In Dunedin, a developer envisions townhouses, a hotel and winery near marina
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Mar 14, 2024

A developer wants to transform a long-vacant Dunedin property near Marker 1 Marina into townhouses, a winery and hotel.

On Wednesday, the city's Local Planning Agency reviewed the project's design, which proposes building a mixed-use development on 1.05 acres of vacant land at 265 Causeway Blvd. The lot has been vacant for nearly 20 years.

The LPA unanimously recommended approval of the design review to city council, though members voiced concerns about the traffic impact and size of the setbacks on the site. Several neighboring residents spoke in support of the project, though there were also concerns about traffic and the size of the sidewalks.

Previously, the property was home to a restaurant and lounge. Built in 1986, the two-story, 190-seat restaurant was operated under several names, including “the Louisiana Seafood Company, Chatters, Faces Restaurant & Lounge, Blue Waters Grill and The Vineyard,” according to city documents. It was demolished in 2005 and the land has remained vacant since.

The applicant, Anthony Pautauros of JAMAP Home Builders LLC, plans to build four new buildings on the site. City documents show plans for two residential buildings — each with four townhomes for a total of eight units — that are three stories tall. The buildings will have ground-floor parking and rooftop patios.

Another three-story mixed-use building will comprise four townhomes and a 1,796-square-foot winery. The townhomes and the winery will have ground-floor parking and rooftop patios.

There will also be a four-story, seven-room hotel building with ground-level parking and three floors of guest rooms. Amenities will include a swimming pool and cabana.

The project received approval from the Development Review Committee in March 2023, and the Architectural Review Committee approved the project's design on Feb. 6.

In 2015, the city commission approved a 16-unit condominium development on the site, but it never came to fruition. The current owner purchased the property in 2023 for $1.85 million, according to Pinellas property records.