Beachside Redevelopment Board sets renovation, streetscape and parking among top priorities

Ken Thomas, redevelopment director for the City of Daytona Beach, told the Beachside Redevelopment Board on Wednesday that the group’s highest-priority items include renovating the Boardwalk and Breakers Park, improving streetscape and lighting, and addressing parking and property appearance across the CRA.

The board’s top vote, Thomas said, was for a Boardwalk and Breakers Park renovation. Public Works has applied for an ECHO grant that already funded Breakers Park work; the grant requires removal of the existing splash pad, and staff intend to apply for additional funding to install a playground in its place.

Why it matters: board members framed the package of improvements as essential to attracting visitors and improving residents’ quality of life along Main Street and North Atlantic Avenue. Thomas said the board’s priorities will be memorialized in staff reports and routed to the departments responsible for implementation, including Public Works, Planning and Business Enterprise.

What staff will try next: Thomas outlined several near-term actions. He said staff will: - advance a streetscape program (design will start after commission authorization), - pursue targeted lighting upgrades as part of a phased plan and consider funding mechanisms such as an MSTU, - commission a parking study to inventory city and county parking and identify shared-use opportunities, - explore ECHO funding and redevelopment-match strategies to expand access, and - propose Land Development Code amendments to set maintenance and appearance standards and to require decorative window graphics on storefronts left vacant more than 30 days.

On parking, Thomas said the study will map city- and county-owned lots and evaluate temporary event parking and shared private/public options. Board members discussed the ECHO program’s constraints — including rules about charging for ECHO-funded beach parking — and considered letting churches or other underused private lots be available for public parking with appropriate agreements.

Transit and wayfinding: staff reported two mobility-related procurements. A kiosk RFP is in draft to provide wayfinding and visitor information; a separate RFP for a free on-demand transit service (small electric vehicles known as 'Freebee') is active and accepting proposals. Thomas and staff emphasized coordinating kiosks, transit stops and parking information so visitors can find destinations and arrive safely.

Capital projects and maintenance: Thomas said the CRA is funding a significant repair at Coquina Arc (about $787,000), and staff flagged several city-owned parcels and retaining walls that need repairs. The board discussed a 'clean team' concept — either a contractor or city staff — to handle litter pickup, graffiti mitigation and sidewalk work, and suggested code-enforcement follow-up where property owners fail to maintain lots.

Next steps: Thomas said the board’s recommendations will be compiled into a staff report to be shared with the City Commission and relevant departments for follow-up; several items identified will require LDC amendments, coordination with county-owned lots and possible grant matches. The Corbin building RFP respondent’s proposed terms are scheduled to go before the City Commission for consideration.