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Commission approves design-review for Main Street Exchange with conditions; valet parking and traffic plan accepted
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Summary
The commission granted design-review approval for the Main Street Exchange (DR2025-002), a mixed‑use project with an 89-room boutique hotel, marketplace, event venue and a companion 318‑space parking garage. Staff and peer reviewers said traffic impacts are acceptable; approval included limited height/stepback permissions and a revocable valet-parking agreement.
The Dunedin City Commission voted Feb. 19 to approve design-review application DR2025-002, the Main Street Exchange project at 830 Douglas Avenue, subject to conditions including consistency with approved plans, obtaining required permits, and council approval of a revocable parking agreement for valet spaces in a planned adjacent garage.
Project in brief: The proposal would replace a vacant three‑story office site with a 3‑ and 4‑story mixed-use building containing an 89‑room boutique hotel, a marketplace/food hall, retail/restaurant spaces, a multipurpose event venue, and an internal parking garage. The developer has separately begun construction of a complementary 318‑space parking garage at 968 Douglas, which would reserve 125 valet spaces for the Main Street Exchange under a revocable agreement.
Design and compatibility: City planning staff and the applicant presented architectural renderings showing stepped-back upper floors and an architectural approach intended to reduce street‑level massing on Main Street. The requested fourth floor is confined to the Type C (rear/Monroe Street) frontage; staff noted similar earlier approvals for comparable downtown heights and recommended conditions to ensure the fourth floor is set back and does not create a canyon effect.
Traffic and parking: The applicant provided a traffic study and valet‑circulation simulation. Traffic consultant Jane Caldera reported project generation of roughly 230 inbound PM peak trips and 192 outbound, with additional movements tied to valet operations; a county peer review concluded adjacent roadways would continue to meet acceptable level‑of‑service standards. The project footprint provides 133 on‑site spaces; the off‑site Douglas garage would supply the reserved valet and employee spaces to meet code and peak demand.
Community input and staff response: Dozens of residents, business owners, and civic organizations testified. Supporters — including the CRA Advisory Committee, Dunedin Public Theater, the Chamber and many downtown business owners — said the project will activate the east end of Main Street, add hotels beds that bring foot traffic, and provide retail opportunities. Residents raised concerns about valet safety, pedestrian crossings, special‑event egress and construction staging; utilities staff confirmed wastewater capacity in the area is sufficient and staff committed to refine signal, crosswalk and valet circulation details before final approvals.
Outcome and next steps: The commission approved the design review subject to the conditions outlined by staff and set a second reading and continued review for March 5, 2026. Staff and the applicant agreed to provide additional materials — including clearer renderings of signal cabinet placement and construction staging plans — before the March hearing.
Quote: "This is a homegrown project... we're not going anywhere," developer Bill Mazas said of buying nearby office space and remaining locally engaged.
