A $2.5 million grant for Museum of Arts & Sciences grounds and $400,000 for a lit oceanfront boardwalk at Harvey Avenue. The county approved 10 ECHO grants Tuesday.

Two Daytona Beach projects will share $2.9 million in Volusia ECHO grants. The Volusia County Council approved the awards Tuesday.

The Museum of Arts & Sciences gets $2.5 million for new public grounds. The City of Daytona Beach gets $400,000 to extend the oceanfront boardwalk to the Harvey Avenue beach access.

They are two of 10 projects that shared $13,144,290 countywide. The county announced the awards in a news release on Oct. 6.

The two Daytona Beach projects

Museum of Arts & Sciences: $2.5 million. The grant pays for what the county calls “The Brown Public Site Amenities.” According to the release, the plan includes:

  • an event lawn for performances and community gatherings
  • native landscaping
  • an outdoor classroom and sculpture spaces
  • walking paths connecting to the Tuscawilla Preserve

City of Daytona Beach: $400,000. The Harvey Avenue Boardwalk Extension and Beach Access Improvements project adds about 245 feet of accessible oceanfront boardwalk with lighting. The county said it will link Breakers Oceanfront Park to the Harvey Avenue beach access. Our guide to the boardwalk and Main Street Pier covers that stretch of the beachfront.

Every grant approved Tuesday

Bar chart of the 10 Volusia ECHO grants approved Oct. 6, 2026: Museum of Arts and Sciences, Daytona Beach, $2,500,000; City of Edgewater $2,500,000; Conservation Florida, Osteen, $2,500,000; City of Port Orange $2,000,000; Marine Discovery Center, New Smyrna Beach, $1,019,290; City of Ormond Beach $1,000,000; City of Holly Hill $1,000,000; City of Daytona Beach $400,000; City of DeBary $125,000; Volusia Flagler Family YMCA, Port Orange, $100,000. Total $13,144,290.
Volusia ECHO grants approved Oct. 6, 2026. Chart by Daytona Beach Now; data Volusia County.
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Recipient Project Where Grant
Museum of Arts & Sciences The Brown Public Site Amenities Daytona Beach $2,500,000
City of Edgewater New boat ramps and amenities Edgewater $2,500,000
Conservation Florida D Ranch Preserve Nature Center Osteen $2,500,000
City of Port Orange Willow Run Park Port Orange $2,000,000
Marine Discovery Center Phase IV Education Center and dock New Smyrna Beach $1,019,290
City of Ormond Beach Sports Complex softball quad field improvements Ormond Beach $1,000,000
City of Holly Hill Ross Point Heritage Park and Scenic Observation Pier Holly Hill $1,000,000
City of Daytona Beach Harvey Avenue Boardwalk Extension and Beach Access Improvements Daytona Beach $400,000
City of DeBary Community Park splash pad improvements DeBary $125,000
Volusia Flagler Family YMCA Port Orange Family YMCA playground Port Orange $100,000

Several of the projects are close to home. Holly Hill, about five miles north, gets $1 million for a Halifax River pier at Ross Point Heritage Park. Ormond Beach, about seven miles north, gets $1 million for softball fields. Port Orange, about seven miles south, gets $2.1 million across two projects.

Six cities and four nonprofit groups received awards. Every grant needs a dollar-for-dollar match. The county said the recipients will put in more than $13.2 million of their own. That brings the total investment to nearly $26.4 million.

Why water access led the list

Four of the 10 projects add or improve access to the water:

  • boat ramps and a fishing pier in Edgewater
  • the Holly Hill pier on the Halifax River
  • a dock for passenger boats at the Marine Discovery Center in New Smyrna Beach
  • the Daytona Beach oceanfront boardwalk extension

The county said residents ranked water access as the most important amenity in a 2025 ECHO survey of 1,585 people.

ECHO pays for projects that protect the environment, support culture, honor history and expand outdoor recreation. Voters first approved the program in 2000. They renewed it in 2020 with 72% support, the county said.

What it means for you

  • Nothing opens yet. Recipients have two years to finish their projects, according to the county. Neither Daytona Beach project has a published start date.
  • The boardwalk extension is the one most beachgoers will notice. It adds lighting and an accessible route between Breakers Oceanfront Park and the Harvey Avenue access.
  • To follow the work, watch the Volusia County Council and Daytona Beach City Commission agendas. Questions for the county go to 386-736-2700.
  • More places to spend a free afternoon are in our guides to parks and trails and free things to do.