A 1.07-acre parcel at 968 Douglas Ave. could shift from industrial zoning to Dunedin's most development-friendly downtown designation when the Local Planning Agency takes up the request Aug. 12.

The application, filed as Ordinance 26-09, asks the LPA to recommend rezoning the property from Downtown Industrial to Downtown Core. The LPA's vote is advisory; the City Commission holds the final say.

The property is owned by 968 Douglas Ave LLC, a Florida limited liability company filed June 25, 2025, with Bill Mazas listed as manager and registered agent. Mazas is the same developer behind the Main Street Exchange project at 830 Douglas Ave., an 89-room boutique hotel, food hall, theater and parking garage that the City Commission approved for design review in March 2026.

No specific development proposal for 968 Douglas Ave. has been made public.

Rezoning Would Allow Hotels and Short-Term Rentals at the Site

But the zoning change itself would open the door to uses the current Downtown Industrial designation prohibits: Short-term vacation rentals, hotels and motels are all permitted under Downtown Core, according to the city's zoning code. The site sits next to Nature's Food Patch at 966 Douglas Ave.

The Downtown Core district is the same zoning that governs the Main Street Exchange site, which allows hotels, restaurants, retail and mixed-use development.

A Longtime Redevelopment Target Since a 2009 City Study

The Douglas Avenue corridor has been a focus of Dunedin redevelopment planning since at least 2009, when a city-commissioned corridor study identified the area north of downtown as containing "dilapidated industrial structures" ready for new land uses.

How to Review the Rezoning Application and Attend the Meeting

The LPA agenda lists six exhibits for the rezoning item, including a staff report, the application, aerial and zoning maps, the draft ordinance, a business impact estimate and proof of public notice. Copies are available at the City Clerk's office at 737 Louden Ave. and at dunedin.gov.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 737 Louden Ave. It is televised. Residents may speak on agenda items for up to three minutes each, or a group representative may speak for up to 10 minutes at the chair's discretion. No City Commission hearing date for Ordinance 26-09 has been scheduled; that will follow the LPA's recommendation.