LARGO, Fla. The new Largo City Hall, part of the $85 million Horizon West Bay project, will open to the public on May 19 after more than a year of delays and costly last-minute repairs. City services will move into the 87,000-square-foot building that is meant to anchor a new downtown, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for June 2. Reporter Matthew McClellan has given a look inside the site as the city prepares for its first commission meeting in the new space.
Largo officials say the building finally cleared its final inspections only after a controversial change order in March that added roughly $500,000 in fixes. Those repairs addressed basic code compliance items, including adjustments to fire systems and emergency signage that inspectors required before granting occupancy. Officials stressed the fixes were essential to opening safely, but the price tag raised eyebrows among residents and leaders alike.
The surprise expense came up at a March 3 City Commission meeting, where several commissioners pressed staff about how such core safety elements were missed so late in construction. Frustration centered on accountability and whether the extra money could have been avoided with better oversight. City staff have promised a formal audit to trace responsibility for the issues.
City staff say most of the problems surfaced during final walkthroughs and were corrected to meet occupancy requirements. Without those corrections, officials warned, the building would not have been cleared for public use or for employees to move in. The project also faced a string of earlier delays tied to construction challenges and hurricane-related impacts, which pushed the schedule out more than a year.
The new building is part of a larger mixed-use plan meant to revive downtown Largo and replace the old, aging City Hall. The 87,000-square-foot facility will centralize services like building, permitting and planning in one downtown spot. The move is intended to make city services easier to access and to support a denser, more walkable core.
The Horizon West Bay site also includes retail and restaurant space designed to attract foot traffic and keep people downtown after business hours. Planners built a public parking garage with more than 350 spaces to support the retail and city operations. A community event space is part of the project, aimed at hosting public gatherings and small festivals that could boost local activity.
City services will begin the transition to the new building starting May 19, and some operations briefly moved online during the final days of the relocation. The first official City Commission meeting inside the new chambers is scheduled for the evening of May 19, and staff have set a formal ribbon-cutting for June 2 to mark the public opening. Officials hope the schedule signals a return to normal operations and a fresh chapter for downtown Largo.
Even with the opening date set, there are still open questions about responsibility for the construction shortcomings and the extra costs. City leaders have not publicly assigned blame and say the pending audit will look into whether the problems came from design, contractor errors, or other factors. That review could shape any pursue of reimbursements or contract changes.
There is also no clear timetable for when the retail and restaurant components of Horizon West Bay will be fully tenanted. Leasing momentum will matter a lot to the project’s success, and local leaders say they will continue outreach to attract businesses. The overall goal remains to create a more connected, active downtown that draws residents and visitors.
The Source: Information in this story comes from a City of Largo announcement, publicly available project documents, and city commission meeting discussions. City officials provided materials and the documents referenced are available to the public for review.
