The western boardwalk at Hammock Park is getting torn out and rebuilt after the Dunedin City Commission awarded a $152,231 contract to Price Marine Construction at its July 9 meeting.
The Tarpon Springs-based contractor will remove and replace all decking and handrails on the western boardwalk, which crosses a bayhead swamp inside the 90-acre nature preserve at 1900 San Mateo Dr. The park adjoins the Pinellas Trail north of downtown and includes a 2.8-mile loop trail with boardwalks over Cedar Creek.
The contract was one of several capital items on the consent agenda. Commissioners also authorized a $901,709 task order to Vortex Services LLC for stormwater pipe lining citywide and approved a $95,548 change order to Cardinal Fence LLC for field fence replacement at Fisher Field No. 7.
County traffic-signal agreement renewed for 20 more years
At the same meeting, commissioners approved a 20-year extension of the city's Advanced Traffic Management System and Intelligent Transportation System agreement with Pinellas County. The renewed interlocal agreement runs from Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2046. The original deal dates to Dec. 27, 2007, and was last amended Feb. 6, 2018. The system coordinates traffic signals and data sharing between the city and county.
Douglas Parking Center financing goes before commission July 23
Resolution 26-08, which would authorize debt reimbursement related to the downtown parking garage, was not listed among July 9 action items. It appears on the proposed agenda for the July 23 commission meeting.
The garage in question is the 318-space Douglas Parking Center at 830 Douglas Ave., Phase 1 of the Main Street Exchange mixed-use development. Robert Ironsmith, the city's director of development and housing, has described Main Street Exchange as "an activity center for the downtown." The full project includes an 89-room boutique hotel, a food hall, a theater and retail space. According to the developer's project page, the garage is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2027, with the broader Main Street Exchange opening projected for October 2028.
Annexation, committee changes round out the agenda
Commissioners also approved second readings of three ordinances annexing the property at 1991 Spanish Pines Drive into the city, assigning it a Residential Low land-use designation and R-60 single-family zoning. They sunsetted two advisory committees — the Youth Advisory Committee and the Public Relations Advisory Action Committee — and appointed Anne M. Bokneberg to a partial alternate term on the Historic Preservation Advisory Committee through Feb. 1, 2027.
The next Dunedin City Commission regular meeting is July 23 at City Hall, 737 Louden Ave. Residents can attend in person or monitor the agenda on the city's Granicus page for public comment opportunities on Resolution 26-08 and other items.
