- February 3, 2025
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The city of Ormond Beach is moving forward with its plans to construct a floating 12-boat dock at Cassen Park, following a unanimous vote by the City Commission on Thursday, March 21, to accept a $1,249,169 construction bid from Brance Diversified Inc. of Jacksonville.
The project, which was approved as part of the city’s 2018-2019 budget, was put on pause in June 2018 after the city lost grant funding and the commission directed staff to remove the dock project from the city's capital improvement plan due to general fund reserves dipping below the city's preferred 15% benchmark after the city bought the 56 N. Beach St. church property.
Now, nine months later, the accepted bid — which was the lowest of eight bids — came back $129,169 higher than the city had originally budgeted for. City Engineer John Noble said the extra dollars are a result on additional breakwater length.
He explained that after Hurricane Irma, the city had a workshop where staff presented the needed repairs to the Cassen Park pier, as well as discussed the dock and breakwater. Staff was directed to extend the breakwater further out in the water to protect the pier, which has cost the city almost $95,000 and is expected to open soon. The total cost to repair the pier was bid out at $759,125, with FEMA funds covering 75%, the city reports.
However, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection wouldn't allow the breakwater to be further out in the water, Noble said, so the city extended in toward the land.
City Manager Joyce Shanahan said in an email that the Cassen Park Dock is funded by Community Redevelopment Authority funds, which is generated by tax increment financing. The project also has a $200,000 grant.
"CRA Funds can only be spent within the CRA district and Cassen Park is located within the Community Redevelopment Authority Area," she said.
The additional $129,169 is available from the General Fund Reserves, according to a city memo, but City Commissioner Dwight Selby asked staff if the money could also come from the CRA reserve fund. Shanahan said staff could look into that, as the item will need to be brought back as a budget amendment.
