redevelopment through property tax collections , which will provide the bulk of the $ 800,000 needed annually to maintain the 22.5-acre park . Steve Farmer , executive vice president at Brown and Brown , spoke at the Chamber breakfast and said the company is excited about
Steve Farmer the new building and the revitalization effort .
“ We ’ re very excited to move over there ,” he said . “ This new building represents more to us more than a building . It is a true world headquarters for Brown and Brown .”
Farmer said the new headquarters helps Brown and Brown bring the organization under one roof , attracting new people to Daytona Beach .
“ It allows us to bring our best and brightest to our area ,” he said . “ This building is going to be an incredible recruiting tool .”
Farmer said the building also gives the company an opportunity to “ be a partner to downtown Daytona Beach ” and part of the area ’ s revitalization efforts .
“ It ’ s not just about us moving and bringing a number of people to the city ,” he said . “ Those people are going to shop in our stores , eat in our restaurants and buy homes in our area . It gives us a real ability to partner with our downtown
Jack White
merchants and other businesses here in town .”
Developer Jack White is also excited about the park project ’ s potential for the area and has been active in downtown revitalization efforts for several years .
“ Part of getting involved is I am from here ,” he said . “ Secondly , I have a kind of love of just the environment , the vibe of walkable downtowns .”
White said the redevelopment project , along with traffic-flow changes will attract people to the area , White said it can create “ places you can get around that don ’ t require a car , where you can bike , you can walk .”
For White , the park enhancements fit perfectly with overall efforts to redevelop the city ’ s downtown and said it will accelerate the revitalization of the area .
“ The park itself and what Hyatt and Cici have donated is an amazing gift and it pushes us decades forward ,” he said . “ A lot of cities wait for years until they can invest in their public spaces .”
White said putting a focus on the development of public spaces is fundamentally important for any downtown development .
“ Public space cannot be downplayed ,” he said . “ You look to the park to become the backyard and that is where people come to meet and be together in an outdoor setting , especially along the river . Most cities have developed their waterfront on the private side and
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