- July 12, 2025
Ike Leary moved into the new building for his Granada Pier Bait and Tackle shop two weeks ago. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Ike Leary and his dog Olive stand inside his new bait shop building at Cassen Park. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Workers complete the final hardscaping for Cassen Park. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Construction at Cassen Park is expected to be complete by July 4. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Native landscaping is installed at Cassen Park. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Workers complete the last of the landscaping work at Cassen Park. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Work at Cassen Park is expected to be complete in time for the Fourth of July. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
When the City of Ormond Beach demolished the former bait shop building at Cassen Park, longtime operator Ike Leary stood at the window of his new building and cried.
Since 1999, Leary had run his business, Granada Pier Bait and Tackle, out of the tiny 350-square-foot building. He had been approached by the city back then after the previous operator quit mid-lease.
At the time, Leary was helping his son run his bait shop, the Happy Fisherman, in Holly Hill after walking away from a career in pipe fitting.
"On my 50th birthday, I said, 'That's it. No more,'" Leary recalled. "So I went to work helping my son out down there at the Happy Fisherman."
Cassen Park hadn't changed much since he started operating the bait shop 26 years ago, but that's no longer true.
The $2.8 million park redesign project — which included a new building for Leary — is nearing completion. Workers are currently completing the final hardscape and native landscaping elements, and the city hopes its contractor finishes all work within the next week.
Just in time for the city's annual Fourth of July celebration.
"Construction is really in the home stretch," Assistant City Manager Shawn Finley said.
The city started the redesign effort for Cassen Park with a series of public meetings in February 2022. Based on feedback from residents and city board members, design plans were drafted by Zev Cohen and Associates and presented to the City Commission in October 2023.
The project was then awarded in December 2024 to Coleman Goodemote Construction, Inc., of Daytona Beach, and construction began in January 2025.
However, talks about redesigning the park probably began sometime in 2010, Finley said.
"At that time, it was a simple paving project," he said. "... it kind of fell by the wayside for a number of years."
The official redesign project came at a time when the city was ramping up public involvement, Finley said, and it received a lot of input from the public and groups like Ormond MainStreet on the park. It's a good example of what can be done when everyone works together, he said.
"I think there's a lot of people who are going to feel ownership of this project, and a lot of people are going to look at it and see one little corner of it and where their contribution was," Finley said. "I think that's what's important about a community project like this — is that it's something that everybody can feel part of."
The redesign increases the number of parking spots from 39 to 53, with 48 designated for boat trailers. The new bait shop building spans 1,096 square feet and includes public restrooms.
Once they get done, it's going to be beautiful. If you look out there now with all the native plants and the palm trees — beautiful." — IKE LEARY, GRANADA PIER BAIT AND TACKLE SHOP OPERATOR
This is a generational project, said City Commissioner Travis Sargent, who represents Zone 2, in which the park is located. Community input was key.
"I think this is a great enhancement to our community," Sargent said. "And it took a lot of hands. A lot of people were involved in it."
Now that the redesign is almost complete, Sargent said it's great to see how the contractor has brought the community's vision to fruition. The park will be more user-friendly for boaters now, he added, and the relocation of the bait shop will alleviate it from flooding, which it experienced in past storms.
"I think there's a lot of people who are going to feel ownership of this project, and a lot of people are going to look at it and see one little corner of it and where their contribution was. I think that's what's important about a community project like this — is that it's something that everybody can feel part of." — SHAWN FINLEY, ORMOND BEACH ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
Once ready for the community, people will be able to walk across all four corner parks by the Granada Bridge. Next thing on the list? Sargent said it's repairing the Fortunato Park fishing pier.
"Then, I think all four corners will be 100%," he said.
Having four corner parks — Cassen, Bailey Riverbridge, Fortunato and Rockefeller Gardens — is unusual, Finley said.
"This really gives us something that a lot of communities don't have, and that's four corners of a bridge that are all public features and really are there for everybody in the community," Finley said.
A resident of Ormond since he was 7 and a named "Goodwill Ambassador" for the city, Leary moved into the new bait shop building about two weeks ago. It took him, his wife and his two sons about three days.
He's still setting up shop.
"I had no idea that I had this much inventory in that tiny little building," Leary said.
Business was slow during construction, but he's hoping it picks up once the park opens. May to August is typically his peak season, he said.
"Once they get done, it's going to be beautiful," Leary said. "If you look out there now with all the native plants and the palm trees — beautiful."
When the city asked him to take over the bait shop at Cassen Park in 1999, he had one condition: He didn't want to simply finish up the previous operator's lease. He wanted to be guaranteed the next year's too.
Did he know he would continue to hold the lease 26 years later?
"I was hoping," Leary said. "And I hope I'm here for another 26 years."
And if he is, he'll still be offering his famous hot dogs and the "best collard greens in the county" — a recipe passed down from his mother.
He's at the bait shop by 5 a.m. every day. His favorite memories over the years are being up early enough to see the sunrise over the Halifax River.
"It comes up right there," he said, pointing to the east-facing window. "I do what I love. I love what I do."
