- November 23, 2024
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While there is currently some construction happening on West Granada Boulevard, officials say most of the attention to downtown will be on the surrounding streets (Photos by Emily Blackwood).
City officials plan to focus on the infrastructure on streets like New Britain Avenue to encourage more business and residential redevelopment.
Some businesses, like Frame of Mind, are already maintaining the appearances to the back of their buildings.
Cakery Creation is another downtown business that already has an inviting space on New Britain Avenue — something city officials want more of.
Downtown is often referred to as the heart of a community. But what does it take to keep a heart pumping?
Sure, we could come up with a recipe that includes things like unique businesses, good parking, fun events and clean landscaping. But when you really think about it, for a downtown to really come alive, it needs people to keep the blood flowing.
In the past 10-15 years, downtown Ormond Beach has undergone quite the transformation. It used to be impossible for tourists — and even some residents — to figure out exactly where the downtown was. Now on any given Thursday night, it's impossible to find a good parking spot.
This metamorphosis didn’t happen overnight. It took a large group of people with a similiar vision and a lot of dedication to make it all a reality.
The Ormond Beach Observer spoke with a few of those movers and shakers recently to see what they're dreaming up for next five years.
Rick Goss, city planner for the city of Ormond Beach
What changes do you see coming to downtown in the next five years?
"As we move away from the downtown center, we're looking for more residential buildings mixed with commercial. And that’s going to be on the side streets. We need more rooftops, more people in the downtown. We already see what restaurants can do. They're doing their job, and we need to get more people to create more attractions. Get people to downtown. Get stores to start opening up their shops later. I think right now the downtown isn’t positioned to take advantage of the younger people. They like being closer to where the action is."
What’s on your wish list for downtown?
"I would like to see new development replacing the older development with buildings three, four or five stories high. I’d like to start seeing what we would call work-live type of arrangements, where people open up a shop downstairs and live upstairs. I would like to see less private parking, because private parkings means at the end of the day, you can’t use it. And something needs to be done with the sidewalks, but I’m not sure what.”
Troy Kent, city commissioner for Zone 2 (Downtown)
Why is investing in downtown so important?
"I think the downtown in many communities — especially in Ormond — is the heart of your city. In our downtown, from a stone's throw away, you have City Hall, a public library, our Intracoastal Waterway and our main downtown area. I don’t know of any other community that is fortunate enough to have that all together.”
What’s on your wish list for downtown?
"My big wish list for the future is that we will have mix-use buildings with residential, shopping, business and dining all mixed together in two- or three-story buildings. We really need a place where people don’t have to drive all day or all week if they don’t want to. I’d like it to be more of a livable, walkable community. I would also be happy to see a small marina underneath the Granada Bridge, and I think the dock we’re going to get is going to help with some of that."
Julia Truilo, executive director of Ormond Mainstreet
What projects for downtown does Mainstreet have in the works?
“We’re excited about the dock project and the improvements to Cassen Park. The city should be upgrading the bathrooms this year, and the following year the plan is to upgrade the parking lot. Our goal is to make that park more of a destination point — a place not only where we’re welcoming the boaters, but where we might find more activities for residents. I don’t think it’s being used as much as it could. Whether it’s an interactive art project or more comfortable places to sit, we don’t know, but we’re going to focus on incorporating more activities into that side of the bridge.”
“We also want to continue with the street paving and the improvements to the core district and expand those improvements to the east side of the bridge. We want to grow the energy in the central part of the distract to the other parts, like making the east side of the river more pedestrian friendly — anything to give it more personality. We want to continue the economic development projects and take a look at what is available in terms of empty spaces."
“There’s also going to be new life on New Britain. We're helping to shape that, and looking at new ways to help our current downtown businesses grow. We have also succeeded in making the Ormond Beach Arts District a 501(c)(3), which means we'll be going forward with public art displays, and working with the city to see the various ways we can incorporate art into downtown.”
What’s on your wish list for downtown?
"I would like to see a boutique hotel that had sufficient meeting space so we could stop taking our meetings to other cities.”
The city's five year plan:
According to City Planner Rick Goss, residents can expect to see big changes in the infrastructure of downtown in the very near future. By making an effort to maximize land use, they hope to give businesses opportunities to increase their activity. The following changes are currently in the works:
Current public parking lots in downtown
Commissioner Troy Kent said some residents are unaware of the city’s current parking availability:
