- October 14, 2026
What are the next steps for Ormond Beach's River Bend Golf Course?
For now, a discussion at the next City Commission meeting, to be held on Oct. 7, to iron out conflicting statements made to city officials from representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration concerning what needs to happen to reopen, or sell, the golf course. And, when those steps can take place. In the meantime, at least two interested buyers for the 172-acre former golf course property wait in the wings.
"I think we need to give [staff] time to come back to us with something a little more concrete," City Commissioner Harold Briley said during the commission meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 23. "We're talking about something that's kind of fluid."
The commissioners' discussion, which was not on the meeting's agenda, took place as residents filled the chambers wearing green in support of reopening the golf course. In attendance was Gerry James, a financial adviser and PGA professional, who is one of the two parties who recently submitted a letter of intent to purchase the golf course property.
The golf course is not currently for sale. It has been closed since 2020 when its last operator filed for bankruptcy.
City officials have maintained that before the golf course can be reopened, or sold, the city needs to have an updated airport master plan showing the Ormond Beach Municipal Airport's 20-year aeronautical demand.
That was reiterated in an email to City Commissioner Kristin Deaton from Chastity Clark, an FAA program manager from its Orlando Airport District Office. The email states that the "ADO would not consider any releases (either release from the aeronautical use provision or a release to sell it outright) prior to a Master Plan Update that projects 20-year aeronautical demand and performs a demand/capacity analysis, as well as an ALP update."
An ALP is an Airport Layout Plan, which depicts existing and future airport facilities.
On Sept. 11, the city received a letter from Miami-based company Titan Development Partners, LLC, seeking to purchase the golf course for $4 million. Three days later on Sept. 14, the city received another letter from James, who is also a former candidate for Florida State Senate.
"As stewards of public property and taxpayer resources, I respectfully believe that the city should seriously consider the financial and community benefits of returning this abandoned golf course property back to productive private ownership — a sale that could remove the city's ongoing responsibility for the property, generate proceeds that could be directed towards other municipal priorities or outstanding obligations, and return Riverbend to productive use," James said.
He said he believes that his team could reopen River Bend within two years.
James didn't name a purchase price in his letter of intent, nor did he name one when he spoke to the commission during public comment. However, Mayor Jason Leslie and residents spoke about James' offer and cited a $2 million purchase price and $18 million in capital improvements to renovate the golf course.
Deaton said she wasn't opposed to selling the golf course property, but that the city needs to follow FAA guidelines.
"This process has to be completed before the commission decides to take the next steps for the land," she said.
Mayor Jason Leslie also recently spoke to representatives of the FAA. He read an email into the record where he mentioned the city "has surplus airport property" in River Bend and that officials were interested in reopening it as a golf course.
"That interest has become more time-sensitive following a recent offer from a private investor to purchase a golf course property, restore the course, and return what was once a valuable recreational asset to our community," Leslie's email stated. "Unfortunately, considerable time has passed without receiving a definite answer from the FAA office."
Leslie received a response from Miles Bolin, FAA director of industry engagement, stating that the ADO had yet to receive a formal proposal from the city, and that if the city wanted to release the property, they needed to submit such a request for the ADO to review. Nowhere in his email, Leslie said, was a master plan update mentioned.
City Commissioner and Mayor-elect Lori Tolland asked Leslie if he had shared the property's deed with the FAA in his conversations. Leslie said he had when he spoke with an FAA representative in person.
"They already seemed like they were pretty familiar with the deed restrictions," Leslie said. "They said the deed restrictions are pretty similar across the board."
The city's quitclaim deed states in part that "no property transferred by this instrument shall be used, leased, sold, salvaged, or disposed of by the party of the second part for other than airport purposes without the written consent of the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Agency, which shall be granted only if said Administrator determines that the property can be used, leased, sold, salvaged or disposed of for other than airport purposes without materially and adversely affecting the development, improvement, operation or maintenance of the airport at which such property is located."
The commission discussed expediting the master plan update, which is slated to cost about $581,000 and is budgeted for the 2027-2028 fiscal year. The update would be funded by the FAA and the Florida Department of Transportation, and city staff previously reported it could take 12-18 months to complete.
City Commissioner Travis Sargent suggested the city use funds in city reserves to complete the master plan update sooner.
Tolland said she wasn't sure if expediting the update was the right decision, a sentiment she voiced among boos from the crowd. She said she wasn't willing to use reserve dollars to pay for the master plan update, particularly as the city could face budget constraints in the future should voters pass Amendment 3.
Based on prior budget discussions, Ormond Beach could lose about $8 million in property tax revenue.
The discussion grew contentious at times, as officials discussed following the process and whether they could guarantee to the public that, if the property is sold to a private investor, that investor would bring back River Bend as a public golf course.
"Let's get it on the agenda, so we have an agenda item," Tolland said. "Get all the pros and cons and all the uses, and all the things that we need to do. ... I cannot make a decision tonight on how I want it to look."
"You don't want this to be a public course?" Leslie asked Tolland.
"Jason, you're just —" Tolland began.
"It's Mr. Mayor, by the way," he said. As Tolland apologized, the crowd clapped and jeered.
