Council approves ECHO quality of life projects

Posted On: March 7, 2023

The Volusia County Council approved two awards through the Volusia County ECHO grant program- an initiative that utilizes a special, voter-approved property tax levy to help fund projects for environmental, cultural, historic and outdoor recreational purposes. The grant funds were awarded to projects undertaken by the Daytona Playhouse, Inc. and the African American Museum of the Arts, Inc. The Volusia ECHO Advisory Committee recommended both applications for approval during its Feb. 17 meeting.

A grant of $600,000 was awarded to Daytona Playhouse, Inc. for its Renaissance Phase II project to construct a two-story structure that will be attached to the current building. The new structure will provide a permanent workshop area, costume preparation area, dressing room and rehearsal space. The grant award will be matched with $600,600 in Daytona Playhouse, Inc. funding.

The African American Museum of Arts, Inc. received $498,060 to expand the facility from 800 to 2,000 square feet. The size increase will allow additional art exhibits and increase the capacity to provide programming and educational outreach. The grant award will be matched with $521,540 in funding from the museum, inclusive of a Department of State Cultural Affairs grant of $474,040. 

In addition, the Council approved the ECHO five-year direct county expenditure plan (DCE) of $15,386,325 for county government projects. The DCE will fund 43 projects across 32 sites among the four county divisions of Coastal, Environmental Management, Resource Stewardship and Parks, Recreation and Culture. This strategic investment plan will improve current assets (24 projects), construct new county assets (17 projects) and restore historic assets (two projects) that will improve the quality of life for residents.  

This plan aligns with the ECHO ballot language allowing for the funding of improvements, construction, and restoration of environmental, cultural, historic and outdoor recreation projects for public use. The DCE projects meet ECHO program eligibility standards and will fund 30 outdoor recreation, 11 environmental and two historic projects geographically distributed across the county for public use.

The funding allocation and the number of projects by each receiving division are:

• Coastal: $5,905,000 for 11 projects
• Parks, Recreation and Culture: $3,351,500 for 20 projects
• Environmental Management: $3,239,620 for six projects
• Resource Stewardship: $2,890,205 for six projects

A detailed description of each division’s projects may be found at https://bit.ly/3SUNMZE.

As with any ECHO-funded project, any significant changes to a project must be reviewed and approved by the ECHO Advisory Committee and the County Council. These projects are also subject to review as part of the annual ECHO Program Audit.