Dunedin CRA updates downtown projects; Old City Hall bid set for Dec. 18

The Dunedin Community Redevelopment Agency on Nov. 20 received updates on multiple downtown redevelopment projects and confirmed a schedule for an Old City Hall bid award.

Carolyn, filling in for CRA Director Bob, told the board the commission will consider awarding the Old City Hall contract at its Dec. 18 meeting to the low bidder, Malley Contracting Corporation of Tampa. "If approved, it takes eight months to install the restroom structure and we're on budget," Carolyn said, adding the work is financed in part by roughly $1,000,000 from CRA funds.

Staff also reported a three-step procurement approach for a planned parking garage. Carolyn said the selection team narrowed seven respondents to three firms—Finn Frock, Jay Kokalakis Contracting and Creative Contractors—and the commission will first approve those three firms before staff issues RFPs to choose a single contractor. "We essentially put out an RFP and will pick the one that we're going to recommend to all of you," a staff member said.

Other downtown items discussed included the Skinner Boulevard reconstruction, easement work related to Duke Energy undergrounding, the Main Street Exchange review timeline and a proposed partial sale of the United Methodist Church to fund renovations. Alan McHale, chair of the CRA advisory committee, said advisory members received updates on Skinner Boulevard, the old City Hall site, the Scotland parking garage, Main Street Exchange and streetscaping at their Sept. 3 meeting.

On Skinner Boulevard, staff said FDOT staging has ended and the roadway is currently used for event parking while Duke Energy work and private-property easement agreements continue. Commissioners raised a safety concern about a quick merge at Bass and Skinner; staff said they have discussed possible remedies with FDOT and department heads.

Carolyn said streetscape construction must be finished by Oct. 1 to meet an ARPA funding deadline communicated by the finance director, a date staff said provides a strong incentive to complete work on schedule. She also noted roundabout landscaping and lighting are FDOT responsibilities and that final landscaping work is not expected to be completed until December 2026 due to permitting and easement timing.

The board asked for more detail about the church sale; Carolyn said the portion proposed for sale faces Main Street and that square footage and formal plans were not available at the meeting but would be sent to commissioners under separate cover. Plans discussed by staff and a private owner for the Rock House redevelopment include options to keep required parking on-site; a plan that proposed parking partially within the public right-of-way was not supported by staff and will be revised.

The meeting also introduced a new hire. Matt Jackson said he will join the city's economic development and housing team Dec. 10. "I'm currently the planning manager for the city of Oldsmar, and I'm joining the economic development and housing team Dec. 10," Jackson said, describing previous planning and economic-development roles in Pinellas County and South Florida.

Votes at a glance: the board unanimously excused Commissioner Walker (attending a ceremony honoring Robert Boulet) and Vice Mayor Gao (out for a family bereavement) and unanimously approved the Sept. 18, 2025 draft CRA meeting minutes.

Next steps: staff will present the low bid for Old City Hall to the commission on Dec. 18, provide the requested square-footage and sale details for the proposed church partial sale to commissioners, and proceed with the parking garage RFP process to narrow the three selected firms to a final recommendation for the commission.