carefully replaced with a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient roofing system designed to provide exceptional thermal resistance and durability. Six strategically placed skylights will bathe the interior in natural light.
The first floor is designed to accommodate both a retail space and a restaurant, each with ample storefront exposure along Cleveland Street and private rear restrooms. An existing stair leads to the second floor, which is envisioned as a series of flexible office suites. At the rear, a separate lobby, elevator and stairs provide exclusive access to the office spaces above.
Crafted with precision, the newly reimagined ceiling’s coffered design will feature a grid of sunken panels, accenting the building’s revitalized historic essence. Pendant lights offer warm radiance to interior spaces.
The second floor offers versatile creative office facilities. Wainscoting, reflecting the aesthetic of the early 1900s, will run the length of second-floor interiors. Decorative fluted glass graces transoms and insets, further evoking the flavor of the time.
Fluted Glass Transom
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