The combination of increasing travel and inflation continued to push bed tax collections up sharply entering the new year in Volusia County.
Total taxes collected in the county were at $2,603,070 in January, up 55.2% from $1,677,268 in January 2021 and up 31.7% from $1,976,726 in January 2020, just before the Covid-19 pandemic started, numbers reported by the Volusia County Division of Revenue show.
Room rates were significantly higher in the Halifax area, which accounts for about 70% of taxes collected, up 31.6% to $139.96 from $106.32 last year, according to a report from the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. But room occupancy was at 53.8%, up 9.7% from 49.1% last year.
Daytona Beach International Airport continues to recover from the pandemic as more people are flying. There were 42,389 passengers flying into and out of the county-operated airport in January, up from 30,124 in January 2021. The load factor for American Airlines and Delta Air Lines was 76% compared to 49% last year.
Higher attendance at events at Daytona International Speedway, such as the Rolex at Daytona, helped drive business in January and, with a sold-out Daytona 500, probably continued in February. Initial reports from Bike Week also showed more people coming to the area, so the hospitality industry should continue making a big contribution to the Volusia economy.
With more new hotels coming online later in 2022, such as the Marriott Renaissance at 640 N. Atlantic Ave. in Daytona Beach and the Rushhh Daytona Beach, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, at 2323 S. Atlantic Ave. and Max Beach Resort at 1901 S. Atlantic Ave., both in Daytona Beach Shores, it should be a banner year.
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Commercial real estate also is continuing a rapid pace in the new year. Recent deals include The Blue Tides Apartments at 261 Riverside Drive in Holly Hill were acquired by a California firm and Marina Grande developer Michael Swerdlow for $18 million. A Fort Lauderdale firm bought the Promenade shopping center at Nova and Beville roads in Daytona Beach for $15.5 million. Bradenton investors bought the Stonewood Tavern & Grill property at 100 S. Atlantic Ave. in Ormond Beach for $4.025 million, probably in a purchase/lease back deal.
Among some smaller deals, Mayberry Property Management of Dunnellon bought the Amscot property at 2167 Howland Blvd. in Deltona for $2.625 million. Local investors bought the Landis-French Building at 110 W. Indiana Ave. in DeLand for $1.275 million. Ormond Beach businessman Richard Magueri bought vacant land on Benton Street, just north of the RaceTrac store on N. U.S. 1 in Ormond Beach, for $900,000. A local buyer acquired the restaurant property at 844 E. New York Ave. in DeLand for $350,000.
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More projects hit the planning board recently. Plans were submitted to the St. Johns River Water Management District for a 14,000-square-foot medical building and 182-room hotel in the southeast quadrant of I-95 and SR 44, south of the AdventHealth Medical Park in New Smyrna Beach. Besides the 7-Eleven and Mister Car Wash, Boos Development wants to put two fast-food restaurants, a sit-down restaurant and a small strip retail center on the former Father Lopez Catholic School property at the southeast corner of Nova Road and Mason Avenue in Daytona Beach. On a 226-acre site on Tomoka Farms Road, north of U.S. 92, Taylor & Mathis is planning 678,000 square feet of warehouse space, the landowner wants to build a 200,000-square-foot cold storage facility and 15,000-square-foot retail strip center, and LIV Development wants to build 325 apartments and 75 townhouses. Bonnarigo Business Park with office/warehouses is planned at 1012 Eighth St. in Holly Hill. Elegant Limousines is planning a site at 838 Ridgewood Ave. in Holly Hill.
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On a final note, a couple of retail shops are opening. Cold Stone Creamery is going into Tomoka Town Center in the building with the Spectrum office in Daytona Beach. Massage Envy is opening at 233 E. International Speedway Blvd. in DeLand.
Managing Editor Cecil G. Brumley has been tracking business and the economy in Volusia County for more than 25 years. Contact him at cbrumley@hometownnewsmediagroup.com (no hyphens) or follow him on Twitter @cecilbrumley.