Main Street Exchange and Douglas Avenue Parking Garage Construction
Summary
The developer and Hawkins Construction laid out how 100-foot precast trucks will reach the tight downtown site — mostly no closures, a three-week single-lane closure near the end, and just a two-day full closure timed around festivals. A dedicated website will track it all.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 14
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed Aug 12, 2026.
Impact analysis
The city gains a $341,313 total marina contract item and a major downtown project expected to boost property values; the developer must bond or secure public infrastructure.
Downtown businesses and the wider community once the hotel, restaurant, retail, and garage are complete.
Douglas Avenue businesses face temporary access inconvenience during precast delivery and erection.
Mentions & discussions (14)
Local Planning Agency - Aug 12, 2026
The Douglas Parking Center would add 318 downtown parking spaces plus ground-floor retail to serve the Main Street Exchange project and the Pinellas Trail corridor. City staff say it completes the long-planned vision of turning Douglas Avenue into a north-south downtown activity hub.
CITY COMMISSION (Regular) - Aug 6, 2026
The developer and Hawkins Construction laid out how 100-foot precast trucks will reach the tight downtown site — mostly no closures, a three-week single-lane closure near the end, and just a two-day full closure timed around festivals. A dedicated website will track it all.
BUDGET WORKSHOP - Aug 4, 2026
The Board of Finance wants the $23.5 million aquatic center pushed to 2029 and the $9.1 million downtown garage delayed. The aquatic center cost has ballooned from $18.1 million.
CITY COMMISSION (Regular) - Jul 23, 2026
A resolution declares the city's intent to pay for parking garage construction with future tax-exempt debt — a financing step, not a checkbook.
COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY - Jul 23, 2026
With the marina under construction and parking already tight, keeping the low-cost 32-space Edgewater lot leased matters more than usual. The city is also leasing parking from the Main Street Exchange developer, which constrains when that building can be demolished.
COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY - May 21, 2026
The RFP for the downtown parking garage goes out in the next couple weeks to three shortlisted firms, and a private garage project starts in coming weeks.
CITY COMMISSION (Regular) - Apr 2, 2026
The $10.3 million, 192-space garage at Douglas & Scotland moved a step forward: an amended deal with Pinellas County unlocks $3.2 million in CRA tax-increment funds. After the CRA sunsets in 2033, TIF revenue of roughly $1.5 million a year flows to the general fund to cover the debt.
COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY - Mar 19, 2026
With roughly two years of construction ahead — Ocean Optics site, parking garage, Main Street streetscape — commissioners and the market operator are worried about customer and vendor parking, and trucks bringing Douglas Avenue traffic to a standstill. A parking map for the market is being considered.
CITY COMMISSION (Regular) - Mar 5, 2026
The 89-room boutique hotel, food hall, theater and retail complex at 830 Douglas Avenue received final design approval. It fills a vacant downtown block, adds foot traffic and a captive hotel market for local businesses — plus construction disruption in the meantime.
CITY COMMISSION (Regular) - Feb 19, 2026
An 89-room boutique hotel, food hall, marketplace and event venue could finally reactivate the long-vacant Ocean Optics block and push foot traffic east on Main Street. Debates centered on traffic, valet parking, the fourth story and keeping out franchises.
CITY COMMISSION (Regular) - Feb 5, 2026
Resident Alan Brand urged the city to push solar on the new Main Street Exchange project, noting solar costs have fallen 17 percent while Dunedin energy costs rose 52 percent. First public hearing is February 19.
COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY - Jan 22, 2026
The $40 million project — an 89-room boutique hotel, food hall, culinary kiosks, and retail — cleared the Local Planning Agency and goes before the City Commission in February. The Chamber and merchants have welcomed it.
CITY COMMISSION (Regular) - Jan 22, 2026
Three shortlisted contractors will now receive requests for proposals for the downtown parking garage at Douglas and Scotland, a key step for the downtown east end. One commissioner voted no.
Local Planning Agency - Jan 14, 2026
A three- and four-story hotel, theater, food hall and retail project on the long-vacant Ocean Optics site downtown. Supporters call it a signature economic engine for Main Street; critics worry about building scale, parking fees and loss of the small-town coastal vibe.
Related development
Main Street Exchange
Fills a dormant downtown block with hotel guests, diners and shoppers; a companion parking garage is already under construction on Douglas Avenue to meet parking requirements.
Douglas Parking Center (DPC)
Adds downtown parking and street-level retail to a former concrete plant site, boosting the Douglas corridor's walkability and tax base.
Design Review Application DR-2025-0003
No decision yet — the project will be heard April 2.
Application LUP/ZO-2025-0001 — 1050 Main Street
The change actually lowers allowed density (from up to 24 units/acre to 10) and adds protected open space to the mobile home community.
We'll email you when it's on an upcoming agenda and when it's voted on, at most once a day.
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