VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The Volusia County Council approved nearly $1.4 million in ECHO grants on Tuesday that will go toward four projects restoring, constructing and improving popular facilities around the county.

The ECHO (Environmental, Cultural, Historical, and Outdoor Recreation) advisory committee reviewed and recommended four grants for approval, which include:

  • Hub on Canal: $600,000 to construct a 3,100-square-foot educational building that will feature two ceramics studios, two classrooms for art and cultural activities, storage space, restrooms and a covered outdoor area for additional programming and activities.

  • Conservation Florida: $600,000 to restore and convert a 5,000-square-foot existing building into a nature center on conservation land in the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

  • City of DeBary: $110,000 to add a third pickleball court at Bill Keller Park, resurface the tennis and basketball courts and add new fencing and LED lighting.

  • Little Theatre of New Smyrna Beach: $57,500 for an LED cyclorama that will serve as a versatile backdrop for events and transparent LED panels to improve visibility and provide real-time announcements.

The county will combine grant funds with partner investments, totaling $3,004,387, to complete the four projects.

The Volusia County ECHO program is a 2000 voter-approved initiative that helps fund projects for environmental, cultural, historical, and outdoor recreational purposes. In 2020, 72% of voters approved continuing the program for another 20 years.

The program aims to achieve the following goals:

  • Provide environmental/ecological, cultural, historical/heritage and outdoor recreational projects.

  • Preserve significant archaeological or historic resources; and develop, enhance, and promote heritage tourism opportunities, experiences, and resources.

  • Foster public memory and community identity by promoting and providing access to destinations and experiences associated with past events, peoples and places within Volusia County.

  • Provide high quality, user-oriented outdoor recreational opportunities — including, but not limited to, access to the Atlantic Ocean through the establishment of oceanfront parks and off-beach parking.

  • Improve the quality of life for Volusia’s citizens by providing access to the cultural arts, increase cultural-based tourism and encourage redevelopment and revitalization of downtown and urban areas through the provision of cultural arts projects.

The committee was created to oversee, review and ensure applications for grants meet the criteria of the ECHO program.

The current eight committee members include:

  • Patricia Drago
  • Gerald Fieser
  • John Macaluso
  • Stephanie Mason-Teague
  • Pat Northey
  • Gerald Pendergast
  • Reggie Santilli
  • Dwight Selby

Their next meeting is on Thursday, April 10, at 9 a.m. at the Volusia County Thomas C. Kelly Administration Center.

Residents can also fill out the Volusia County ECHO Resident Survey to help provide input for the program’s growth, focusing on sustainability, community input, and long-term success. The survey will remain open until March 28, 2025.

If you have further questions or comments, contact ECHO staff at (386) 943-7081 or send email to echo@volusia.org.