NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — The city of New Smyrna Beach is celebrating new improvements to local businesses as part of their Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) grants.

What You Need To Know

  • The city of New Smyrna Beach is celebrating new improvements to local businesses as part of their Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) grants

  • The New Smyrna Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has assisted five companies with Commercial Façade/Property Improvement Grants amounting to over $350,000 to date

  • One of the businesses that benefits from this grant includes local grocery store Perrine’s Produce at 720 S. Dixie Fwy

  • The building's owners recieved $100,000 in new exterior façade, landscaping, irrigation, and lighting improvements made possible in part by a $50,000 Community Redevelopment Agency grant

The purpose of the U.S. 1 CRA is to act as a tool for the city to stimulate economic recovery and to improve local conditions by reinvestment in the community. Community members celebrated improvements at the local store, Perrine’s Produce, that include a new façade and parking lot renovations. 

General Manager at Perrine’s Produce Trey Renfroe is hard at work, as the store gets ready to receive customers shopping for Halloween.

“All the last-minute pumpkin purchases, you know, a lot of stores sell out. So, we usually have a lot left, but we sell a lot late. So, we always plan for that, you know,” Renfroe said.

The local grocery store has been a staple of Volusia County since 1998.

“I joined the team in 2001 as a 15-year-old high schooler working an afternoon job. And now we’ve built the business up to, you know, three full size supermarkets in Volusia County; Port Orange, Ormond and New Smyrna Beach,” Renfroe said.

The New Smyrna Beach store is located at 720 S. Dixie Freeway, and it recently received some renovations. “We’ve been open in that spot since December, so we’re coming up on almost a year. We relocated from a small outdoor market in New Smyrna Beach to that beautiful building,” Renfroe said.

That building got a facelift of $100,000 in new exterior façade, landscaping, irrigation, and lighting improvements made possible in part by a $50,000 Community Redevelopment Agency grant.

“It’s always good to see businesses expanding. That means that we have a healthier economy. It allows those businesses to continue to keep people employed and working hard in our communities,” Director of CRA/Economic Development for the City of New Smyrna Beach Chris Edwards said.

Renfroe says there are big plans for this location as they hope to continue to increase business and keep people shopping locally.  

“We’re not going anywhere. We’re going to keep growing and we’re going to keep trying to do the best we can and bring you the best food, the best prices we can every day,” Renfroe said.

The New Smyrna Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has assisted five (5) companies with Commercial Façade/Property Improvement Grants for over $350,000 to date. Those companies include:

  • Orchard Holdings, LLC located at 720 S. Dixie Fwy. - $50,000 Large-Scale Commercial Façade/Property Improvement Grant. Tenants include: Perrine’s Produce, NSB Marine World, Volusia Patio, Instant Furniture, Salty Church. Improvements included landscaping/irrigation, painting/stucco, and LED Lighting.

  • Chase Components, LLC located at 501 S. Dixie Fwy- up to $250,000 CRA Adaptive Reuse Opportunity Grant. Chase Components, LLC, is a premier distributor of board-level electronic components, peripherals, and power supplies. This redevelopment project will add executive offices and luxury retail spaces to the property. The CRA grant will assist with commercial façade, landscaping, doors, windows, and signage improvements in the new property.

  • JARS Holding New Smyrna, Inc. located at 646 N. Dixie Fwy -$11,256.24. JARS is the parent company of Southeast Pool Supply & Chemical and Assisted Living Made Simple companies. The enhancement included: new commercial façade awning and signage.

  • Southeastern Surfaces and Equipment located at 569 Canal St.-$6,740.1 CRA Small-Scale Commercial Façade/Property Improvement Grant. Southeastern Surfaces & Equipment is a supplier of athletic flooring, equipment, and gymnasium flooring. The NSB property is their corporate address. Improvements included new signage, painting, landscaping, and commercial façade awnings.

  • Due East Marine located at 1180 N. Dixie Fwy - $32,820.80. CRA Large-Scale Commercial Façade/Property Improvement Grant. Due East Marine is an outboard motor sale, and boat repair company. The company leases space to NAPA auto parts. The grant was used to help make parking lot improvements.

City officials at New Smyrna Beach say they encourage local businesses to apply for these CRA grants. They can apply for small, up to $20,000, and large, up to $100,000, commercial façade and property improvement matching grants within the city’s U.S. 1 corridor. You can find more information on how to apply by clicking here.