Dunedin Commission pushes ahead with plans for downtown garage

DUNIDIN — If the city builds a $10 million to $12 million garage, it will likely last 50 years, Mayor Julie Ward Buyalski said.

That was one of the reasons she voted Oct. 24 to prepare a package of design criteria for the downtown parking garage presented by THA Consulting. The $96,000 package will be used as part of a request for qualifications to identify firms interested in designing and building the garage.

Commissioners Robert Walker and Mo Freeney also voted in favor of the proposal. Commissioners John Tornga and Jeff Gow dissented.

Several years ago, the City Commission discussed plans to build a parking garage on the site of the new City Hall parking lot on Louden Avenue.

The city needs parking on both the west and east sides of the city, Buyalski said.

The West End is struggling because the Ocean Optics location on Douglas Avenue is about to close, Buyalski said.

“There are still a few rental places that are going to be rented out,” she said.

Dunedin Economic, Housing and Redevelopment Agency director Bob Ironsmith said the city center was a $275 million asset and economic engine.

“We want to have parking. It’s really a look into the future,” Ironsmith said.

Walker said construction of the garage, which would be at Douglas Avenue and Scotland Street, was essential to the economic vitality of Dunedin’s city centre.

“I think by not supporting this, we’re shooting ourselves in the foot,” Walker said.

Tornga said he disagrees that the city needs a parking garage, noting that the City Hall parking lot on Louden Avenue is large. He suggested that floor levels could be added if necessary.

Supporters of the garage include Gregory Brady, who sits on the board of directors of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce and also served on the board of directors of the Downtown Redevelopment Agency for more than 30 years.

According to him, it is difficult to find a parking space in the city center during the day, even now, in the low season.

“This is not something that happened here recently,” Brady said. “With my participation, this can was thrown off the road again and again.”