Timeline changes for Gateway development

Construction for a catalytic project in Dunedin that would bring new apartments, a hotel and a food hall is still moving forward despite facing a delay.

The mixed-use Gateway Dunedin project is a concept from local developer Joe Kokolakis, whose office said the construction for the 3.5-acre site at 606 and 614 Main St. is now pushed out by six months due to permitting – a common headwind many developers encounter in numerous cities.

Kokolakis’ team hoped to break ground on the project in the fall of last year. At the time, they anticipated the development would take 24 months to complete. The new updated timeline sets the start of construction for this spring.

The project entails building 90 new apartment units, a 79-room boutique hotel, 17,000 square feet of retail and a food hall. It would also have public promenade space and surface parking, according to city records. The project is estimated to cost north of $30 million.

The Gateway site has been long eyed for redevelopment since city officials bought the property in 2004 with hopes of it becoming a mixed-use development or serving a purpose for local government.

Kokolakis has worked on other projects in Dunedin, such as the Artisan Apartment Homes and Nature’s Food Patch on Douglas Avenue. The apartment component of the Gateway Dunedin development will also be branded as the Artisan House.

Last year, Kokolakis purchased the additional 0.39-acre Soggy Bottom Brewing Co. property at 660 Main Street and the adjacent Southern BBQ and Catering property that abuts Skinner Boulevard near the site of the Gateway.

The brewery and restaurant operations are not subject to change, and the purchase was a strategic move to allow Kokolakis to add more units to the Gateway project to increase its density, as the residential component was initially planned to feature 81 units. The acquired property also provides another connection to the street and additional parking.