Dunedin reviews Midtown parking garage concepts, staff to finish design criteria for RFQ in May

City officials, consultants and residents spent the bulk of the March 6 Dunedin City Commission meeting focused on schematic designs and traffic plans for a proposed Midtown parking garage on the Scotland Street/Douglas Avenue parcel.

The city manager, Jennifer Bramley, and design consultant Jim Zulu of THA presented four façade options and a schematic layout intended to be finalized as a “design criteria package” that the city will use to solicit design‑build teams. Traffic consultants from Infrastructure Consulting and Engineering, led by Jeffrey Antonacci, reviewed circulation options that rely on a primary Douglas Avenue entrance and a secondary Scotland Street entrance that would be opened only for high‑volume events.

City staff said the design package is on an accelerated schedule. THA is expected to finish the criteria by mid‑April; the city plans to advertise the RFQ in May 2025, request proposals in June, select a design‑build team by July and return to the commission for a contract award in August, with a target notice to proceed in September 2025 and substantial completion by December 2026.

Why this matters: downtown business owners and the Dunedin CRA say demand for parking peaks during the tourism season and special events, and the city has been managing multiple leased lots with limited long‑term control. Chamber of Commerce representatives told the commission a…