LARGO — When city officials first floated the idea of turning part of downtown Largo into an outdoor entertainment district, the opening of its anchor — Horizon West Bay — was still two years off.
On June 2, the City Commission made it official, voting 7-0 to create a downtown entertainment district where patrons can carry open containers of alcohol through designated areas. Implementation and public outreach begin immediately.
Staff first proposed the district in June 2024, pitching it as a complement to downtown’s rapid growth, which includes several residential and retail projects and the $85 million Horizon West Bay, which opened May 19 at 400 W. Bay Drive. Commissioners approved the ordinance’s first reading in February 2025, then spent the following months gathering community input and planning how the district would operate.
Opening the second reading of Ordinance 2025-07, economic development director Damian Mitrano said the city wants the district to “create a lively, intergenerational environment with gathering spaces for diverse experiences” and to “stimulate economic growth and establish downtown Largo as a destination.”
Mitrano outlined the rules staff recommended. Drinks must be served in clear, shatterproof, disposable plastic cups no larger than 16 fluid ounces, which may carry logos. Outdoor alcohol sales would be limited to two drinks per person, and open containers would be banned in parking lots and garages, inside vehicles and outside the permitted zones.
“Public intoxication remains illegal,” Mitrano said, adding that police are preparing for the district’s debut.
He said the recommended sales hours would run 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 8 a.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday and on legal holidays. Most residents surveyed wanted later weekend and holiday hours, he said.
The proposed boundaries would run from First Avenue Northwest on the north to Alternate 19 on the east, First Avenue Southwest on the south and Clearwater Largo Road on the west, plus the block south of First Avenue Southwest along Alternate 19. The city plans a phased rollout, Mitrano said, starting small and expanding “once we identify the best practices in the alcohol zone.”
Open containers could eventually be allowed throughout the district, but Mitrano said staff proposed giving the city manager discretion to designate specific open-alcohol zones. One goal, he said, is to let patrons “sip and stroll” through downtown.
Mitrano acknowledged that some residents raised concerns about traffic, noise and litter, but he said the city has solutions in mind. “Some of the community’s concerns can be addressed during the implementation and planning process, while others will necessitate a more comprehensive upgrade to existing infrastructure and facilities,” he said. A downtown action committee has been formed to oversee the district.
During public comment, resident and City Commission candidate Greg Gardner challenged the idea that downtown Largo could ever be a destination. “This is a City Hall. This is not a downtown,” he said of Horizon West Bay, the 87,000-square-foot mixed-use complex that houses the new City Hall, 15,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space and a 350-space, five-story public parking garage.
“No matter what you look at, this is a monster City Hall. It is not a downtown. It is not a destination place. There is no community spaces. There is nowhere to go. There is nothing.”
Gardner, who is challenging incumbent Michael Smith in November, said Largo “is not a community. Dunedin is a community. Dunedin is a place that we go. It is built on four to five decades of mom-and-pop sweat equity, and people invested in the community. Not this place. This is a hellhole, is what this is.”
Matthew Faustini, the city’s planning board chair, spoke as a resident and pushed back, saying Largo once had a great downtown “but unfortunately, we abandoned it” by moving City Hall to Highland Avenue. “But now we’re back here,” said Faustini, who is also running for the commission. “And I believe building a downtown is possible. And redeveloping a downtown is certainly possible.”
Commissioner Mike DiBrizzi questioned the early start time, which Mayor Woody Brown attributed to the Sunday morning mimosa crowd. DiBrizzi said he supports the plan but wants the city ready to adjust quickly. “We’re going to have to do a lot of pivoting,” he said.
Commissioner Michael Smith agreed the city should stay flexible. “We are not the first (city) to have done this. And I know we can do it,” he said. “I believe in (staff). I believe in this commission. But I also believe we should give you some flexibility.”
Vice Mayor Chris Johnson said he was “wholeheartedly supportive of this district and the activity it’s going to bring to this area.” Brown said he wanted to empower staff to “act fast” as problems surface. “So the city manager can bring something to us, whether it’s too many mimosas or whatever it is, and we can change it a little bit,” he said, adding that he favored starting small and expanding slowly.