County Council awards $3.08 million in ECHO grants
Posted On: March 3, 2020
The Ormond Memorial Art Museum and the Southeast Volusia Historical Society along with five cities that are undertaking recreation projects got funding boosts on Tuesday when the Volusia County Council awarded $3.08 million in grants.
The grant funds are coming from ECHO, Volusia County’s voter-approved program that funds the acquisition, restoration, construction or improvement of facilities for environmental, cultural, historical and outdoor recreational purposes. At the Ormond Memorial Art Museum, the money will go towards renovation of the museum space. And at the Historical Society, its New Smyrna Museum of History will be getting some sprucing up. Meanwhile, the municipal projects in Deltona, Holly Hill, New Smyrna Beach, Ormond Beach and Port Orange range from basketball courts, an outdoor fitness center and lights for tennis courts to boardwalks, trails and a pickleball complex. Each project is required to provide matching funds to help pay for them.
A brief description of the projects and the amount of money awarded is as follows:
Ormond Memorial Art Museum
-Renovation and expansion of the museum ($400,000)
Southeast Volusia Historical Society
-Installation of an elevator, window replacement and exterior stucco/paint ($100,000)
City of Deltona
-Creation of two basketball courts at Festival Park Hoop Dreams Court ($100,000)
-Creation of an outdoor fitness center at Wes Crile Park ($150,000)
-Creation of a passive, nature-themed park at Big Lake Rookery Park ($175,000)
-Phase II construction at Blue Heron Nature Park ($220,000)
City of Ormond Beach
-Tennis court lighting at Nova Community Park ($137,500)
-Restoration of the historic MacDonald House, which serves as a welcome center and tennis center ($400,000)
City of Port Orange
-Replacement playground equipment for Airport Road Park ($200,000)
-Addition to the existing building at the recreation center ($400,000)
City of Holly Hill
-Creation of a pickleball complex at Pictona at Hollyland Park ($400,000)
City of New Smyrna Beach
-Addition of artificial turf at the municipal sports complex ($400,000)
The money for the grants comes from a small property tax approved by voters in 2000 to fund the program – up to two-tenths of a mill. The ECHO program is scheduled to sunset at the end of this budget year. However, the County Council has been discussing putting ECHO along with a separate land preservation program, Volusia Forever, on the Nov. 3 general election ballot so voters can decide if they want to renew the programs and their accompanying tax levies for another 20 years.
