DELTONA BONA FIDE

COMMENTARY

What are we waiting for?

Doug Horn

January 21, 2007

For many years the people of Southwest Volusia have desired a venue for banquets, concerts, plays, meetings, art and talent shows and similar activities. Yet every spring the families of graduating seniors continue to wonder why they must travel all the way to Daytona Beach to see their students receive their diplomas.

No single group or city could afford to build such a place without help. The types of businesses and organizations likely to donate to such a project have not yet settled in the area.

So - about four years ago - the Mayors of DeBary, Deltona and Orange City got together with the President of DBCC and developed a plan of working together so such a building could become a reality. These four men with a vision for the future soon gained support from the Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Volusia and also from Volusia County. The plan was then able to begin moving forward.

Under this plan a total combined investment of $10-million from the three cities would be leveraged into a $30-million multi-purpose center!

A consultant told us that generally, these projects do not pay for themselves, but they do bring improvements to the area - improvements in terms of culture, business, community and activities for everyone.

Under this plan, with DBCC as a partner we had an advantage that many places do not. With DBCC as a partner the project receives annual funding from the State of Florida for maintenance. This is a fixed amount that does not change as costs go up, but it significantly offsets the cost for the first five to ten years of operation and makes it much easier to get the project up and running.

As with any project like the Partnership Center, there are significant unknowns. Those examining the pluses and minuses must be careful that this does not become a “field of dreams” project.

The public must be kept informed every step of the way as to what is happening and why it is happening. Failure to inform will only cause misinformation and negative attitudes to circulate in the community.

Those who see the glass as half empty will fight the project every step of the way. Those who see the glass as half full will gloss over the project's weaknesses and charge forward without making intelligent choices.

It is the responsibility of the leaders of the community, both elected and non-elected, to work together to assess everything carefully and make wise decisions. Paramount among those decisions must be a clear view of what is needed - not today, not tomorrow and not even next year - but what is needed 10, 15 or even up to 20-years in the future.

Construction costs will never be lower than they are now - they most likely will be higher next year.

Is the Partnership Center a tough decision to make? Yes! Will it be good for the community? I believe so. Can it wait another decade? No.

We have an excellent chance to partner and form an alliance. What are we waiting for?

Doug Horn is a former Commissioner and Vice Mayor of Deltona and can be reached at dhorn@deltonabonafide.com

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