New urbanism in Volusia County?

Ormond Beach Observer
Neighbors

Several retail centers are being developed or revitalized in the Daytona Beach area. Will they compete for business or be an example of the “new urbanism?”

They include the LPGA Boulevard corridor, with its anchor of Tanger Outlets, and Beach Street, which is expected to flourish with the addition of Brown and Brown Insurance headquarters. The efforts to revitalize the Beachside continue, and Volusia Mall was remodeled a few years ago.

Another development, One Daytona, will be getting serious traction in December. Executives at International Speedway Corporation, owner and developer, say several projects will open in the month, including the restaurant P.F. Chang’s, promised for Dec. 4. Holiday celebrations with lights and music will be held throughout the month.

Located across from the Speedway on International Speedway Boulevard, One Daytona also will feature two hotels and an apartment building.

“It’ll be a place to live, stay, work and play,” said Jeff Boerger, ISC vice president of corporate development.

One Daytona will be for local residents in addition to visitors to the Speedway, which has events throughout the year, according to Lesa France Kennedy, CEO of ISC and vice chairperson of NASCAR.

“We want to be a community center,” she said.

After development, there will be musical entertainment at Victory Circle, a gathering place with a stage. ISC also plans to have events and festivals for the community.

Kennedy said the retail areas being developed in the Daytona Beach area will complement each other, offering more things to do and attracting more people.

“I’m personally excited to see all the development,” she said. “It’s all about creating more exciting things to do and that will benefit everyone.”

THE NEW URBANISM

Deborah Goldring, Ph.D., assistant professor of marketing at Stetson University who has an undergraduate degree is in urban studies, said the idea of multiple retailing districts is actually a new concept.

“It’s called New Urbanism, which is a movement toward neighborhood communities that are walkable and have retail shopping and event spaces,” she wrote in an email.

She cites a new organization, called Congress for New Urbanism. According the website cnu.org, the concept is based on the principles of how cities and towns had been built for the last several centuries until the post World War II era: walkable blocks and streets, housing and shopping in close proximity and accessible public spaces.

‘BE BRAVE FOR COURAGEOUS KIDS’

One Daytona hosted a community event on Nov. 10, with volunteers raising sponsorship money and then rappelling from the roof of the International Motorsports Center, the eight-story building at One Daytona. On the first day, $150,000 had been raised by 105 volunteers, with more volunteers expected to sign up during the three-day event.

The money will be divided between Speediatrics Children’s Fund, an initiative of the NASCAR Foundation which provides children with health care; and Easterseals Northeast Central Florida, which helps children with autism and other disabilities.

The idea of the event was that children with disabilities face challenges every day. Throughout the event, “Be brave for courageous children,” was the rallying cry for those volunteering to rappel down the building.

One of the first down the building was Rusty Wallace, former NASCAR driver. He said the last time he was that high was when he was “flipping down the backstretch” at the Speedway about 10 years ago.

Rappelling beside him was Lesa France Kennedy, and it turned out to be a race.

She said she saw him going faster down the building so she started going faster.

Later, she said she wondered, “What was I thinking?”

Sheryl Cook, former chairwoman of Easterseals and owner of Tom Cook Jeweler in Daytona Beach, said her adrenalin was pumping as she was about to go down the side of the building.

“I thought, ‘what is wrong with me,’” she said, laughing.

But afterward, she was all smiles.

“It’s my honor to support Easterseals,” she said. “It makes a profound difference in people’s lives every day.”