Speedway projects, other construction expected to generate even greater figures
Projects like the $400 million Daytona Rising renovation at Daytona International Speedway, home to signature races like the Daytona 500 and the Rolex 24 bring in tourists from around the globe. And a key ingredient is Daytona Beach International Airport.DAYTONA BEACH -- Passenger traffic at Daytona Beach International Airport increased 11 percent in April compared to April of last year, Volusia County officials said.
Last month, 60,152 passengers arrived and departed through the county-operated airport. This compares with the 54,313 travelers recorded last April. The increase is significant considering the billion-plus investment in tourism-related projects and infrastructure.
For the 12 months ending April 30, 614,947 passengers traveled through the airport, compared with 584,473 recorded for the prior 12 months, a 5 percent increase.
Aircraft passenger loads also were strong in April with Delta Air Lines and U.S Airways reporting 94 percent of available seats filled during the month.
“We are extremely pleased with the double digit traffic increase in April,” said Rick Karl, the airport’s director, who noted the increase in April continues an upward trend in traffic that began in 2009.
Karl said numerous major projects in and around the airport including Daytona Rising, One Daytona, improvements at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the Hyatt & Cici Brown addition to the Museum of Arts and Sciences, proposed hotel construction along Daytona Beach and the I-95 interchange widening are expected to have a positive effect on commercial airline service needs in the future as the airport continues to seek new or expanded air service options.
“We are extremely pleased with the double digit traffic increase in April,” said Rick Karl, the airport’s director, who noted the increase in April continues an upward trend in traffic that began in 2009.
Karl said numerous major projects in and around the airport including Daytona Rising, One Daytona, improvements at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the Hyatt & Cici Brown addition to the Museum of Arts and Sciences, proposed hotel construction along Daytona Beach and the I-95 interchange widening are expected to have a positive effect on commercial airline service needs in the future as the airport continues to seek new or expanded air service options.
For the balance of 2014, passenger traffic is projected to remain steady to increasing, Karl stressed.
FAST FACTS: Local Construction Projects:
Daytona Rising
Daytona Rising is a $400 million reimagining of an American icon – Daytona International Speedway. Five expanded & redesigned entrances, or “injectors,” will lead fans to a series of escalators and elevators, transporting them to three different concourse levels. Each level features spacious social areas, or “neighborhoods,” along the nearly mile-long frontstretch. At the conclusion of the redevelopment, Daytona International Speedway will have approximately 101,000 permanent, wider & more comfortable seats, twice as many restrooms and three times as many concession stands. In addition, the Speedway will feature 60-plus luxury suites with track side views & a completely revamped hospitality experience for corporate guests. Groundbreaking was in early July 2013, and is expected to be completed in time for the 2016 Rolex 24 At Daytona and Daytona 500.One Daytona
One Daytona, located directly across Daytona International Speedway, is a premier entertainment, dining and retail destination project proposed by Jacoby Development and International Speedway Corporation. Bass Pro Shops® and Cobb Theatres have both signed letters of intent to anchor the development. It encompasses 181 acres ISC already owns north of International Speedway Boulevard in Daytona Beach. Near the crossroad of I-95 and I-4, this project is in close proximity to the World's Most Famous Beach and at the doorstep to the third-largest consumer region in the U.S. with approximately 17 million people. The preliminary conceptual designs for the first phase include 1.1 million square feet of world-class shopping, fine dining, hotel, theater & other entertainment just steps from the "World Center of Racing."Improvements at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Construction is under way for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's 77-acre Aerospace Research and Technology Park. Embry-Riddle received $8.97 million from the state in 2012, toward development of the park. Ormond Beach-based Halifax Paving was paid $562,000 for the first phase of the project, which included removing trees and building a road and entrance. Retention ponds were dug and underground utilities installed as well. Hyatt & Cici Brown addition to Daytona Museum of Arts & Sciences
On May 7, 2012, the Museum of Arts & Sciences, in cooperation with the City of Daytona Beach and the Volusia County Council, announced a $13 million gift for construction of the new Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art. This expansion to the Museum of Arts & Sciences will be the new permanent home for the Cici and Hyatt Brown collection of more than 2,700 paintings of Florida. The unprecedented collection, which includes works from the acclaimed Reflections and Reflections II exhibitions, which both made their debuts at the Museum of Arts & Sciences, will be donated over the next several years and is the most extensive collection of Florida art anywhere in the world. Additional donor dollars will create an endowment for the operation and maintenance of the 26,000 square foot building, which will front Nova Road just north of the existing Museum of Arts & Sciences. In addition to a large gallery space including a mezzanine, which will showcase the collection’s signature pieces, the innovative Museum will include 6 changing galleries ranging from 900 to 2,000 square feet, conference and education rooms, a café with outdoor seating and a gift shop. Conference rooms and meeting and event spaces will be available to the public on a rental basis. The Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art is scheduled to open in 2015.
Interstate-95 Widening
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