More than two decades in the making: Ormond Crossings finally breaks ground

Planning for the almost 3,000-acre development in the northwest part of Ormond began in 2002. On Monday, Jan. 12, the developers celebrated the start of construction.

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After over 20 years of planning, the developers of Ormond Crossings have broken ground on the almost 3,000-acre community.

An event celebrating the recent groundbreaking of the first phase of the development was held on Monday, Jan. 12, at the Security First Insurance headquarters.

Ormond Crossings is a mixed-use project located south of U.S. 1 and along both the east and west sides of I-95, with land in both Volusia and Flagler counties. In addition to building about 2,550 residential units, Ormond Crossings will have a commerce park and a town center with retail, restaurants and outdoor areas. Planning for the development began in 2002 and is the result of a partnership with the City of Ormond Beach, Volusia County and Tomoka Holdings. The property was acquired by the Ford family, of DeLand, in 2016; they then sold it in December 2023 to Bradford Kline and Associates, of Maryland, for $62 million.

Company owner Brad Kline said he's been developing mixed-use properties for about 40 years. A site like Ormond Crossings is hard to find, he said.

"It takes patience, but it's a wonderful opportunity," Kline said. "We already have had more interest from retailers — major retailers, without going out to the market — that I've had in any other project over the last 40-some years."

A map showing what the proposed town center will look like in Ormond Crossings. Once built, it will have commercial anchor stores, small retail shops, a hotel and between 250-300 multifamily residential units. Courtesy of Bradford Kline and Associates
A map showing what the proposed town center will look like in Ormond Crossings. Once built, it will have commercial anchor stores, small retail shops, a hotel and between 250-300 multifamily residential units. Courtesy of Bradford Kline and Associates

The Ormond Crossings land was annexed into the City of Ormond Beach in 2004. 

At the groundbreaking event, Ormond Beach Mayor Jason Leslie said the occasion marked a "major step forward for the future of our community."

"Ormond Crossings began with a simple but powerful question back in 2004: What should Ormond Beach look like 20, 30, and even 50 years into the future?" Leslie said.

Infrastructure for Ormond Crossings is currently being constructed. Part of that is a connector road connecting U.S. 1 at the Pine Tree Drive intersection to the residential portion of the development via a bridge over the existing Florida East Coast railroad. Construction of the bridge will begin within 60-90 days.

The first phase of residential development will be composed of about 450 lots.

A lot has changed in the past 20 years, the mayor said, but the vision for Ormond Crossings remains the same: to create a place where people can live, work and play in their community.

Leslie highlighted the economic development opportunities that will come with Ormond Crossings to create high-paying jobs for locals. Security First, he said, is an example.

When Security First was founded 21 years ago, the three-person company was based out of a small office on the beachside at 140 S. Atlantic Ave. As the company grew to its peak of over 450 employees, they started thinking about long-term plans, said Melissa Burt DeVriese, president of Security First Insurance.

"We loved being in Ormond Beach, but when we started growing, we wondered, 'Can we stay here?'" DeVriese said.

Ormond Crossings gave them that opportunity. Security First's current headquarters was the first building to be constructed in Ormond Crossings. The company purchased 48 acres, developing 13 of them. They opened their doors in 2019. 

A map showing the Ormond Crossings master plan. Courtesy of Bradford Kline and Associates
A map showing the Ormond Crossings master plan. Courtesy of Bradford Kline and Associates

"What's been great about the location that we purchased is that we have lots of room to expand, and we know that we can grow here," DeVriese said.

In addition to business retention and allowing companies an option to expand locally, Ormond Crossings provides an economic development opportunity for business attraction, said Brian Rademacher, city economic development director.

Over the last year, the city has worked alongside Florida Power and Light and Team Volusia to have the development's commerce park be designated as a "Florida First Site." This is an FPL program that showcases investment-ready industrial properties. 

Ormond Crossings will give a boost to the North U.S. 1 corridor, Rademacher said.

"The opportunities that are brought through the retail, the commerce center and the residential development will play significantly into our ability to bring more vibrancy to this corridor that is essentially a gateway to the City of Ormond Beach, and also provide an opportunity, again for our residents, to be able to live, work and play in this area," he said.

Ormond Crossings is "smart growth," Leslie said. It's how the city is preparing for the future. 

"Today is proof that persistence matters," he said. "Vision matters, and long-term thinking matters. As we stand here today, we're looking at new opportunities for our workforce, new homes for future residents, new places for businesses to grow, new revenue to support city services, and a long-term investment in the prosperity of Ormond Beach. This is more than a groundbreaking; this is a turning point."

 

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