Largo's vision for downtown extends beyond new city hall
By Henry Queen
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Sep 13, 2024

Largo is ready to breathe new life into its downtown.

A new city hall — part of the $81 million Horizon West Bay project — is expected to be complete in early 2025. Multiple multifamily projects are in the works nearby, and the city is looking to establish an entertainment district to encourage concerts and weekend activities.

The city also is in the procurement process for a downtown activation plan, which will help determine what urban core will look like in the coming decades. Staff recommended Kimley Horn, and the commission will vote on the contract on October 1.

"We have a more important role to play [in development] than we played in the past," said Mark Richard, acting economic development manager. "With this vision of our city leadership, I feel like we're going to offer something that's a little bit unique. It's going to be a little bit more of a contemporary kind of urban experience rather than a very quaint, sleepy coastal town. Because we're not on the beach, it allows us to reimagine what our brand is."

Richard served as a county commissioner in Spokane County, Washington, from 2005 to 2012. Before moving to Florida, he also spent a time in the real estate industry and as president of the Downtown Spokane Partnership.

He moved to Florida partly because it was a longtime goal for him and his wife but also because he saw the opportunity to be a part of something special in downtown Largo. He wants to incrementally streamline burdensome regulations to become more business-friendly while maintaining the transparency that city government demands.

It also should be noted that Largo won't be getting an influx of high-rises — the market wouldn't support it anyway.

"Our focus is not to get massive but to have a little bit of a modern theme to downtown," Richard said. "We [want to] articulate that and show what it will look like to a potential investor."

One proposed mixed-use project — which has secured a development order and is located on the site of an old gas station at 280 West Bay Drive — is expected to have a rooftop dining concept.

Retailers have taken note of the momentum. Charles Stanton, acting downtown administrator, said he is in active negotiations with at least seven companies for the Horizon West Bay project.

Parlor Donuts, a national chain with one other local location in Clearwater Beach, recently became the first retailer to sign an agreement with the city. The shop will fill 1,607 square feet on a seven-year deal with a renewal option period of five years.

Private developers also shouldn't have a problem filling ground-floor retail space in downtown, according to Stanton.

"This is just the start," Stanton said. "It's fun."