Elected officials officially broke ground on construction on the DeBary Main Street Project Wednesday, with hopes that the city’s “built from the ground up” downtown will become a jewel for residents and visitors. He said there was.
City Manager Carmen Rosamonda, who ceremonially turned over dirt at the construction site during the event, told the crowd gathered at the construction site Wednesday that downtown DeBary will compete with downtowns in Central Florida.
“This will be remembered as one of the greatest accomplishments in DeBary history,” he said.
Dozens of project officials, elected officials, firefighters, legislators and residents gathered near the DeBary SunRail station at 630 S. Charles Richard Beall Blvd. Also in the crowd were District 5 Volusia County Councilman David Santiago and Volusia County Schools Superintendent Jamie Haynes.
The project will include townhomes, apartments, living and working space, shopping and dining on approximately 50 acres near the SunRail station in DeBary. The space will be connected to hundreds of miles of bike trails, hundreds of acres of parks, a future school, a future fire station and other facilities nearby.
Rosamonda said officials expect DeBary Main Street to be at least partially operational in 2025. He doesn’t have an estimate of how much the home will cost, but said it would be expensive given the ideal location.
Shopping in New Apartments, DeBary
Roxanne Williams, president of project developer Mosaic Development, and Art Falcone, co-founder of Falcone Group and Encore Capital Management, spoke at Wednesday’s event.
Plans still need to be finalized by the city of DeBary’s planning department, according to city communications manager Casey Hewitt. The city expects the development to create about 740 residential units. This total includes approximately 300 townhomes/bungalows, and his 34 live-work units and apartments making up the remainder.
The development will be built in two phases, with the first phase building townhomes and live-work units, and the second phase building retail and more residential space.
Williams said Mosaic Development plans to build up to 38,000 square feet of retail space.
The city plans to foster events that bring the community together downtown.
“Our Main Street will be a place where residents can gather, eat, shop and socialize,” said DeBary Mayor Karen Chasez. “This project will be a vibrant gathering place that incorporates history, artistry and entertainment.”
DeBary restaurant considers opening on Main Street
Those who came to Wednesday’s event had a chance to sample treats, including cookies topped with icing from Clayton’s dinosaur sculpture, a beloved city landmark. Several local businesses handed out food samples to guests, and managers said they were considering opening locations on DeBary Main Street.
Kimberly and Marcelo Vivero stood at a table filled with pasta dishes from their restaurant, Nonna Maria’s Pizzeria, in DeBary. Kimberly Vivero said she hopes the development will draw more people to town.
“We are excited about this whole project and hope it will also help increase traffic in this direction for SunRail,” she said. “I think it’s going to connect a lot with the region.”
Brian Obeso is the “one man army” behind Cheesecake Chino’s in DeBary. He said DeBary Main Street will help the area’s “hidden gems” like his business get more attention. He said the benefits of the development would outweigh the negatives.
“Just like DeLand is a hub, this is going to be a hub,” he said.
Build transit-focused areas with SunRail, bike paths, and more
Rosamonda became emotional as she explained the work behind the project. He thanked a long list of key stakeholders, including the City Council.
The city created a Transit Oriented Development Overlay District in 2010 to include this site. The district allows development of up to 32 units per acre. However, according to the city, as of 2019, the land surrounding SunRail was “stagnant with no clear vision.”
According to the city, “the TOD district was poised for inconsistent apartment growth as developers sought to take advantage of the hot housing market.”
So the city created a plan for DeBary Main Street that would “benefit all DeBary residents.”
Chase said DeBary Main Street will be the “centerpiece” of the transit-oriented development overlay district.
Rosamonda, who served as DeBary’s first City Council member, said one of his goals as mayor in 2000 was to create a downtown in DeBary. He grew up in DeLand and said downtown was “a high-quality, close-knit community.”
“And in my mind, downtown DeBary was one of the last pieces of this community that would make us healthy,” he said. “This project has brought us to completion and we finally have a house to hang our hat on. Thank you so much for making our dreams come true. God bless this downtown DeBary area.”
