New Port Richey’s Community Redevelopment Agency has picked its favorite to remake the long-vacant Main and Bank Building downtown: a $22.4 million proposal called Main Street Reserve that promises a parking garage, retail space and a 160-seat restaurant on the site. City staff can now begin negotiating the terms of a deal with the development team behind it.
The CRA voted on Oct. 26 to rank Main Street Reserve as its top choice for the city-owned property at 5640 Main St., according to Tampa Bay Beacons. The board directed staff to enter discussions with the Main Street Reserve developer to hammer out terms, a process City Manager Debbie Manns said could take up to 120 days. The vote caps weeks of deliberation over what should replace the vacant building at the center of the city’s downtown core, with the Tampa Bay Times also Tampa Bay Times reporting on the selection.