- November 26, 2024
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Since 2002, Ormond Crossings has been at the center of the city's future projected growth.
Now that a developer has bought the almost 3,000 acre-tract of land located south of U.S. 1, development is most certainly in the pipeline. The property could soon see the construction of 2,500 homes and almost 2.5 million square feet of retail, office, light industrial and warehouse uses.
"Noticeably, this development has been in the books for over a decade as a proposed development, planned for, and always something that we've looked forward to in terms of the growth of Ormond Beach," City Economic Development Director Brian Rademacher said. "I think that's what sets it apart. ... It's been anticipated and planned for and work on collaboratively with both the public sector and the private sector, and those who've owned it, to bring it to reality."
The Ford family, of DeLand, sold the Ormond Crossings property to Bradford Kline and Associates, of Maryland, on Dec. 5, 2023, for $62 million. The family acquired the property in 2016 and it was listed for sale about two years ago.
Bradford Kline and Associates have been in business for over 40 years, developing mixed-uses such as apartments, retail and office buildings.
Rademacher said that the city has been working with owner Brad Kline, of Bradford Kline and Associates, for about eight or nine months as the developer and his team began inquiring and learning about the development agreement in place for Ormond Crossings.
"We've met on numerous occasions and continue open dialogue," Rademacher said.
The Observer reached out to Bradford Kline and Associates but was unable to reach them for comment.
Though planning for Ormond Crossings began in 2002, the land was originally platted in the early 1900s for "dense residential lots" with the potential to sell land — previously unincorporated — in large parcels in the early 2000s, according to the city of Ormond Beach.
"It was a bunch of disparate parcels and there was no real plan in place," Mayor Bill Partington said. "And from a planning perspective, the city was hoping to and was ultimately successful in creating a development plan that made sense for the entire parcel."
The land was annexed into the city in 2004.
Partington, who was first elected to represent Zone 4 on the City Commission in 2003, said the city wanted to ensure there was a plan for the property, as it's the city's "only new growth area." Everything else left, Partington said, is either redevelopment or infill development.
According to the city, one of its primary purposes for its interest in Ormond Crossings was the possibility to create a commerce park for future economic development.
The commerce park, slated to sit on the east side of I-95 within Ormond Crossings, spans about 500 acres, Rademacher said.
"The idea behind the commerce park was to be a location where businesses can expand or relocate and create high-wage, high-skill jobs that are available for Ormond Beach residents and of course, the future generations of Ormond Beach."
In 2019, Security First Insurance opened its new headquarters in Ormond Crossings, having purchased 48 acres of the property in 2017.
Currently, there isn't much commercial industrial land available in the county, Rademacher said. Having an area where companies like Security First can buy land, expand their operations and remain local creates opportunities for job growth, Rademacher said.
"We now have an opportunity to keep them here and grow them in our community, and again, continuing to provide opportunities for job growth, and creating opportunities for people to, even within Ormond Beach, to live, work and play in our city versus having to leave the city to go to work," Rademacher said.
The intersection at I-95 and U.S. 1 — for which the state allocated $340 million last year to redesign — is the gateway into Volusia County too, Rademacher said.
"It's perfectly situated to accommodate the growth that we're seeing along that corridor," Rademacher said.
It goes back to the "rising tide lifts all boats" mentality, Partington said.
"The improvements in the economy will create a stronger city," he said. "It will help to keep our taxes stable and relatively low for the value that our residents get, because there'll be new dollars coming in and there'll be a balance of both business and residential, which you need as a city."
On Sept. 27, 2023, the city's Site Plan Review Committee got a glimpse at what could be built on the residential side of Ormond Crossings.
Representatives with Meritage Homes, one of the largest home builders in the state, met with the committee to discuss the construction of 2,500 single-family homes in Ormond Crossings, which is 450 fewer units than approved in the Ormond Crossings development order.
The residential development will prompt the construction of a new school. According to the city, Meritage Homes has also been coordinating with the Volusia County School Board, which signaled that a K-8 school would be preferred over an elementary school.
Meritage Homes is also planning for 45 acres worth of parks spread throughout Ormond Crossings, along with several pocket parks.
"No additional information has been provided about the housing and my understanding is that Meritage Homes is a prospective purchaser of the residential portion of the Ormond Crossings project," Ormond Beach Planning Director Steven Spraker said in an email. "In order to subdivide land, the subdivision is required to obtain preliminary and final plats which are reviewed by the Planning Board and acted upon by the City Commission."
Ormond Crossings will also have its own town center, designed to keep traffic within the development as much as possible.
Partington said he expects that the home builder will construct about 100-200 homes per phase, with probably a 10-15-year buildout.
"It's taken longer, I think, than anybody expected," he said, adding that he expects construction to begin about a year or two years from now.
He won't be on the commission then, but he said he believes the city has the framework in place to have a good project.
"I think our staff's intention and the commission's intention, whether I'm there or not, is going to be to get it right," Partington said.
A portion of the Ormond Crossings development is part of a Community Redevelopment Area Trust Fund, and these dollars are set aside for transportation costs.
Particularly, the two "fly-overs" needed to cross the Florida East Coast Railway. One is needed for the area slated for the commerce park, and the other would connect a commercial area with the residential portion of Ormond Crossings.
The developer has expressed interest in constructing the fly-overs, Rademacher said, as well as gaining access to utilities, during their conversations.
Kline and his team are professionals and know what they're doing, he said.
"I'm pretty confident that we're going to see some good things moving forward with this," he said.
If the development is phased properly, with the needed infrastructure in place, Ormond Crossings will be a nice complement to Ormond Beach, Partington said.
"When we approved it 15 or 20 years ago, our expectation was that it would be five or 10 years until it started," he said. "We kind of expected to be built out by now and yet here we are just barely getting started with the sale. I think it will take longer than people realize, but ultimately, because there's been so much planning and preparation for it, I think it'll be a positive project and positive addition for the city."
