All posts filed under: News & Features

AI generated birthday cake celebrating 100 years.

A Century of Leadership: Dunedin Marks 100 Years as a City

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This year, Dunedin turns 100. Not the town itself—that story goes back much further, to Scottish settlers in the late 1800s and the citrus groves that followed. But on June 1, 1926, something changed. The Town of Dunedin officially became the City of Dunedin, adopting the Commission-Manager form of government that still guides us today. It is a centennial worth marking. 1926: The Year Everything Shifted Before 1926, Dunedin was a town. Small. Growing. But by the mid-1920s, the community had reached a point where the old ways of governing no longer fit. The solution was the Commission-Manager system—a structure that separates policymaking (the elected commission) from day-to-day administration (a professional city manager). It was a modern approach for a town ready to become a city. On June 1, 1926, that vision became official. Dunedin was incorporated as a city, and the new government took shape. What Happened That Year While Dunedin was finding its footing as a city, the world around it was shifting too. A few notes from 1926: And here, on the …

Historical black and white photo of the single-story Dunedin Times Newspaper building with a wooden hanging sign above the entrance and two vintage Ford Model T cars parked in front.

Before The Suntropolitan: The Story of Dunedin’s First Newspaper

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Every time I publish an article, I think about the people who did this before me. Before websites. Before Instagram. Before cameras that fit in your pocket. They set type by hand. They printed on presses that weighed as much as a car. And they delivered the news to a town so small that a newspaper could fit on four pages and still cover everything worth saying. This is the story of Dunedin’s first newspaper—and the people who kept it going for nearly a century. The First Ink: 1884 The city of Dunedin first encountered printed news in late July 1884 . The paper was called the West Hillsborough Times, and it served the larger county that Dunedin was still part of at the time. It was a modest operation. The paper ran just four pages. The first and last pages carried local news—the births, deaths, meetings, and moments that mattered to a small farming town. The second and third pages were filled with general reading material and entertainment articles, purchased from a firm in …

Historic Victoria Drive homes overlooking the Dunedin Intracoastal and Caladesi Island in Florida.

Southern Living Shines a Spotlight on Dunedin

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It is one thing to know your town is special. It is another to see it in print—on a national stage. Southern Living recently published a feature on Dunedin, calling it an “under-the-radar Florida town” and “Florida’s hidden jewel.” The piece paints a picture of a place that feels untouched by the typical Florida tourist crowds—a town where wildlife outnumbers people on nearby islands, where bluegrass floats from breweries, and where the past is painted on the walls. What They Noticed The magazine highlighted several threads that make Dunedin distinct: The Vibe “Colorful storefronts, unspoiled beaches, and a friendly vibe make this under-the-radar beach town worth a stay.“ The Music At Woodwright Brewing Company, the article describes fiddles mingling with mandolins and banjos in a bluegrass style that is “well orchestrated without feeling a bit rehearsed.“ The Trail The 54-mile Pinellas Trail weaves through downtown, offering cyclists and walkers a path lined with breweries, shops, and restaurants. The History Scottish flags. Annual Celtic celebrations. Sun-weathered orange graffiti flanking doorways—a nod to the area’s citrus-growing roots. …

Midtown Parking Garage Gets Chamber Endorsement, City Sets 2027 Construction Target

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A second parking garage is coming to downtown Dunedin. 🚧

The Midtown Parking Garage—planned for Douglas Avenue and Scotland Street—has received formal support from the Chamber of Commerce. Construction is targeted for Spring 2027.

The price tag? $4 million for the land, $10 million to build.

But not everyone is sold. Some residents worry about cost, design, and who the garage is really for.

We took a deep dive into the proposal, the history, and what neighbors are saying.

Full story at the link in bio. 📖☝️

New Florida Flood Disclosure Law: What Dunedin Homeowners Must Know Before Selling

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If you own a home in Dunedin—especially near the coastline, the causeway, or any of our barrier islands—you remember Hurricane Helene. The storm surge that swept through our coastal communities in 2024 left behind more than sand and debris. It left behind questions. Questions about insurance. Questions about rebuilding. And now, for anyone thinking of selling, questions about what you are legally required to tell a potential buyer. Florida law has changed. And if you are a homeowner, you need to know exactly what those changes mean before you put a “For Sale” sign in the yard. The Law: Florida Statute §689.302 In October 2024, Florida enacted House Bill 1049, creating Section 689.302 of the Florida Statutes. For the first time, sellers of residential property were required to provide a formal flood disclosure to buyers. Then, in October 2025, the law was expanded. Today, the law requires sellers to complete and provide a flood disclosure form at or before the time the sales contract is executed. This applies to: 📋 The Three Questions Sellers Must …