Published January 27, 2026
This ‘signature project’ could transform downtown Dunedin
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A proposed mixed-use development at the former Ocean Optics site on Main Street in Dunedin won unanimous approval from the Local Planning Agency on Jan. 14, drawing praise from residents and city officials who called it transformational for downtown.
Main Street Exchange, planned for the corner of Main Street and Douglas Avenue, would feature an 89-room boutique hotel, marketplace, theater, food hall, restaurants, retail spaces and a parking garage. The three- and four-story development at 830 Douglas Ave. also includes an off-site parking garage at the former Arts Incubator site.
Economic development director Bob Ironsmith called it “another signature project” for downtown, comparing it to recent developments like Victoria Place and The Artisan.
“This one kind of checks all the right boxes for us,” Ironsmith said. “A hotel is very attractive in a downtown environment — it’s what we call a captive market. Those 89 hotel guests are going to the restaurants, the cafes, the stores. They actually help preserve the small-town feel.”
The food hall with culinary kiosks offers “a different experience, which really attracts a lot of people,” he added.
Attorney Brian Aungst Jr., representing the developer, said the project “genuinely and uniquely delivers a downtown Dunedin experience” while eliminating two aging properties: a vacant 1976-era office building at 380 Main St., and an industrial yard at 968 Douglas Ave., which has been demolished.
The off-site parking garage, currently in permitting with groundbreaking scheduled within a month, will include retail shops and is targeted for completion this year. It will provide 318 total spaces, including 125 for Main Street Exchange use and 193 for public parking.
Main Street Exchange itself could break ground in summer or early fall, with completion anticipated in about two years. The development will feature 133 on-site parking spaces plus 89 valet spaces.
Architect John Pantazes said the design, nearly three years in the works, respects Dunedin’s character while addressing scale concerns by stepping back the building on Main Street, creating public plazas and varying architectural elements.
“We broke down the façade, (and) provided multiple architectural expressions with balconies, canopies and building materials to reduce that massing and maintain a pedestrian-scale experience,” he said.
The Main Street side features 14-foot sidewalks leading to a boutique theater entrance, while a food hall integrates with the Pinellas Trail side.
Peter Kreuziger, founder of Bon Appetit in the 1970s and principal owner of Café Alfresco, called it “exactly the kind of thoughtful, mixed-use development that contributes to a healthy downtown.”
“Successful communities are built when people are invited into spaces that bring together art, commerce and human connection,” Kreuziger said.
The Rev. Bob Swick of St. Francis of Assisi Old Catholic Church said the project would provide gathering spaces for youth and called it “a culturally dynamic addition” to the community.
Developer Bill Mazas told an earlier Community Redevelopment Agency advisory committee meeting that multiple concepts were studied for the Ocean Optics property, with the goal of creating a community hub where people can live, dine, shop and enjoy the arts.
The project will have a series of hearings before advancing to the City Commission for a site plan review.
More information
Main Street Exchange
- Hotel: 89 rooms
- Theater: 280 seats
- Retail (art expo): 1,623 square feet
- Gourmet retail market: 4,963 square feet
- Food hall: 26,619 square feet
- Restaurant: 7,806 square feet
- Rooftop bar: 10,199 square feet
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