Morningside-Meadows • Clearwater, FL
Official Website of the Morningside-Meadows Homeowners' Association
About Our Neighborhood
Location, Location, Location
Morningside Estates and The Meadows are located in the center of Pinellas County, near US 19 and Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard. Our community's central location gives homeowners and families a quick and easy commute to shopping, businesses, and the bay area's beautiful beaches. With a wide variety of public, charter, magnet and private schools nearby, our families and children can access quality education and enjoy a great quality of life!
Our History
The history of our neighborhood dates back to the early 1960s when Lester Harn, member of a prominent family of pioneers from Ireland, sold the ranch land that would be developed as the Morningside community. The first plat of the Meadows subdivision was recorded by the developers, Rodgers & Cummings, in 1962. A year later, in 1963, the Blackburn Brothers filed the first of the Morningside plats. The original developers did not build any homes, but provided fully-developed lots for sale. Homes were custom-built or speculatively built by many developers.
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The original plans for Morningside-Meadows included a recreation complex and clubhouse with future plans for a golf course. Many of the original lot buyers were given an initial paid membership in the recreation complex and club located at Harn Boulevard and Flushing Avenue.
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The clubhouse was sold to private interests and operated as a restaurant and nightclub in the 1970s and 1980s. The Morningside-Meadows Homeowners' Association (MMHA) successfully lobbied city officials to acquire the property and convert it into an indoor recreation center for East Clearwater. After public hearings in 1984, the city commission voted unanimously to convert the property to an indoor rec center. The Morningside Recreation Center opened in the Spring of 1986 and operated for more than two decades. The age and condition of the building necessitated the closure and demolition of the facility in 2010.
In 2014, Clearwater residents identified the reconstruction of the center as a top city-wide parks and rec priority. A year later, Clearwater City Council cleared the way for construction of a new $5.7 million dollar facility by approving additional Penny for Pinellas funding. MMHA worked closely with city officials on the design, features and location of the new center, and construction began in earnest in Spring/Summer 2017.
The new Morningside Recreation Complex opened in October 2018, and features a fitness room, multi-purpose space and a gymnasium. In addition, the pool has been upgraded with all new furniture, a refurbished deck, and a natural gas heating system to allow for an extended operating calendar. MMHA thanks everyone in the city and the community for their hard work and dedication in bringing the project to life.
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