Construction of DeBary's downtown launches with housing, shopping ahead

Elected officials and others officially launched construction of the DeBary Main Street project on Wednesday, saying they expect the city's "built from scratch" downtown to be a gem for residents and visitors.

City Manager Carmen Rosamonda, who ceremonially turned dirt at the construction site during the event, told a crowd gathered at the construction site on Wednesday that DeBary's downtown will compete with downtowns across Central Florida.

"It will go down as one of the greatest achievements in DeBary history," he said.

Dozens of people such as project officials, elected officials, firefighters, deputies, residents and others gathered near the DeBary SunRail Station at 630 S. Charles Richard Beall Blvd. Among the crowd were District 5 Volusia County Councilman David Santiago and Volusia County Schools Chairwoman Jamie Haynes.

The project will bring townhomes, apartments, live-and-work spaces and places to shop and eat on about 50 acres near DeBary's SunRail station. The space will be connected to hundreds of miles of bike trails and near hundreds of acres of parks, a future school, a future fire station and other amenities.

Officials expect DeBary Main Street to be up and running in 2025, at least partly, Rosamonda said. He didn't have an estimate for how much the housing will cost but said he expects it to be expensive, considering the ideal location.

New apartments, shopping in DeBary

Project developers Roxanne Williams, principal of Mosaic Development, and Art Falcone, co-founder of the Falcone Group and Encore Capital Management, spoke at Wednesday's event.

Plans still have to be finalized by the city of DeBary's planning department, according to city Communications Manager Kasey Hewitt. The city expects the development to have about 740 dwelling units. That total includes about 300 townhomes/bungalows, 34 live-work units and apartments making up the rest.

The development will be built in two phases, with townhomes and live-work units going in the first phase and retail and more residential space going in the second phase.

Williams said Mosaic Development plans to build up to 38,000 square feet of retail space.

The city plans to cultivate events downtown that will bring the community together.

"Our Main Street will be a place where residents can gather, dine, shop and socialize," DeBary Mayor Karen Chasez said. "The project will be a vibrant gathering location incorporating history, art nature and entertainment."

DeBary restaurants consider taking a spot in Main Street

People who came to Wednesday's event had the chance to sample treats, including cookies topped with an image in the icing of a beloved city landmark: Clayton the dinosaur sculpture. A few local businesses handed out food samples to guests, and business owners said they are considering taking a spot in DeBary Main Street.

Husband and wife Kimberly and Marcelo Vivero stood at a table with pans of pasta dishes from their restaurant Nonna Maria's Pizzaria in DeBary. Kimberly Vivero said she hopes the development will draw more people to the city.

"We are just excited about this whole project and hoping that it will also help the SunRail with more traffic in this direction," she said. "I think it's something that's going to tie in a lot of things to the area."

Brian Obeso is the "one-man army" behind Cheesecake Chino's in DeBary. He said DeBary Main Street will allow "hidden gems" of the community, such as his business, to get more attention. He said the benefits of the development will outweigh any negative aspects.

"It's going to be another hub like DeLand is a hub," he said.

Building a transit-focused area with SunRail, bike trails and more

Rosamonda became emotional as he described the efforts behind the project. He thanked a long list of key players, including the City Council.

The city created a "Transit Oriented Development Overlay District" that included the site in 2010. The district allows up to 32 units to be developed per acre. But the land around SunRail "was stagnant with no clear vision" as of 2019, according to the city.

"As developers looked to take advantage of the hot housing market, the TOD District was primed for inconsistent apartment growth," according to the city.

So the city created a plan for DeBary Main Street that would "benefit all DeBary residents."

Chasez said DeBary Main Street will be "the centerpiece" of the Transit Oriented Development Overlay District.

Rosamonda, who served on the first City Council in DeBary, said creating a downtown in DeBary was one of the goals he outlined as mayor in 2000. He grew up in DeLand and said he realized that a downtown contributes to "a high-quality, close-knit community."

"And in my heart, a downtown in DeBary was one of the last pieces for this community to make us whole," he said. "This project completes us, and we finally have a home to set our hat. Thank you so much for making a dream come true. May God bless this downtown Debary."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: DeBary apartments, shopping and entertainment planned for new project