Douglas Avenue narrows to one lane Oct. 20 as parking garage construction reaches the street

Editorial graphic by Dunedin Community Website. Illustrative blurred community background: Wesley Chapel, Florida (August 2024), LittleT889 / Wikimedia Commons (CC0). Photo source · License

Douglas Avenue is still fully open, but the developer building downtown Dunedin's new parking garage has posted Tuesday, Oct. 20 as the start of the first lane restriction. From that date through Thursday, Nov. 5 — about 13 working days, Monday through Friday only — one lane at 968 Douglas Avenue closes and traffic alternates in both directions through a single 11-foot lane under certified flaggers, according to the project's construction page. The reason is the final bay of the structure: it sits along the Douglas Avenue frontage, so the crane needs the near lane.

Posted Douglas Avenue traffic phases

1. Oct. 20 – Nov. 5

   One lane closed; traffic alternates through an 11-foot lane under flaggers, weekdays only

2. Nov. 9 – 10

   Full closure just south of Skinner Blvd. for crane removal; detour via Skinner, Broadway, Main

3. Nov. 11

   Both lanes reopened by Wednesday morning

Source: douglasparkingcenter.com

What drivers and walkers should expect

The page lists a 15 mph work-zone speed limit, work hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and all precast deliveries finished by 3 p.m., with no weekend work. The sidewalk on the project side closes during that stretch, with signed crossings sending pedestrians to the east sidewalk, while the Pinellas Trail along the site's western edge stays open behind protective fencing.

The developer also says no construction activity or delivery traffic is scheduled during the Oct. 10–11 Art & Craft festival weekend, and that access to adjacent homes and businesses is maintained during both traffic phases.

The two-day full closure, and the detour

The only full closure of the project is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 9–10, when the erection crane comes down. Douglas Avenue would be blocked just south of Skinner Boulevard, with Virginia, Monroe and Grant streets staying open for local access and through traffic signed onto Skinner Boulevard, Broadway and Main Street in both directions. Both lanes are to reopen by Wednesday morning, Nov. 11.

Dates could still move

Two caveats are worth noting before planning around these dates. The traffic control plans were drafted by Spartan Safety Services and are still pending City of Dunedin approval, and the developer says the schedule page — current as of Sept. 18 — is updated weekly, with the city notified before any closure begins if weather or logistics shift a date. An Aug. 13 city newsletter had described a different sequence: a lane closure Oct. 12 to 23 and a full road closure Oct. 26 to 27, also pending city approval. The city added the private project to its Engage Dunedin page because the impacts reach beyond the site.

What's being built

The Douglas Parking Center is a four-story, 309-space public parking garage, a total-precast structure manufactured by Metromont and erected by Hawkins Construction. Overall completion is targeted for the first quarter of 2027.