Five projects that will enhance cultural and recreational facilities for residents and visitors around the county earned nearly $2.6 million in financial backing Tuesday from the Volusia County Council.
The council unanimously approved five grant awards through the Volusia County ECHO program – an initiative that utilizes a special, voter-approved property tax levy to help fund projects for environmental, cultural, historical and outdoor recreational purposes. The grant funds were awarded Tuesday to projects being undertaken by the cities of DeBary, Ormond Beach, South Daytona and two from DeLand. All five grant requests were reviewed and recommended for approval by the County Council’s ECHO Advisory Committee.
The largest of Tuesday’s grants, $1.5 million, was awarded to the City of DeLand to help extend the city’s Alabama Greenway with a new, approximately 1.3-mile trail segment along Garfield Avenue from East Minnesota Avenue to U.S. 92. The new trail segment will complete the city’s goal of having a trail network extending to the north, south, east and west sectors of DeLand through the center core that loops the trails around the perimeter of the city.
“The city is ready to begin the bid process and we look forward to construction of this very important segment of the trail,” DeLand’s grants manager, Theresa Brooks, told the County Council moments before the grant was approved.
DeLand also received another $150,000 grant to improve Jackson-Lane Memorial Park by replacing an aging playground with new playground equipment that will be suitable for children of all abilities. Dr. Brad Burbaugh, director of the county’s Resource Stewardship Division that oversees the ECHO program, underscored the importance of all-access playground features.
“That’s one of the things that we’re doing in ECHO is ensuring that if we’re doing playgrounds, if we’re helping improve or expanding access to these playgrounds is that everyone can use them,” Burbaugh told council members.
In total, the ECHO grants approved on Tuesday total $2,568,750. To complete the projects, the grant funds will be leveraged with combined partner investments and matches from the applicants totaling nearly $2.8 million. In addition to the two grants awarded to the City of DeLand, the other three grants approved on Tuesday included the following:
- City of DeBary: $75,000 to improve Bill Keller Park, including new LED lighting for the basketball and tennis courts and the creation of the city’s first dog park.
- City of Ormond Beach: $600,000 to improve the city’s Performing Arts Center, including updating the floor, window and wall coverings in the lobby, concession and hallways. A donor wall and wire hanging system also will be created for the art gallery area, the lobby stairway and restrooms will be updated for ADA accessibility, the exterior of the center will be modified and a canopy shelter will be installed at the entrance to the building.
- City of South Daytona: $243,750 to improve Magnolia Park, including replacing the decking and playground equipment with more ADA accessible equipment, changing of the playground surface to artificial turf, the addition of picnic tables and benches, fence replacement and landscaping enhancements.
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